Systemic Research, Inc. has been working on a two year NSF grant, Evaluative Study of Model Institutions for Excellence (MIE) Based in MIE Self Evaluation Template (MSET) [HRD-0204166] since September 15, 2002. Systemic Research has been involved in the MIE program since 1996 as a technical assistant provider to design, develop, and implement the MIE Self Evaluation Template (MSET), a conceptual and operational program evaluation instrument. All MIE institutions have utilized MSET since the beginning of the MIE program to collect their annual progress data. Based on the collected MSET database, Systemic Research has compiled, published, and disseminated an Annual MIE Fact Book to present an overall progress report from the baseline year to the current year.
Systemic Research, Inc. is seeking 36 months of funding to continue indicator data collection and to publish annual Fact Books for the remainder of the program period. MIE Fact Book 2002 includes a decade of data, through AY 2001-02. For a complete presentation of the program, data is needed through AY 2005-06, four additional years. The annual Fact Books will be disseminated in parallel with the MIE institutions' Phase III dissemination efforts to illustrate overall program progress. In addition, a Program Achievement Highlights booklet including best practice models will be published at the end of the third year to coincide with the conclusion of MIE funding. Systemic Research will continue to provide extensive technical assistance to individual institutions through continuous communication including onsite workshops and annual MIE/MSET workshops. The MSET homepage will also be continued to be hosted in Systemic Research's web site to enhance communication and dissemination.
Broad Impact In addition to assisting with self evaluation by the MIE institutions, an objective of this proposal is the dissemination of MIE Models and their impact on the participating colleges and universities. For wide dissemination, all publications will be available in three different formats; printed copy, CD-ROM, and web-based publications. The MIE Fact Books and Program Achievement Highlights with Case Stories booklet will be disseminated nation-wide to present the impact of the MIE program to Congress, federal agencies, research and education communities and all interested stakeholders. The outcome reports will be further disseminated through various national conferences such as American Educational Research Association, American Evaluation Association, and National Center for Education Statistics.
Intellectual Merit MSET has proven to be an effective instrument for measurement of student success indicators. MSET will be updated provide common measures of performance across all MIE projects for the duration of the program. The site visits and case stories will identify best practice models. The project will continue to provide extensive technical assistance to participating MIE sites. Individual institution's Fact Books will be returned to respective institution for their on-going self-evaluation. The Fact Book (overall and by institution) will continue to be a successful mode of program dissemination. Annual MSET workshops will further build capacity on key indicator management and self evaluation. The finalized MSET Master Database may be used for further analysis among educational researchers.
