Learning center project in Romania. Evaluation report

Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership (DCGEP) completed an independent evaluation of its Learning Center project in Romania. The purpose of the evaluation was to obtain objective data (enrollment, attendance, pass rates, retention rates) from DCGEP Learning Centers and control schools, to implement creativity test in GEP Learning Centers and in control schools and to identify Learning Centers best practices in three levels - individual, institutional and community. Creativity test was applied in all the six schools chosen to participate in the programme. The data was collected from an equal number of schools that had participated in the DCGEP Learning Center project (“intervention schools”), and schools that had not (“control schools”), in order to be able to compare differences. The control schools were carefully selected to match the intervention schools in terms of their size, context development and location. In order to identify best practices, school directors, teachers, students and parents were interviewed. A participatory data gathering process was used throughout the evaluation process. The positive impact of the programme upon students is obvious. After being involved in DCGEP students have enriched their vocabulary and they have become more creative and communicative. They are now able to perform various activities independently. Due to its design, its monitoring mechanisms and the involvement of all parties, the Discovery programme is a successful one. And taking into account the increasing need for such programmes, especially in rural areas, it is advised that it should be extended to other areas also.