Please complete this form in ink. Detach it and mail or fax it to:
Literacy Program Nomination
Center for Instruction, Staff Development and Evaluation 1925 New Era Road
Carbondale, IL 62901
Fax # 618-457-8927 (Won’t fax? Try pressing *51 as soon as the phone picks up.) This national research project is designed to measure the effectiveness of outstanding environmental education programs with respect to the goal of environmental literacy. Said programs can be formal, informal, nonformal or a combination of these types. The programs can be national in scope but also may be very local in nature. Nominees should represent exemplary 6th, 7th, and/or 8th grade EE classrooms. All programs nominated will be considered for inclusion in the study. Final selections will be the responsibility of the Research Team.
Please inform your nominee(s) that a member of the research team will follow-up for additional information.
Nominator’s Name (Your Name): ___________________________________________________
Your Contact Information including phone and email: ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Nominated Program: ___________________________________________________________
School(s) in which program is in place (name up to three (3) schools – continu e on reverse)
1. School name _________________________________________________________________
Person(s) to Contact: ____________________________________________________________
Contact Information (Address, Phone and E-mail): _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Use spaces on the reverse side to nominate additional schools. Thank you.
2. School name _________________________________________________________________
Person(s) to Contact: ____________________________________________________________
Contact Information (Address, Phone and E-mail): _____________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. School name _________________________________________________________________
Person(s) to Contact: ____________________________________________________________
Contact Information (Address, Phone and E-mail):______________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
If you have questions, please contact one of the individuals listed below.
Bill McBeth, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, [email protected], 608-342-1284;
Karen Cifranick, CISDE, [email protected], 757-480-1107;
Harold Hungerford, CISDE, [email protected], 618-457-8927; or Trudi Volk, CISDE, [email protected], 618-457-8927.
National Middle School Environmental Literacy Assessment (NELA) FAQ's for Schools
1. What is NELA? NELA is a multi-year research project. Phase I explored the level of environmental literacy among 6th and 8th grade students in public and private schools across the U.S. We used a survey to gather information on these students'
environmental knowledge, skills, affective characteristics (feelings), and participation, as well as their grade level, age, gender, and ethnic background. We also gathered information on the curriculum and teachers in participating schools. In Phase II, we will gather student environmental literacy data from classes that incorporate environmental education as a part of instruction and compare these data to the baseline data from Phase I. We will also seek funding for a Phase III of the project, which will offer opportunities to many other researchers to conduct in-depth
investigations of the variables associated with success in schools and programs that appear to be effective in the development of environmental literacy.
2. What organizations are participating in NELA? NELA is a multi-year research project funded through an inter-agency agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and supported by the
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). It is being led by a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Florida Institute of Technology, the Center for Instruction, Staff Development and
Evaluation, Rochester Institute of Technology. Contact information can be found on the reverse of this sheet.
3. What programs are eligible to participate in Phase II of the NELA project? We are recruiting outstanding EE programs that are in place at the 6th, 7th, and/or 8th grade levels. Our data collection sites might include: (1) schools which are part of networks, e.g., EIC schools, EarthForce/Green Schools, Blue Ribbon School, etc.; (2) schools which implement programs or approaches, e.g. WET, WILD, PLT, IEEIA, etc.);
(3) environmentally focused Charter and Magnet Schools; and (4) Independent Schools. Nominations of exemplary school-based environmental programs were
solicited from Program/Network leaders who were encouraged to nominate exemplary schools using their programs. Charter, magnet, and independent schools were also encouraged to self-nominate. As we considered schools for participation, we looked for those in which a particular EE program or approach has been in place at the middle
grade level (grades 6, 7, and/or 8) for two or more years and in a minimum of two classes. Each participating school will receive a modest stipend for its participation.
4. What data will be collected? The NELA includes four surveys:
• One on School Information that identifies the demographics of participating schools,
• One on Program Information that identifies a range of information about the school's curriculum, including environmental aspects,
• One on Teacher Information for the teachers of classes participating in the survey to complete, and
• The Middle School Environmental Literacy Assessment Survey (MSELS) for students to complete.
5. How many schools, classes, teachers and students will participate in the
Assessment? Seventy schools will be selected. We anticipate that 300 – 400 classes and teachers will participate and about 9,000 students.
6. What is the project timeline? Data Collectors will work with the selected schools during March and April to set up the data collection arrangements. We anticipate that all surveys will be administered in April and May of 2009.
Contact information:
Bill McBeth, Project Director, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, [email protected], 608-342-1284
Karen Cifranick, Assessment Coordinator, Center for Instruction, Staff Development and Evaluation, [email protected], 757-480-1107
Other Research Team Members:
Harold Hungerford,
Center for Instruction, Staff Development and Evaluation, [email protected] Tom Marcinkowski,
Florida Institute of Technology, [email protected] Ron Meyers,
Rochester Institute of Technology, [email protected] Trudi Volk,
Center for Instruction, Staff Development and Evaluation, [email protected]
School Correspondence Email #1
My name is Karen Cifranick. I am sending you this email because your school has been nominated to participate in a National Environmental Literacy Assessment project (NELA).
This environme ntal literacy research is supported by the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It represents an effort to recogniz e successful environmental programs at the middle level and to collect information about the students in those programs.
If your program is selected to participate in the research and agrees to do so, a me mber of our research team will visit your school in late spring for a single 50 minute
administration of a survey to students in your environmental program. We do not want this research to intrude on the educational activities in your school and will work with you to identify the time that will work best for you. Administrators and teachers of the program will also be asked to complete several survey forms to provide information about your school and its students, the program itself and the backgrounds of those providing instruction in your program. In appreciation for your participation, your school will receive a $500 stipend, following the completion of all data collection.
The director of the NELA project is Dr. Bill McBeth, University of Wisconsin–Platteville ([email protected], 608-342-1284). Other research team members include Drs. Harold Hungerford and Trudi Volk at the Center for Instruction, Staff Development and
Evaluation ([email protected], 618-457-8927) and Dr. Tom Marcinkowski, Florida Institute of Technology ([email protected], 321-674-8946).
To aid us in selecting the schools and programs that will participate in the research, we ne ed information about your school and your environmental program. It should only take 10-15 minutes to answer the questions below. The easiest way to do this would be to hit the REPLY button on your email and then provide the information solicited by each question in the reply message to me.
We are making final selections at this time, so please send this information back to me by March 13th.
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Please provide the information below:
1. Your School:
2. Name and Title of person responding:
3. Name of Environme ntal Program:
4. Place an X before the descriptor that BEST fits your school (Please select only one).
___Public, regular
___Public, Charter
___Public, School of Choice
___Public, Other (Please explain):
___Private, independent ___Private religious
___Other (Please explain):
5. Grade Levels Involved in Your School’s Environmental Program (Again, place an X before each grade level in which an environme ntal education program is in place). After you have indicated grade level involveme nt, please type in the number of classes that are involved in the program, and the approximate number of students for each grade.
___6th grade: ___ Number of classes; ______Approximate number of students ___7th grade: ___ Number of classes; ______Approximate number of students ___8th grade: ___ Number of classes; ______Approximate number of students
6. How long has the nominated program been in place in your school? (If the length of implementation differs by grade level, please indicate that).
7. Approximate length of Your School’s Environmental Program (Again, if this answer differs by grade level, please indicate.)
______Number of weeks per school year
______Average number of contact hours per week
8. We want our sample to reflect the many different programs and approaches in environmental education. Please look over the list below. It names 15 programs, approaches, networks and sources. We’d like you to indicate which of these are part of your program, if any. For all that are part of your program, please write in the percentage that it contributes to your overall program. For items a - e (gov’t agencies) please type in the name of the agency program that you use. For items f - j, please estimate the average number of activities you use from that source.
a. ___U.S. EPA (Name of program you use:______________________) b. ___NOAA Name of program:_______________________________) c. ___U.S. Forest Service (Name of program:____________________) d. ___U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Name of program:____________)
e. ___National Park Service (Name of program:_________________) f. ___Project Learning Tree (# of activities used: ________________) g. ___Project WILD (# of activities used: _______________________) h. ___Project WET (# of activities used: ________________________) i. ___Windows on the Wild (# of activities used: ________________) j. ___Wonders of Wetlands (# of activities used: ________________) k. ___EIC Schools (Lieberman/SEER)
l. ___Earth Force/GREEN m. ___Green Charter Schools n. ___Gree n Schools
o. ___Investigating and Evaluating Environme n tal Issues and Actions-IEEIA (Hungerford’s model)
p. ___Other (please identify):
q. ___Other (please identify):
9. We are interested in characteristics of your environmental program. Does your environmental program make use of or participate in any other recogniz ed approach to EE? If so, which one(s)?
__After-school club
__School grounds/study site(s) __School/District nature center
__Resident/Community outdoor program __Extended field study
__Service-learning __Action research
__Other (please identify):
10. If you use or participate in a program that was developed at the state, district, or local level, please indicate that below and provide the name of the program.
___State level (Name of Program:________________________________)
___Multi-county/Multi-district level (Name of Program:____________) ___School District (Name of Program:___________________________) ___School level (Name of Program:______________________________) ___Other (Name of Program:___________________________________)
NOTE: Any of these may involve government, NGOs, universities, and/or other entities.
11. What kind of implementation do you have for the environmental program? (Place an X before only one response. If this answer differs by grade level, please indicate.)
___It is a separate subject.
___It involves the infusion of environmental content into two or more subjects (e.g., science and social studies or science and language arts).
___It uses the environment as an integrating concept across all (or most) subject areas.
___It reflects a school-wide environment-based mission.
___Other: (Please, identify):
12. Environmental Literacy is usually described as having a number of major components.
Please provide your best estimate of the extent to which the program is designed to address the following literacy components (place an X before the response that best reflects your program for each component):
A. Ecological or Environmental Knowledge.
___No Extent ___Moderate Extent ___Great Extent
B. Development of Attitudinal Dimensions: Commitment to Issue Resolution, Environmental Se nsitivity, etc.
___No Extent ___Moderate Extent ___Great Extent
C. Development of Inquiry or Investigation Skills Related to Environmental Problems and Issues.
___No Extent
___Moderate Extent ___Great Extent
D. Development of Decision Making or Problem Solving Skills Related to Environme ntal Issue Resolution
___No Extent
___Moderate Extent ___Great Extent
E. Participation in Environme ntal Action, i.e. Helping to Resolve Issues.
___No Extent ___Extent ___Great Extent
13. What other prominent features or characteristics of your program would you like to mention?
14. In summary, why do you think this program is a good candidate for inclusion for this study?
15. We hope that this project will lead to future environmental education research.
Would you be willing to work with a researcher who might come into your school and make a more thorough study of this program? That research activity would not take place this school year and your answer will not have any bearing on your inclusion in this study.
16. Additional Comme nts – Please include any thoughts on why you feel that this entity would be a strong candidate for this environme ntal literacy study.
Thank You!
Karen Cifranick, Assessment Coordinator [email protected]
757-480-1107
School Correspondence Email #2
Congratulations, your school has been accepted for participation in the National Environmental Literacy Assessment!
Please find the attached Letter of Selection from the Project Coordinator and a Service Contract from the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE).
A school administrator must print the contract, provide the FEIN number and other information that is missing, sign it, and return it no later than April 3, 2009 to:
Karen Cifranick, Assessment Coordinator 1915 Kingston Avenue
Norfolk, VA 23503
Please do this immediately. We need verification of your acceptance to participate in order to assign your school a data collector, who will administer the survey to your students later this spring.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Karen Cifranick
NELA Assessment Coordinator 757-480-1107