SciGirls CONNECT 2 Formative Evaluation Report 3

The independent evaluation firm Knight Williams, Inc. conducted a formative evaluation during Year 2 of the SciGirls CONNECT2 program in order to gather information about the partner educators’ use of, reflections on, and recommendations relating to the draft updated SciGirls Strategies. The evaluation aimed for two educators from each of 14 partner organizations – specifically the program leader and one educator who was familiar with the original SciGirls Seven – to provide reflections on their use of the draft SciGirls Strategies in their programs through an online survey and follow-up interview. In all, 25 educators from 13 partner organizations completed the survey, for a response rate of 89%, and all but two of these educators went on to complete the follow-up interview.

There was a considerable range in the number of years the SciGirls CONNECT2 educators had worked at their organizations, been involved in STEM education, and implemented STEM programming for girls, in each case ranging from a year or less to more than 10 years. Two-fifths of the educators indicated that they had a year or less of experience with any SciGirls strategies (the SciGirls Seven and/or the draft SciGirls Strategies), while remaining educators had two or more years of experience.

A brief overview of the extent to which the partners fulfilled the SciGirls CONNECT2 program requirements is in the attached report, followed by a summary of key findings that emerged regarding educators’ use and perceptions of the draft SciGirls Strategies in their programs.