Education Renewal Zones: Increasing Partnerships and Sharing Resources for School Improvement

SEDL staff conducted a multiyear evaluation of the ERZ initiative in eight sites across the state of Arkansas. The evaluation included both formative and summative data collection and reporting functions. The primary goals of the evaluation were to document the context in which the ERZ initiative takes place in each site, the implementation of the initiative according to the guidelines specified in the legislation, and the short- and long-term outcomes resulting from the implementation of the initiative. SEDL collaboratively developed a program logic model that was used to identify qualitative and quantitative outcome measures to be monitored as the initiative is implemented. Using a cluster evaluation framework, the evaluation was focused on identifying and describing (1) the policies, practices, and conditions that foster improvements in public school performance and student achievement; (2) the ways in which the partnerships established through the renewal zones leverage large-scale education improvement across the state; and (3) what will be needed to sustain the initiative over time.

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