iNoVATE Expansion Project Summative External Evaluation Report

The summative external evaluation report describes the program’s impact on college and high school students and community college faculty. Results show that 589 students enrolled in the Server Configuration and Server Administration courses from 2016 to 2019. On average of 37% of students identified as members of a racially or ethnically diverse group (Hispanic, African American, or American Indians). Although the percentage of men remained higher than women, the program increased women from 16% to an average of 22.2%.  This project influenced students’ perceptions of their problem-solving confidence, control, and approach. Overall, the post-survey of all students showed positive attitudes toward problem-solving confidence, control, approach, and avoidance Results revealed that age was positively correlated with the avoidance subscale. Lower age reveals less adaptive attitudes toward problem-solving while higher age reveals more adaptive attitudes. The project had a significant positive impact on high school students’ attitudes towards IT and computer science literacy and college faculty. There were 115 community college faculty that participated in professional development. Most strongly agreed that the professional development provided them with high-quality IT training and showcased best practices. Faculty participants indicated enrolling 4072 students in new or modified courses. Over 90% perceived that hearing new ideas and strategies for the classroom was beneficial and that learning about new tools and resources was beneficial. This project could be replicated to generate success for more community college students interested in securing high-wage jobs in the IT workforce.