?The project focuses on the evaluation of awards that were part of the 2011 cohort of research and demonstration projects funded by the Research in Disabilities Education program. The evaluation has two objectives: (1) To describe the challenges to and facilitators of research on disabilities education experienced by the projects; (2) To assess the nature and extent of dissemination and application of the results beyond the funded research context. The evaluation utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including systematic reviews of project documents and interviews with project researchers.
The project is developing a composite program logic model that incorporates the activities and intended outcomes of the different research and demonstration projects, and links them to the goals of the NSF program. By looking across projects, the evaluation is supporting more general conclusions about the conduct of funded research in disabilities education than can be drawn from a disparate set of individual project evaluations. The evaluation will have a broader impact on the participation of people with disabilities in STEM education and careers by strengthening current research projects with formative feedback on methodological issues. Researchers in disabilities education will be able to use the findings to inform the research, dissemination, and evaluation plans they propose in future projects. Findings are expected to provide vital information to field of research in disabilities education investigators for evaluating research in STEM education of students with disabilities.?
