{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76735"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76735","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A Mixed Methods Study on Evaluations of Virginia's STEM-Focused Governor's Schools","abstract":"Significant emphasis is currently placed on STEM education as a vehicle to encourage American youth to enter science, technology, engineering, and math-related professions. Gifted students are a natural resource of future innovators for these fields; however gifted programs are largely overlooked for program support. Since 1973, the Virginia Department of Education has sponsored a unique model of regional magnet programs for gifted and talented students called the Virginia Governor's Schools. These schools provide accelerated and differentiated curricula, often in the STEM subjects. As evaluation is a strong component to achieve more funding to meet the scientific and technological demands of these programs, the researcher explored the evaluation reports of five STEM-focused Virginia Governor's Schools. The purpose of the study was to collect consequential evidence of an untested rubric instrument used for the evaluations. A descriptive analysis of the instrument's criteria ratings, a content analysis of evaluation reports, and a thematic analysis of eight evaluator interviews were conducted. Results were triangulated to reveal that the five Governor's Schools met (n= 80.0%) or exceeded (n= 13.87%) evaluation metric standards, and shared similar strengths and areas of needed improvement. Triangulated evidence supported the argument that the instrument addresses gifted students as independent learners, faculty as education innovators, and promotes STEM-capable citizens through scientific research and civic service. Information collected during the study was intended to assist evaluation designers in determining rubric efficacy and provide recommendations for planned future revisions.","abstract_html":"Significant emphasis is currently placed on STEM education as a vehicle to encourage American youth to enter science, technology, engineering, and math-related professions. Gifted students are a natural resource of future innovators for these fields; however gifted programs are largely overlooked for program support. Since 1973, the Virginia Department of Education has sponsored a unique model of regional magnet programs for gifted and talented students called the Virginia Governor's Schools. These schools provide accelerated and differentiated curricula, often in the STEM subjects. As evaluation is a strong component to achieve more funding to meet the scientific and technological demands of these programs, the researcher explored the evaluation reports of five STEM-focused Virginia Governor's Schools. The purpose of the study was to collect consequential evidence of an untested rubric instrument used for the evaluations. A descriptive analysis of the instrument's criteria ratings, a content analysis of evaluation reports, and a thematic analysis of eight evaluator interviews were conducted. Results were triangulated to reveal that the five Governor's Schools met (n= 80.0%) or exceeded (n= 13.87%) evaluation metric standards, and shared similar strengths and areas of needed improvement. Triangulated evidence supported the argument that the instrument addresses gifted students as independent learners, faculty as education innovators, and promotes STEM-capable citizens through scientific research and civic service. Information collected during the study was intended to assist evaluation designers in determining rubric efficacy and provide recommendations for planned future revisions.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Stith, Krista Marie"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Ph. D.","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Curriculum and Instruction","degree_department":"Teaching and Learning","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Ernst, Jeremy V."],"committee_members":["Colbert, Joy E.","Burge, Penny L.","Williams, Thomas O."],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-03-30","date_published":"2017-03-30","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:58Z","subjects":["STEM Education","Gifted Education","Evaluation","Virginia Governor's Schools"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:9742"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:9742","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76735","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Ernst, Jeremy V."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Colbert, Joy E.","Burge, Penny L.","Williams, Thomas O."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Teaching and Learning"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Stith, Krista Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-03-31T08:00:25Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-03-31T08:00:25Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2017-03-30"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Curriculum and Instruction"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["STEM Education","Gifted Education","Evaluation","Virginia Governor's Schools"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:9742"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76735"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Significant emphasis is currently placed on STEM education as a vehicle to encourage American youth to enter science, technology, engineering, and math-related professions. Gifted students are a natural resource of future innovators for these fields; however gifted programs are largely overlooked for program support. Since 1973, the Virginia Department of Education has sponsored a unique model of regional magnet programs for gifted and talented students called the Virginia Governor's Schools. These schools provide accelerated and differentiated curricula, often in the STEM subjects. As evaluation is a strong component to achieve more funding to meet the scientific and technological demands of these programs, the researcher explored the evaluation reports of five STEM-focused Virginia Governor's Schools. The purpose of the study was to collect consequential evidence of an untested rubric instrument used for the evaluations. A descriptive analysis of the instrument's criteria ratings, a content analysis of evaluation reports, and a thematic analysis of eight evaluator interviews were conducted. Results were triangulated to reveal that the five Governor's Schools met (n= 80.0%) or exceeded (n= 13.87%) evaluation metric standards, and shared similar strengths and areas of needed improvement. Triangulated evidence supported the argument that the instrument addresses gifted students as independent learners, faculty as education innovators, and promotes STEM-capable citizens through scientific research and civic service. Information collected during the study was intended to assist evaluation designers in determining rubric efficacy and provide recommendations for planned future revisions."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Ph. D."]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Mixed Methods Study on Evaluations of Virginia's STEM-Focused Governor's Schools"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Ernst, Jeremy V."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Colbert, Joy E.","Burge, Penny L.","Williams, Thomas O."],"dc:contributor.department":["Teaching and Learning"],"dc:creator":["Stith, Krista Marie"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-03-31T08:00:25Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-03-31T08:00:25Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2017-03-30"],"dc:description.abstract":["Significant emphasis is currently placed on STEM education as a vehicle to encourage American youth to enter science, technology, engineering, and math-related professions. Gifted students are a natural resource of future innovators for these fields; however gifted programs are largely overlooked for program support. Since 1973, the Virginia Department of Education has sponsored a unique model of regional magnet programs for gifted and talented students called the Virginia Governor's Schools. These schools provide accelerated and differentiated curricula, often in the STEM subjects. As evaluation is a strong component to achieve more funding to meet the scientific and technological demands of these programs, the researcher explored the evaluation reports of five STEM-focused Virginia Governor's Schools. The purpose of the study was to collect consequential evidence of an untested rubric instrument used for the evaluations. A descriptive analysis of the instrument's criteria ratings, a content analysis of evaluation reports, and a thematic analysis of eight evaluator interviews were conducted. Results were triangulated to reveal that the five Governor's Schools met (n= 80.0%) or exceeded (n= 13.87%) evaluation metric standards, and shared similar strengths and areas of needed improvement. Triangulated evidence supported the argument that the instrument addresses gifted students as independent learners, faculty as education innovators, and promotes STEM-capable citizens through scientific research and civic service. Information collected during the study was intended to assist evaluation designers in determining rubric efficacy and provide recommendations for planned future revisions."],"dc:description.degree":["Ph. D."],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:9742"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76735"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["STEM Education","Gifted Education","Evaluation","Virginia Governor's Schools"],"dc:title":["A Mixed Methods Study on Evaluations of Virginia's STEM-Focused Governor's Schools"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Curriculum and Instruction"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D."],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:58Z"}