We are committed to ongoing evaluation of the NC Pathways to Grade-Level Reading initiative. The work is only as strong as the processes that allow for authentic co-creation of shared measures and aligned strategies. Our latest evaluation report looks at the process used for Pathways’ second phase – identifying where to act first. In this phase, Learning Teams reviewed the North Carolina data behind the Measures of Success, identified gaps in data availability, made sense of trends, highlighted inequities among different child populations, lifted up patterns and connections, and recommended where to move to action on first. (An evaluation of the first phase can be found here.)
Highlights of the findings include:
Learning Team members reported positive experiences as members of the Pathways initiative.
- All, or nearly all, members understand the Pathways initiative and the purpose of the Learning Teams.
- The percentage of members who feel that Learning Team meetings are productive increased from 83% after the first meeting to 96% after the final meeting.
- Most members feel that other team members value their contributions.
- Many members understand the initiative’s next steps and support the prioritization of decisions that have been made.
While their experiences were positive, members made suggestions for improving the Learning Teams.
- To improve the Learning Team process, members suggested changing aspects of the meeting format, providing materials prior to meetings so members can prepare for the meetings ahead of time, focusing on data collection, and continuing the collaborative approach.
- Materials can be improved by improving the organization of the materials notebook and providing clearer explanations of the data provided.
- While many members understand the purpose of the Pathways initiative, to make members’ experiences successful, some members suggest providing a better explanation of the project’s next steps, as well as continued cross-team sharing, member diversity, and effective leadership.
Members valued the diversity of representation and expertise on the Learning Teams, members’ focus on a common goal, and the usefulness of the project for other agencies and organizations in North Carolina.
Download the report.
