Below is a text-only version of several short excerpts of the report. A web compatible version of the complete report can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.
Watershed for Every Classroom
Evaluation 2007-2008
Report Summary and Recommendations
Prepared by Sharon Plumb, Amy L. Powers,
and PEER Associates, Inc.
May 2008
Introduction and Methods 2
Overall Themes 3
Educator Outcomes 3
Program Design 5
Conclusions and Recommendations 16
Appendix: Educator Interview Guide 18
Overall Themes
The primary finding from this evaluation is that WEC participants found the course to be an extremely valuable learning opportunity. They learned content related to the natural and cultural history of watersheds and incorporated what they learned into their curriculum, or had plans to do so in the upcoming school year. They had suggestions for improvement, including improved coordination between partners and more time for content, reflection, and curriculum development. Specific findings and participant recommendations are listed below and discussed more fully immediately following.
Educator outcomes
--WEC inspired educators to utilize local resources and a “watershed lens” as a foundation for curriculum.
Best practices and participant recommendations
--WEC was particularly applicable to middle school educators.
--Overall, the WEC course was shy on time for reflection and curriculum development.
--Educators were thrilled by WEC’s science content and requested more of the same.
--Educators found multiple WEC partners highly valuable for providing resources and networking.
--The program would benefit from more big picture planning and collaboration between partners.
--Educators requested additional workshops, ongoing communication from partners, and networking opportunities.
--Supplemental recommendations are also provided.
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