Evaluation results will demonstrate that a change has occurred in local school policies and/or procedures, professional development training practices, teacher leadership initiatives within school buildings, and school academic standards as a result of the program. An external evaluator will be selected to undertake research and evaluation for the project.

The evaluator will work with the Illinois State Board of Education, Chicago Public Schools, and the Office of Catholic Education and the Project Manager.

The research plan consists of three phases. Year One will focus on planning, measures development and baseline data collection centered on professional development in the initial participating schools and partner institutions. Year Two and the first half of the Year Three will continue with data collection regarding implementation of the project at various sites and focal studies of selected schools. This effort will emphasize formative uses of the information to assist in problem identification and project refinement. The second half of the Year Three will shift to documenting outcomes regarding teaching and learning, and to investigating project sustainability.

A variety of methods will be used throughout the project. During the initial phases, project staff working with the evaluator will interview participants, conduct site visits to selected partner institutions and create a set of questionnaires (modifications appropriate for teachers, administrators and the state agency) that will be completed by project participants during the project.

In addition to classroom practices and student work, project staff and the evaluator will examine how the technologies are being implemented and how teachers have been engaged as change agents within their respective environments.