Attachment 3 NCEE Report Planning Template.pdf

NCEE REPORT PLANNING TEMPLATE

OVERVIEW

Potential Report Title:

Report Type:

□ Report

□ Snapshot

Overarching Research Question/Hypothesis:

Identify the high-level research question that best articulates what the proposed report is about. Frame it as a hypothesis that you will test using the data available.

Examples:

To what extent are efforts consistent with IDEA’s goal of ensuring that identification is appropriate --comprehensive, timely, accurate?

Does Career-and-Technical Education at the state and district levels reflect Perkins V’s priority of promoting access and participation?

Rationale for Product: Why this topic/overarching research question is important

Describe in one or two paragraphs the educational problem the specific aspect of policy or practice being evaluated, and why decision makers should care about it. This motivation should ‘set-up’ the findings presented.

Main Research Question 1:

Include a cohesive set of high level main research questions (usually between 2-5) that when taken together answer the overarching research question. These questions should be articulated in such a way that they can be answered with one or two clear sentences, that will serve as report headlines/key policy relevant findings.

Examples:

To what extent are states and districts implementing practices associated with comprehensive identification? (A report headline answering these questions might read: States are largely implementing the three key practices associated with comprehensive identification, but district level implementation is uneven.)

Are states and districts providing the information and application processes needed to promote equitable access to career and technical education opportunities?

Research Question 1 Rationale:

Lay out the policy relevance of answering the first main research question. Include motivation for why the specific topics, outcomes, indicators, and/or analyses that will be presented to answer the question are important. (A report will always include text to help motivate the main questions. For a snapshot, this may not be necessary if the questions and analyses are very straightforward.)

Examples:

Explain what is meant by comprehensive identification and why it is important. Explain how comprehensive identification may look different at the state and district levels and how it can be measured.

Explain what is meant by access to career and technical education opportunities under Perkins V and why access matters. Explain how access was defined and measured for the purpose of the report.

Sub-questions that will be answered to address the main research question 1:

Sub-question 1a. The sub-questions taken together will answer main research question 1. The rationale for the main research question will make clear why the answer to these specific questions matter. In a report or snapshot, the answers to these questions would appear as policy relevant findings.

Examples: How many states report carrying out practice x (with practice x being one of the three practices associated with comprehensive identification)? (The finding might read “The vast majority of states are doing x, suggesting a key aspect of comprehensive identification at the state level is being achieved.)

Sub-question 1b.

Indicator(s):

For each sub-question, outline the specific survey data you will use to answer it (e.g., state survey items x-y; LEA survey items x-y) and how that survey data might be used together – or even in conjunction with extant data – to answer the sub-question.

Main research Question 2:

Research Question 2 Rationale:

Sub-questions that will be answered to address the 2nd main research question:

Sub-question 2a.

Indicator(s):