It has been too long...

For those of you that for some reason read my blog more than, say, once a month, I apologize for my writing hiatus. For the rest of you, I say nothing. I have been horribly bad at posting the past few months, perhaps because I have finally started working and am no longer at home or in school with tons of time to spare.

For those of you that don't know yet, I am a research assistant at the Texas Education Agency in the Office for Planning, Grants, and Evaluation. That's right, I do it for the kids. What do I do though, I'm glad you asked.

In our office, we oversee strategic planning for the Agency and administer and evaluate the various grant programs. Say, for example, that the Legislature appropriates $10 million for schools to decrease dropout rates. Our office then designs the grant program, with the grant being either formula funded or discretionary/competitive. The specific goals and objectives are established for the program, with most all of the allowable programs, etc. To be based off of sound research. This requirement helps prevent ineffective programs from being implemented.

Here is what I do though -- Once the program is established and the grants are allotted to schools and/or districts, then these schools and districts submit reports back to the Agency with data such as how the program is being implemented, how many teachers/staff/administrators and parents are involved, how may hours of instruction were given, subjective ratings of how programs are working, what goals were and were not achieved, student performance data, etc. From this data and information, we then draft evaluation reports on the program and evaluate its effectiveness. From our evaluation, we can recommend changes in the granting process, the scope of the program, or to cut the program altogether.

I love it so far, and the session is just under way...Well, it will be when the legislators get back from D.C. I have no definite plans here yet, but I do plan on staying on through session. I have a separate side project I am working on that could provide me with a new and different opportunity to work more directly with education policy, but the framework is still being developed.

Besides that, I'm just waiting for gym prices to go down so I can join 24 Hour Fitness and not feel like a bum when I get home for work and watch CNN for two hours. I'm also helping a little with Student Government campaigns again this year, as I just love the strategy and planning aspect of them. From what I know, two campaigns have formed, one with Omar Ochoa and Elizabeth Brummett, and another with Jessica Rice and Colby Hanks (president and vice president, respectively). Sadly, I am friends with all four of them, but I decided to commit my advice and help to Omar and Elizabeth. I am still hoping though that I can support Jessica as a friend, and I know I can remain impartial since here in Texas my word is as good as gold.

Signing off...

- posted by JW Walthall at 7:39 AM | Permanent Link | 0 comments