Develop a program evaluation study based on the following information about Stoneybrook Middle School:
• Stoneybrook Middle School is currently implementing a new peer tutoring program.
• The program pays eligible eighth-grade students $5 per hour to tutor sixth-grade students who are struggling in mathematics.
• Student tutors must have a B+ average or better in math courses and no history of conduct problems in school.
• Parental permission for tutors and students is required.
• Thus far, 60 eighth-grade tutors have been employed to tutor 75 sixth-grade students. The tutors meet with their sixth-grade pupils at least 1 hour per day. They work with the sixth graders on understanding math concepts and building math skills.
• The tutors have been trained to build confidence, provide positive reinforcement, and allow their pupils plenty of time to think. The tutors act as role models socially and academically. Tutors also model good study habits such as keeping notebooks organized, completing homework on time, and preparing effectively for quizzes and tests.
• The program has been running for 3 months, and it is time for the first evaluation. Continued funding of the peer tutoring program is contingent upon demonstration of its effectiveness.
Design an outcome study focusing on the effectiveness of Stoneybrook Middle School's peer tutoring program. In your program evaluation design, you must include the following information:
• Statement of the problem: Introduce the reader to the problem to be studied. Provide sufficient background information so that the reader has a grasp of the situation.
• Review of literature: Provide the reader with a review of salient literature, beginning with general information, and narrowing the focus to the specific issues under consideration in the study. Use subheadings to organize your information. This section should be 2 to 3 pages in length. Provide brief reviews of four or five similar studies.
• Purpose of the study: Clearly state the purpose of the study. Identify why the study is needed.
• Hypotheses research questions: List these as simple statements. Make sure they are measurable.
• Definition of terms: Operationally define terms the average reader may not know or that have a specific meaning in your study.
• Research methods and procedures:
o Population: Describe the population sample under study.
o Procedure: Discuss how the study will be carried out.
o Instruments: Describe the specific measurements used to test each hypothesis research question.
• Data analysis: Describe the statistical tests or procedures that would be most appropriate to analyze the data produced from your instruments.
• Conclusion: Summarize the problem and the proposed evaluation strategy. Discuss the advantages of the strategy that you have developed. Discuss any known limitations of your program evaluation plan.
Write a 2,450- to 2,800-word program evaluation paper. It must be formatted like a professional research article according to APA guidelines. Include a references section. Proofread your paper carefully before you submit it.
Create a 10-minute oral presentation of your program evaluation strategy. You may nominate a spokesperson to deliver the presentation, or each Learning Team member may present a section of the overall strategy. The in-class presentation must be a straightforward discussion of your program evaluation strategy. You are not to read your written report; think of your audience as the people who will consider funding your study. Thus, your presentation should be engaging and compelling.