ARRA Formative and Summative Evaluation of an Integrated Resource Information System

WCER’s Value-Added Research Center is providing evaluation services to the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) for the District’s Integrated Resource Information System (IRIS). IRIS is a performance management and decision-support system that contains data on students, staff, professional development, and financials.

MPS will build on an existing student data warehouse by adding components and linking them to better answer questions about what works, for whom, and under what circumstances.

Formative evaluations will review the effectiveness of school improvement planning processes and professional development, identify challenges and successes of implementing strategies, and review data quality procedures for improvement. Summative evaluations of the project will assess the impact of IRIS on MPS planning, budgeting, and implementation processes and will evaluate measures of fidelity of implementation.