Improving Teacher Quality - About Scientifically Based Research (SBR)
The research component of an ITQ project is a complex operation providing multiple levels
of data to be used for different purposes. The formative function of traditional program
evaluation remains a vital element, but the efforts of the research director are more
focused on the rigorous examination of the intervention's outcomes, including how and
why it succeeded or failed in achieving the project's goals. Information analyzed by
ITQ researchers includes both qualitative data such as systematic classroom observations
and quantitative data provided by achievement tests and other validated instruments
measuring student and teacher abilities. In examining quantitative data, the researcher
applies statistical tests to determine the likelihood that the intervention has had a
significant effect in improving outcomes.
