• An inventory and assessment, both quantitative and qualitative, of current programming for K-12 and professional teacher development (PTD) across the 25 Reserves and how these programs integrate state and national standards.
  
• Recommendations for improved program evaluation and performance measurement.
  
• Recommendations for improving program design and implementation, as well as needs for national-level support and capacity building activity.
  
• Recommendations and associated implications for a national “niche” or system-wide program or activity in the areas of K-12 education and professional teacher development.
  

In order to meet the project objectives, various data collection methods were used. Initially, three on-line surveys were administered to various staff members. The Education Coordinators (ECs) answered two online surveys: a general survey that collected data on their entire K-12 and PTD program and an individual program survey that collected specific data on each current K-12 and PTD program. The Reserve Managers (RMs), Research Coordinators (RCs), and Stewardship Coordinators (SCs) answered a survey that collected data about communication at each Reserve and about support for K-12 and PTD education programs.

After the data was collected from the online surveys, a follow-up survey for the ECs was designed and implemented through in-depth telephone interviews and four site visits. The open-ended questions were designed to clarify answers given in online surveys and to seek in-depth information for specific project objectives. The inventory data from the online individual survey was compiled into an accessible database format for future use by the Reserves and the NERRS national office. In addition, the data was compiled and analyzed.

The Survey revealed some very interesting results. Some of the more fascinating and important results are outlined below.

General Information

• 84% of the Reserves have an educational facility.
  
• 92% of the Reserves have one or more full-time education employees.
  
• 46% of the Reserves spend a large amount of time running K-12 programs.
  
• 83% of the Reserves spend a small amount of time running PTD programs.
  
• ECs spend 54% of their time on other responsibilities versus K-12 and PTD responsibilities.
  

K-12 Programs

• Approximately 66,000 to 67,000 students participated in K-12 programs in 2002.
  
• The most common K-12 program topics are estuary biology and ecology, human impacts on estuaries (including land use), and citizen stewardship.
  
• Sixth through eighth grades are the most common target audience for K-12 programs, followed by fourth and fifth grade.
  
• 51% of Reserves partnered with other organizations to deliver K-12 programs.
  
• 91% of K-12 programs use internal budget money to fund K-12 programs.
  
• The most common methods of program evaluation are staff observation and tracking participant attendance figures.
  

PTD Programs

• Approximately 1,800 to 2,000 teachers participated in PTD programs in 2002.
  
• The most common PTD program topics are estuary biology and ecology, human impacts on estuaries (including land use), and chemical/physical/geological sciences.
  
• Sixth through eighth grade teachers are the most common target audience for PTD programs, followed by high school teachers, and fourth and fifth grade teachers.
  
• 84% of Reserves use part of their internal budget and 53% use partners to help fund PTD programs.
  
• The most common methods of PTD program evaluation are staff observation, tracking participant attendance figures, and feedback cards.
  

After synthesizing and analyzing the data, the results were categorized into areas based on the study objectives: Program Design and Implementation; National and State Educational Standards; Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement; National or System-Wide Program or Activity; and Capacity Building.

Program Design and Implementation
Several study questions identify target audience selection and internal and external influences that shape K-12 and PTD. Target audience selection differs for K-12 and PTD programs. For K-12 programs, target audience selection is determined by the group’s flexibility to attend a program. PTD target audience selection is determined in two ways: 1) providing half-day or full-day trainings for teachers who bring their students to the Reserve, and 2) targeting specific grade levels for longer workshops that give teachers specific estuarine science and conservation knowledge. For both K-12 and PTD the most common external influences are frequency of requests and inclusion in a Reserve initiative. ECs say that the internal influences that shape program design and implementation are physical facilities, time of year a Reserve can offer a program, and the remoteness of the Reserve location.

National and State Educational Standards
Throughout the country, Reserves report that it is increasingly difficult to have students and teachers visit the Reserve if they do not correlate programs to state standards. Currently, 57% of K-12 programs are correlated to state standards and 67% of PTD programs are correlated to state standards. When correlating programs to state standards, the preferred method is to develop the program first and then match it to corresponding standards. Most programs are not correlated to national standards, which is not surprising because school systems are ultimately held accountable to state standards.

Program Evaluation and Performance Measurement
Little formal evaluation occurs for K-12 and PTD programs. The most common form of evaluation is staff observation and tracking participant attendance figures. Thirty-one percent of the K-12 programs reports having no formal evaluation and only a quarter of the programs have any type of follow-up surveys, pre- and post-program surveys, or feedback cards. For PTD programs, 22% of the programs have no formal evaluation and less than half have follow-up surveys, pre and post surveys, or feedback cards.

National or System-Wide Program or Activity
In general, there is support for some form of a system-wide program or activity. Around 60% of ECs agree that system-wide NERRS education objectives, educational program(s), and curriculum would help them improve educational programs at their Reserve. However, the support is mixed because there are contrasting opinions. ECs do agree that if any national program is implemented, it should be flexible and well supported with a long term commitment, adequate funding, and central coordination.

ECs indicated that a national-level NERRS curriculum or program might include:

• Introductory materials that each Reserve could use as springboard for site-specific programs
  
• Creative national marketing strategies that highlight commonalities in programs and focus among Reserves
  
• National PTD certification program
  
• National goals and objectives
  
• Comprehensive and Integrated
  
• Website
  
• Evaluation tools and methods
  

Capacity Building
Capacity building is defined as any activity or resource that might assist the K-12 and PTD programs. This includes strengthening partnerships, program support, communication, funding, and training.

Partnerships are used by Reserves in several major ways: to gain or share resources, to build programs, and to build relationships. Fifty-six percent of ECs use partnerships to gain or share resources for funding (for program salaries), people (staff, volunteers), facilities, (classrooms, dorms), equipment (canoes, boats, lab materials), education or training materials, time, audience mailing lists, and transportation services.

Reserve Managers are generally supportive of ECs, and allow the autonomy of ECs to manage their own areas of responsibility. ECs feel that increased communication with RCs would improve education programs. It was found that the Reserve staff at each site is small and the workload is great, so it is often easy for staff to become narrowly focused on their area. Communication between staff occurs at all of the sites, but in many cases only when a specific need arises.

Several questions probed ECs greatest needs for funding and training. Funding is needed for more paid education staff to assist with programs, teacher stipends, and transportation. The greatest training needs for EC professional development include training for program evaluation, education standards correlations, curriculum design, and to increase ecological knowledge and skills.

A key outcome of the project was to provide recommendations to improve NERRS K-12 and PTD programs. NERRS is a unique organization with many strengths. NERRS’ mission, structure, and diversity give it the potential to be a leader in estuarine education on a national level. With this in mind, the following recommendations were developed.

Reserve Level Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Develop an EC position description
The EC position description should include some broad qualifications and duties that can be integrated with Reserve-specific qualifications and responsibilities. This could be used as a guide to create consistency across the network.

Recommendation 2: Provide training for ECs
The creation of an annual development plan for each EC that builds on their key strengths and identifies areas for further development would help each EC to increase their expertise in both estuarine science and education. ECs should be proactive to determine specific professional development opportunities for themselves and present a proposal to their RM so that they can expand their professional capabilities.

Recommendation 3: Increase paid education staff
The education staff has many program responsibilities including CTP, Coastal Decision Makers Workshops, school programs, and public programs. In addition, ECs have administrative and overall operations responsibilities that take over half of their time. ECs need more staff to run safer programs and to increase program attendance. It is important to identify the Reserves that need more staff and determine if it can be pursued on a federal or state level.

Recommendation 4: Secure outside funding for K-12 and PTD programs
Over 84% of all K-12 and PTD programs are funded by internal budgets. ECs indicate they need assistance in finding outside funding to increase or improve current Reserve programs.

National Level Recommendations

Recommendation 5: Hire a national K-12 and PTD education coordinator; secure direct and consistent funding for any new system-wide K-12 and PTD programming
If there is a commitment to K-12 and PTD programs from a system-wide standpoint, a central coordinator position needs to be established. The coordinator would take the leadership role on any national or system-wide program(s), including an evaluation and performance measurement framework.

Recommendation 6: Provide assistance to Reserves to secure outside funding
The national office or national education coordinator could serve as a repository for a catalog of funding opportunities. The national Education Coordinator could serve as the lead in writing proposals for grants to other federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science Foundation, as well as to private funding sources.

Recommendation 7: Maintain a database of examples of NERRS K-12 and PTD programs
Maintaining a database of examples of successful NERRS K-12 and PTD programs and “lessons learned” is more manageable and sustainable with today’s technology. The database could be stored on a NERRS K-12 and PTD website for ECs. A separate website for the public could help market the programs.

Recommendation 8: Provide assistance to correlate all NERRS programs to state educational standards
Although ECs can be trained to correlate programs to state standards themselves, their workload prevents this from being a high priority. Correlating programs and curricula to state standards will increase the likelihood that educators will use the materials, come to PTD trainings, and bring their students to Reserve K-12 programs. Assistance might include training and/or assistance performing correlations.

Recommendation 9: Establish national performance measures and Reserve-level goals and objectives
The national office, with EC input, should develop key national goals that are important and applicable throughout NERRS, and then tie them to measurable objectives. At the Reserve level, the national office should assist with the development of goals and objectives that would relate to each particular Reserve’s target audiences. The objectives could be knowledge, attitude, or action based. The Reserves could mirror state benchmarks or standards for their objectives.

Recommendation 10: Develop and implement an evaluation framework that would measure factors at a national level and Reserve level
There is no established evaluation framework at the national level and only a few Reserves consistently evaluate their programs. It is important that Reserves define the level and types of formal evaluation that would be most useful and that ECs create an efficient and consistent plan to evaluate their programs.

Recommendation 11: Provide assistance for a K-12 and PTD market analysis and needs assessment for newer Reserves or Reserves interested in re-assessing their programs
A market analysis and needs assessment would assist Reserves in the development of effective programs, the development of an evaluation and performance measurement framework, and participation in a system-wide program.

Recommendation 12: Provide assistance for a PTD market analysis and needs assessment for Reserves that offer or want to offer PTD programs
A market analysis and needs assessment would assist Reserves that offer PTD programs in the development of effective programs, the development of an evaluation and performance measurement framework, and teacher recruitment.

Recommendation 13: Continue national marketing to support local K-12 and PTD initiatives
ECs want more marketing materials to supplement their programs or market any system-wide program. There is also a desire for a central NERRS K-12 and PTD website that could be a link among Reserve programs and any national program.

Recommendation 14: Develop and offer a system-wide NERRS K-12 and PTD program focused on field-based estuarine research
Many Reserve educational initiatives already integrate Reserve research and a majority of ECs (96%) indicate that research is a differentiating factor for their K-12 and PTD programs. There are many organizations doing coastal and marine K-12 and PTD education, but few of them are filling an estuarine education niche with a research focus. It makes sense that field-based estuarine research be the focus for a system-wide K-12 and PTD program.