ORTOP prioritizes consistent investment in evaluation to both prove the impact of our programs, as well as to improve the way we implement them over time. In engineering terms, evaluation is data obtained by testing a solution. We cannot innovate without insight.

 

In the Fall of 2019, ORTOP worked with Dialogues in Action to train a team of community interviewers and collect data from FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Robotics Competition Students. The report, completed in March 2020, can be found here. ORTOP Evaluation Report 2019-20 for web

FIRST has been part of an industry leading longitudinal study conducted by Brandeis University for more than 10 years. While the results shown below are nationwide, many Oregon students have been a part of the research group.

More information on this study, including full reports and program specific impacts can be found at https://www.firstinspires.org/resource-library/first-impact

 

In addition, The Oregon Department of Education has been evaluating the success of the CTE FIRST Robotics Grant program since 2011. A recent analysis of the results have shown great progress towards the grants stated goals of making FIRST Programs more accessible for Oregon students, especially those who would not otherwise be able to participate.

 

More information on this study, including full reports by year, can be found on the ODE website.