Step 3. Plan for Implementation

Planning for implementation requires dedicated time and capacity. Note there are several suggested factors, based on the italicized sections below, that require planning. Doing more now will save time later and allow your program to contribute to broader collective learning.

Given the early stage of research in data literacy education, it is critical that inaugural programs have a plan to build evidence about what works best, for whom, and under what conditions. This means your implementation should include plans for tracking challenge and lessons learned, initial student outcomes, and other useful data to improve your program over time.

Build a logic model for your approach

• Use your favorite logic model design or use REL Pacific's Logic Model tooi or the template provided here (See Figure 2).
• Ensure that your inputs and outputs included specific, quantitative measures, related to the data that you intend and are able to collect.

Figure 2: Logic Model Template

Develop detailed implementation plans, timelines and workplans

• See example guides for STEM programming such as those created by the Arizona STEM Network, the State of Ohio, and the State of Indiana.
• If you are planning a summer program, use the Summer Learning Toolkit which contains examples, templates and more to plan your program. You can also see how the State of Texas has adapted the toolkit to fit their needs.
• If you are planning an expanded or out-of-school learning program, start with the 21st Century Community Learning Center's New Director's Toolkit

Ensure sufficient time and resources for educator professional development

• Consult with your schools' educators and other staff to create awareness for data-related education across subjects, including but not limited to: mathematics and statistics, biological and physical sciences, and social studies.
• Identity enthusiastic candidates, seeking representation within the chosen team that can encourage all students, including those historically underrepresented in STEM fields, to participate.
• Allow time for professional development opportunities for interested educators before introducing courses or other intensive programs.
• Consider selecting curriculum-aligned professional development programming for candidate educators to ensure relevance.
• Reach out to local Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) Data Science, Statistics, or Computer Science departments to facilitate partnerships for professional development.
• Reach out to local employers, local governments, or other organizations using data analytics to scope the possibility of short-term "externships" for educators to gain practice-based professional development.
• Determine if your American Recovery Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund (ESSER) allocations should support investments in training opportunities for educators, and consider long-term agreements with PD program partners to extend investments. For more information, see the Department's COVID Handbook Series.
• Determine if you are eligible for funding from Teacher Quality Partnerships program to support professional development opportunities in data science with local Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) or other partner institutions.

Ensure sufficient time and resources for acquiring necessary hardware and software for your intervention

• Have you developed a plan, in collaboration with a technology officer or other procurement staff, to ensure in-school access to relevant hardware, software, and internet connectivity?
• Have you a developed a plan, in collaboration with a technology officer or other procurement manager, to ensure proper maintenance, replacement accessories, and staggered refresh cycles for equipment?
• Have you surveyed or otherwise assessed access to relevant hardware, software, and internet connectivity for students at home or elsewhere?
• Have you created and documented planned adaptations of your instructional intervention, relative to technology constraints?
• Determine if your American Recovery Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Relief Fund (ESSER) allocations should support investments in hardware, software, cloud storage, or internet connectivity, and consider long-term agreements with providers to extend investments. See the Department's COVID Handbook Series.
• Determine if you are eligible for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) E-Rate Program for Category 1 (telecommunications, telecommunications services and Internet access) or Category 2 (internal connections, basic maintenance of internal connections, and managed internal broadband services) discounts.

Ensure sufficient time for student recruitment and family engagement

• Do you have partnerships with your school board, parent-teacher associations, or other parent organizations?
• Consider holding information sessions to preview these programmatic changes with parents and families, outlining opportunities for students.
• Consider holding consultation sessions with guidance counselors and other staff to ensure alignment with post-graduation planning services.

Develop plans for continuous improvement, data collection and evaluation

• Check if your district has a research and/or evaluation team, and if so, engage them early to help navigate district protocol for pilot studies or new programming and overall design.
• Check if your district has a research board or IRB, and if so, engage those offices early to understand the process and timeline for program review.
• Many districts are often constrained in supporting interventions which do not focus on math or literacy; while fit to support many subjects, data science programs are frequently articulated as mathematics courses.
• Read and use the templates provided in the continuous improvement toolkit that IES and REL Northeast and Island published for schools and districts to use continuous improvement in education.
• Review A Program Director's Guide to Evaluating STEM Education Programs, a National Science Foundation (NSF) supported TA tool.