Sound Analysis Projects

331 Main Street Westport, CT 06880

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EVALUATION OF DETERMINING
INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES (DIP)
A Proposal Submitted to Far West Laboratories for
Education Research and Development

Submitted by:
Jim Murtagh

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Introduction
Far West Laboratory for Education Research and Development (FWL) issued a request for
proposal (RFP) on February 1, 2014 for an evaluation of its Determining Instructional Purposes
(DIP) training program. FWL wants to identify if there is a viable market for their product, and
whether or not they should increase their production and marketing efforts. Sound Analysis
Projects (SAP) of Westport, CT submits this document in response to the FWL proposal in an
effort to provide FWL with the data they need to make these determinations. SAP will provide
information and make recommendations to FWL regarding the marketing and sales of DIP, as
well as, provide information that school administrators can use to assist with the purchase and
implementation of the DIP product.
Description of Program Being Evaluated
FWL created the Determining Instructional Purposes (DIP) training program to provide school
administrators and graduate students with goal setting, problem analysis, and deriving objectives
skills, so they can plan effective school programs. The DIP program consists of three units of
study, each dedicated to one of the major skills, plus a separate Coordinators Handbook. Units
consist of 4-6 modules, ranging from 155-259 pages in length, and are sold individually or as a
set. The program provides practice activities that give learners an opportunity to apply skills and
solve problems in a hypothetical school district. Training can be organized into a mini-workshop
format, or scheduled over weeks as administrator's schedules permit. Districts can choose to
implement a single module that aligns with their most pressing needs, or implement the whole
program. The program requires an individual to serve as a coordinator to organize, guide and
monitor the participants activities. All required material for this role is contained in the
Coordinator's Handbook.
The DIP program has not been used in simulated or real training sessions yet, and even though
FWL wants to grow this portion of their business, they want to confirm there is a viable market
for this product before investing more money into this venue. FWL is seeking consult to help
direct their marketing and sales initiatives. They also require information targeted to school
administrators that can be used to make purchasing and implementation decisions.
Evaluation Method
SAP will use a decision-making evaluation approach and a combination of qualitative and
quantitative data collection and analysis to address the following requests set forth by FWL:
1. Provide information and make recommendations for use in making decisions regarding
the marketing and sales of the DIP program. Material collected for this objective will be
targeted to the FWL Vice-President of Sales & Marketing.
2. Provide useful information to school administrators to assist in making decisions about
the purchase and use of the DIP program. Material collected for this objective will be
targeted to the FWL Director of Product Design.
To accomplish objective one, SAP is proposing a two prong approach comprising of a thorough
market analysis and comprehensive field testing. Objective two will be addressed through
targeted interviews and surveys. The result of the evaluation will be a recommendation to FWL
as to whether they should invest further resources into the DIP program, and a detailed
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description of the material needed by school administrators to support their purchasing and
implementation decisions regarding DIP.
Objective 1: Market Analysis
FWL wants to know if there is a viable market for their DIP program. To satisfy their need for
marketing and sales data, SAP will conduct an extensive market analysis to determine:
1. Are there competitive programs to DIP already in the marketplace and what is their
market penetration?
2. What is the size of the potential customer base for the DIP program?
3. What are the current and anticipated market conditions for programs like DIP?
4. Is the DIP pricing structure appropriate?
5. Do school administrators feel they would benefit from purchasing the DIP program?
SAP will also supply a market analysis that examines if there are additional spin-off outlets
beyond the education sector where the DIP program could be expanded.
Objective 1: Field Trial
A field test is recommended to gather user feedback on the effectiveness of the lessons, and user
satisfaction of the program, since the DIP program was never used in real training sessions. SAP
is suggesting two field tests, one that targets the three units of instruction and another dedicated
to the Coordinators Handbook. This years ASCD Conference on Educational Leadership is
scheduled to take place in Hartford, CT (a 30 minute drive from SAP headquarters). SAP is a
major sponsor at this conference and will offer two private half-day workshops (unit of
instruction and Coordinators Handbook) to conduct field trials. Similar workshop sessions
conducted by SAP have typically consisted of 30-50 participants. SAP will advertise the
workshops throughout its customer base, as well as on the ASCD website. Participants will
receive free passes to attend the conference, a delicious lunch, training in one unit of instruction,
as well as a complimentary copy of the DIP program. Given the half day nature of the
workshops, FWL and SAP will need to work together to ensure the field trial is a valid
representation of the complete unit of instruction.
Attendees must indicate which DIP unit they want to explore when they register for the
workshop, and each unit will be capped at 15 people. All three units of instruction will be
evaluated during the same workshop session, but in separate groups. SAP will supply three
coordinators to conduct the activities. The unit of instruction field test will consist of pretests and
posttests that are designed to assess changes in the participants understanding of the DIPs
module stated learning objectives. They will also be given a qualitative opinion survey about the
DIP program. SAP coordinators will collect unstructured interview data and record participant
comments and feedback.
The coordinators workshop will determine if the Coordinators Handbook prepares a person to
administer the DIP program (the DIP program states it requires a coordinator). Attendees who
sign-up for this workshop must attend a unit of instruction workshop on the prior day. This
session will be capped at 15 participants. Only these participants will receive complimentary
Coordinators Handbooks. Participants will participate in a semistructured exit interview to
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gauge the attendees ability to fulfill the role of coordinator. Five participants will be given an
opportunity to come to SAP headquarters for a half-day session where they will act as a DIP
coordinator in an obtrusive observational analysis by SAP and FWL representatives to assess the
effectiveness of the workshop training. Participants will be compensated $500, plus another $500
for expenses.
Objective 2: Administrators Workshop
SAP will conduct a dinner workshop at ASCD for school administrators to determine what
resources are needed by this group to assist in their decision to purchase and use the DIP
program. This workshop will be limited to 20 attendees, and participants will need to apply for
admission. Candidates will fill out an online application and then potential candidates will be
screened with a 10 minute phone interview by an SAP staffer to ensure a representative sample
of potential DIP users is included. The three hour workshop will explain the DIP program and
have an SAP moderated semistructured roundtable discussion. Attendees will complete a
qualitative survey about which tools and resources they feel would assist them in their decision
making process. Participants will be treated to a 5 Star gourmet meal and be provided with five
complimentary sets of the entire DIP program for their district.
All workshop and discussion sessions will be videotaped. FWL will be given copies of the
videotapes to potentially use this material for marketing purposes. FWL will need to acquire
media releases and provide any compensation on their own. Participants will be informed
videotaping will be used. Survey data will be conducted electronically through iPads already
owned by SAP. FWL will provide 150 copies of DIP at no charge.
Task Schedule
Evaluation of Determining Instructional Purposes (DIP)
Task Agency Deadline
1 Introductory meeting with FWL to approve project goals,
modify evaluation plan if necessary, and approve timeline.
Collect sufficient copies of DIP for workshops. (J M & PF)
FWL / SAP 8/25/14
2 Register workshops with ASCD. Create online application
forms. Develop phone interview form for admin screening.
Begin marketing campaign for workshops. (interns)
SAP 9/12/14
3 Meet with FWL to develop mini lessons for field test. (J M & PF) FWL / SAP 9/12/14
4 Follow-up meeting with FWL to validate & approve lessons for
field test. (J M & PF)
FWL / SAP 9/29/14
5 Coordinators Training for SAP interns. SAP 10/15/14
6 Develop data collection instruments: 1. Unit learning objectives
(pretest). 2. Unit learning objectives (posttest). 3. Unit opinion
survey. 4. Unit observation data collection form, 5.
SAP 11/3/14
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Coordinators exit interview. 6. Coordinators observation form,

7. Administrators round table discussion, 8. Administrators exit
survey. (J M & PF)
7 Meet with FWL to review data collection instruments (J M & PF) FWL / SAP 11/10/14
8 Finalize data collection instruments (J M & PF) SAP 11/17/14
9 ASCD - Day 1 (Units) & Administrators Workshop (all) SAP 11/24/14
10 ASCD - Day 2 (Coordinators Handbook) (all) SAP 11/25/14
11 Coordinators Workshop attendees demonstration at SAP (PF
and 1 intern) & Complete market analysis. (J M)
FWL / SAP 12/8/14
12 Analyze and summarize all data. (J M & PF) SAP 1/9/15
13 Meet with FWL to review initial findings (J M & PF) FWL / SAP 1/12/15
14 Prepare final report (J M & PF) FWL / SAP 2/18/15
15 Presentation of final results and recommendations. (J M & PF) FWL / SAP 2/25/15
Note: Schedule based on contract being awarded to SAP by August 18, 2014.
Project Personnel
Sound Analysis Projects (SAP) is the premier company for investigating, conducting and
synthesizing market research projects in the K-12 and higher education markets. At SAP, our
dedicated team of 35 employees will address all your research and data analysis needs. The
following professionals are assigned to your project.
Jim Murtagh, Senior Marketing and Research Analyst
J im Murtagh has three decades of experience as a marketer and researcher in the education
sector. The author of seven books on marketing and effective planning in education, J ims
visionary contributions to these fields has established him as a leader in the industry. J im earned
a Doctorate degree in Education Leadership and a Doctorate in Marketing focused on consumer
behavior. J im will conduct the market analysis and be the project manager for the evaluation.
Pam Fitzner, Senior Marketing and Research Analyst
Pam is a former New York City Superintendent of Schools and educational professional for 22
years. She earned her Doctorate in Education from Columbia University and her expertise is in
survey development and analysis. Pam will conduct the administrators workshop and oversee
the field tests.
Kai Young, Graduate Intern
Kai is part of SAPs intern program and is completing her doctorate in Educational Leadership at
the University of Connecticut. She will be trained as a coordinator and conduct one of the three
units of instruction workshops.
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Paul Fresco, Graduate Intern

Paul is part of SAPs intern program and is completing his MBA at the University of New
Haven. He will be trained as a coordinator and conduct one of the three units of instruction
workshops.
Cody Brown, Graduate Intern
Cody is part of SAPs intern program and is completing his Master of Advanced Management
degree at Yale University. He will be trained as a coordinator and conduct one of the three units
of instruction workshops.
Additional SAP staff will handle the videotaping of the field tests and workshops.
Budget
The field tests are an integral part of this proposal, and as such they represent a significant
portion of the budget. The close proximity of FWL (New Haven, CT) and SAP will allow for
frequent opportunities for meetings with minimal expense (no overnight travel). SAPs highly
coveted internship program, and the fortunate scheduling of the ASCD conference, enable SAP
to provide this evaluation at a highly competitive rate. FWL will not incur any expenses for the
workshops (except for personnel) as these are already part of SAPs annual budget.

Field Test Qty Rate Total
Day 1 Lunch 45 $35.00 $1575.00
Day 2 Lunch 15 $35.00 $525.00
Day 1 Dinner 20 $125.00 $2,500.00
Coordinators Demonstration at SAP 5 $1,000.00 $5,000.00
ASCD Passes (40 free /25 @ sponsor rate) 25 $80 $2,000.00
Supplies Qty Rate
Video tapes and duplicating 1 $500.00 $500.00
Travel (by car, no overnight stays) Qty Rate
FWL Meetings (40 miles) x 8 trips 640 $0.56 $358.40
Meetings per diem meals (2 people *8) 16 $15.00 $240.00
ASCD Conference (35 miles) x 2 trips
(no per diem as part of conference) 140 $0.56 $78.40
Personnel Qty Rate Days
J im Murtagh 1 $400.00 37 $14,800.00
Pam Fitzner 1 $400.00 25 $10,000.00
Interns 3 $200.00 18 $10,800.00
Videotaping @ workshops 2 $150.00 2 $600.00
Proposal Total $49,976.80