- Portland Public Schools High School Reform: An ongoing partnership with Portland Public Schools (PPS) to assess education priorities and needs of PPS parents, students, teachers, staff, and residents through focus group, telephone survey, and online survey research. Our most recent work with the district was focus groups with eighth grade boys, eighth grade girls, high school boys, high school girls, high school dropout boys and high school dropout girls from the Portland Public Schools (PPS) to better understand students’ perspectives of and wishes for improving their high schools. Students were representative of the district’s actual geographic, income, and minority demographic population. In addition to the focus groups, over 2,300 students shared their opinions for high school redesign through an online survey made available to students on the PPS website, and promoted within all PPS schools by teachers, flyers, and at school events. A scientific and random telephone survey of parents and students was also conducted.
- Coalition of Washington Education Organizations: Conducted a telephone survey of Washington Public School teachers with a coalition of organizations including Stand for Children Washington, Partnership for Learning (PFL), League of Education Voters (LEV), and the Center for Improving the Teaching Profession through a list DHM compiled of current Washington public school teachers. This research was conducted independent of any union or government body. The purpose of this survey was to objectively gather teacher’s opinions about issues they face in the classroom, their ideas for improving schools and teachers, and to assess their support for specific education reform proposals, including a mentoring program for new teachers and principals, and improved evaluation procedures for teachers and principals.
- Colorado Great Teachers and Leaders Bill: Conducted a statewide telephone survey on behalf of Stand for Children Colorado of Colorado voters to assess their opinions on teacher pay and teacher support in the state. This research was used by DHM and Stand to promote Colorado voter's support for the "Great Teachers and Leaders" bill, which passed in May 2010. This bill is the most significant legislation yet in the context of the Race to the Top grant process and has been noted by media as the boldest piece of education legislation passed by a Democrat-controlled legislature.
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- Chalkboard Project: An ongoing partnership with Foundations for a Better Oregon and the Chalkboard Project to assess residents’ attitudes toward K-12 education in Oregon through a variety of research methodologies including focus groups, telephone surveys, and online surveys. The research findings have helped to support the most comprehensive private initiative for K-12 education reform in the State of Oregon, The Class Project, as well as developing tools to help teachers, students, and parents in public education.
- Black Parent Initiative Race to Top: Conducted a pro-bono telephone survey of Oregon voters for Black Parent Initiative to assess their support linking current data systems that track student growth back to their teachers. This student-teacher link is a necessary component as identified by the Obama administration in creating long lasting and effective change in education as it allows administrators, teachers, and parents to more easily identify effective teachers to be recruited to be mentors, as well as identify less effective teachers that need extra support. This research is being used to solicit support from legislators in including the concept of linking teachers back to students in Oregon’s “Race to the Top” application.
- Children's Institute Head Start: An ongoing relationship with the Children’s Institute conducting focus groups and telephone surveys assessing Oregonians support for improving early child learning in the state. Our most recent telephone survey gauged Oregonians’ priorities for early childhood education programs and preschool education for low-income children. Additional focus groups were conducted throughout the state of Oregon with low-income parents. This resulted in the expansion of state funding for Oregon Head Start Pre-K and Early Head Start, and supports the campaign to provide every eligible child in the state the opportunity to attend Head Start programs.
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