Evaluation of the Impact of Professional Development Models and Strategies on Teacher Practice and Student Achievement

The Department of Education intends to issue a 2 month (60 days) extension to existing contract # ED-01-CO-0028/0020. The current period of performance ends on March 20, 2009. The purpose of the extension is to enable AIR staff to provide a restricted use file and additional analyses from data collected under this evaluation. On September 17, 2003, The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) awarded contract ED-01-CO-0026/0020 to American Institute for Research (AIR) with head office at Washington, DC and MDRC in New York City to conduct a rigorous study of professional development strategies for improving early reading. The study was the first, large-scale randomized trial of teacher training and, in particular of "coaching," being implemented in schools across the country. Given the importance of the study's focus, and the implications of its findings for practitioners and policymakers, an important goal has been for NCEE to learn as much as possible from it. There are a number of tasks under this project, but the remaining two include: (1) the preparation of a restricted use file and document, a requirement for all NCEE contracts and (2) some further analysis of the evaluation data, resulting in a memo for NCEE. The preparation and release of the data file was delayed by IES's own internal review and approval process. Other circumstances, including staffing issues, led AIR to delay completion of the additional analyses. The 2 month (60 day) extension will allow AIR to complete the restricted use data file and documentation, which will enable other researchers to conduct analyses and benefit from the outlay of public resources on the evaluation data collection. The extension will also allow AIR to deliver a memo to NCEE with the additional analysis from the evaluation data. This notice is for informational purposes only. A request for proposal is not required. Interested parties may, however, request further information no later than March 26, 2009 by email to Contract Specialist Vidya Vish at [email protected]