Porterville Unified to be evaluated for initiative Business Journal Staff | 30-Sep-2009
Porterville Unified to be evaluated for initiative
Written by Business Journal Staff Friday, 25 September 2009 12:44
SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development institute, named Porterville Unified School District among six school district in California to be evaluated for the progress of the California Multiple Pathways District Initiative.
The California Multiple Pathways District Initiative is funded by the Irvine Foundation and managed by ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career, an independent nonprofit organization established by the Irvine Foundation. The goal of the initiative is to support districts in developing a system of multiple pathways that lead to improved high school graduation and college-attendance rates, increased academic achievement and learning, and increased earning power after graduation.
In June 2009, after an extensive planning and review process, ConnectEd awarded grants of over $1 million to Porterville Unified and five other school districts throughout California to develop systems of pathways. Districts receiving the two-year implementation grants were expected to offer high school students an expanded choice of high-quality pathways that help prepare them for academic and career success. Each will be included in the evaluation of the initiative, which will conclude in January 2013.
"SRI has designed a rigorous evaluation to support ongoing program improvement and contribute to a greater understanding of education initiatives that can facilitate student success and achievement," said Nancy Adelman, Ed.D., associate director of SRI's Center for Education Policy and the principal investigator for th evaluation. "Our experienced research team will conduct an evaluation that includes site visits to school districts, student surveys, and analysis of student outcomes data."
