An Implementation Study of the Impact of Science Techbook in Sahuarita, Arizona An Implementation Study of the Impact of Science Techbook in Sahuarita, Arizona Research & Impact Download the Full Report At-a-Glance Type: Executive Summary Time Period: 2022-2023 Source: McRel International Grade Level: 6-8 Product: Science Techbook Share This Report Discovery Education retained the services of McREL International to study the use and impact of its Middle School Science Techbook in Arizona’s Sahuarita Unified School District (SUSD) during the 2022-23 school year. The purpose of the study was to answer two research questions: 1. What is the correlation between Techbook use and change in science aptitude? 2. What are the successes and challenges for teachers in using the Techbook?To answer these questions, a science aptitude assessment was administered in fall 2022 to serve as a baseline academic performance predictor, and then again in spring 2023 to serve as the dependent variable in the analyses. Semi-structured individual interviews were also conducted in the fall and spring. Finally, an implementation survey was administered in February 2023 to gauge teacher perception on the implementation and use of Science Techbook. The quantitative results meet the Every Student Succeeds Act’s (ESSA) Tier 3 level of evidence: Promising Evidence. Source Kramer, B., Rentz, B., Merth, R., Ryan, S., Kriescher, D. (2023). An implementation study of the Discovery Education Science Techbook for middle school in Sahuarita, Arizona. McREL International.
Sahuarita and Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Partnership Impacts Grade-Level Proficiency Sahuarita and Freeport-McMoRan Foundation Partnership Impacts Grade-Level Proficiency Research & Impact Download the Full Report At-a-Glance Type: Evaluation Study Time Period: Jan 2020 – Oct 2020 Source: Decisive Data Insights Grade Level: K-8 Products: Discovery Education ExperienceScience Techbook Share This Report Sahuarita Unified School District (SUSD), located just south of Tucson, Arizona, serves 5,800 students enrolled in PK-12 grades. The district has been the recipient of funding via the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation (FCX Foundation), whose goal is to build resiliency in communities where it has a presence.This evaluation is the first study that seeks to understand the impact of various SUSD initiatives funded by the FCX Foundation, and was led by researcher Dr. Brett Kramer of Decisive Data Insights. The study began with stakeholder engagement. The research team then collected performance data across the funded projects, analyzed the data to determine partnership effects, and tied those effects back to larger measures to inform the direction of future investments.The investment in Discovery Education led to an increase in math, science, and reading proficiency. And, with 18 positive effects across grade and subjects, it can be concluded that use of Discovery Education led to better academic outcomes in every subject and grade level, to some degree, than what would have been attained without its use.