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Bill Penuel

Research Area Director

is Director of Evaluation Research for the Center for Technology at SRI International. His expertise is in the areas of technology-supported classroom-based assessment, program evaluation, and science and technology education policy. His research projects, which have been funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education, have examined the effects of networked handheld computers on science and mathematics learning, the relationship between professional development activities and curriculum implementation in science, and the effects of intra-organizational dynamics on reform implementation. Currently, he is a senior researcher for the NSF-funded center, Learning in Informal and Formal Environments, where he is studying how curriculum materials informed by learning sciences research can be enacted successfully in diverse classroom settings. He also is Principal Investigator of the Contingent Pedagogies project, an NSF-funded project that is investigating how classroom network technology can improve assessment in middle school Earth science classrooms. His research has appeared in the American Educational Research Journal, Teachers College Record, American Journal of Evaluation, Science Education, and Educational Studies of Mathematics.

Education 

• Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, Clark University, 1996
• Ed.M., Human Development and Psychology, Harvard University, 1992
• B.A., Psychology, Clark University, 1991

Professional Experience 

• Senior Education Researcher, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (2000-present)
• Research Social Scientist, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA (1998-2000)
• Program Evaluator, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco, CA (1997-1998)
• Program Evaluation Coordinator, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN (1996-1997)
• Research Consultant, Massachusetts Prevention Support Services, Boston, MA (1993-1995)

Research Areas at CTL

Assessment
Evaluation (Leader)
Learning Environments
Teacher Learning

Current Projects at CTL

• Build IT: Girls Building Information Technology Fluency Through Design (Staff)
• Catalyzing Network Expertise (Principal Investigator)
• Contingent Pedagogies for Conceptual Teaching and Learning (Leader)
• Evaluation of the Ready to Learn Initiative (Principal Investigator)
• InnovaTE³ Girls Innovating with Technology as Entrepreneurial Environmental Engineers (Staff)
• Wireless Internet Learning Devices (WILD)

Past Projects at CTL

• 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Implementation Study (Leader) ended 2007
• Building a Foundation for a Decade of Rigorous, Systematic Educational Technology Research ended 2002
• CATAALYST: Planning an experimental study of the participation and achievement outcomes of a classroom-network-supported pedagogy (Leader) ended 2004
• CTC Outcome Evaluation (Leader) ended 2002
• Evaluation of Challenge 2000 Multimedia Project (Leader) ended 2000
• Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Educational Technology Interventions (EETI) (Leader) ended 2007
• Evaluation of the GLOBE Program (Leader) ended 2006
• JASON Academy Evaluation (Leader) ended 2005
• Mathemagica Evaluation (Leader) ended 2004
• Professional Development Decisions Using Data (Leader) ended 2006
• Routes to Learning (Leader) ended 2004
• Social Capital for Technology Integration (Leader) ended 2007
• Technology Supports for Urban High School Reform ended 2001
• TechPALS: Getting Fractions Right with Technology-Mediated Peer-Assisted Learning ended 2008
• Transforming Instruction by Design in Earth Science (TIDES) (Leader) ended 2009
• Wireless Handhelds for Improving Reflection on Learning (WHIRL) (Leader) ended 2004
• Worldwatcher Curriculum (Leader) ended 2002
• Youthmap Evaluation (Leader) ended 2002

Selected Publications

• Fishman, B., Penuel, W., Hegedus, S., Moniz, R., Dalton, S., Brookstein, A., Beaton, D., Tatar, D., Dickey, M., & Roschelle, J. (2009). What happens when the research ends? Factors related to the sustainability of a research-based innovation. (SimCalc Technical Report 04). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Fishman, B. J., Gallagher, L. P., Korbak, C., & Lopez-Prado, B. (2009). Is alignment enough? Investigating the effects of state policies and professional development on science curriculum implementation. Science Education. 93(4), pp. 656-677.
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• Penuel, W. R., Frank, K. A., Fishman, B. J., Sabelli, N., & Cheng, B. (2009). Expanding the Scope of Implementation Research in Education to Inform Design. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., McWilliams, H., McAuliffe, C., Benbow, A., Mably, C., & Hayden, M. M. (2009). Teaching for Understanding in Earth Science: Comparing Impacts on Planning and Instruction in Three Professional Development Designs for Middle School Science Teachers. Journal of Science Teacher Education. 20:415–436.
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• Crawford, V. M., Schlager, M., Penuel, W. R., & Toyama, Y. (2008). Supporting the art of teaching in a data-rich, high performance learning environment. In E. B. Mandinach & M. Honey (Eds.), Linking data and learning (pp. 109-129). New York: Teachers College Press.
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• Haertel, G.D., Means, B., & Penuel, W. (2008). Technology tools for collecting, managing, and using assessment data to inform instruction and improve achievement. In L. Smolin, K. Lawless, & N., Burbules (Eds.), NSSE yearbook 2007, Information and communication technologies: Considerations for teachers and teacher education. Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education.
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• Penuel, W. R., & Gallagher, L. P. (2008). Comparing three approaches to preparing teachers to teach for deep understanding in Earth science: Short-term impacts on teachers and teaching practice. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., McWilliams, H., McAuliffe, C., Benbow, A., Mably, C., & Hayden, M. M. (2008). Preparing teachers to teach for deep understanding: A curriculum-based approach. The Earth Scientist XXVII (2), 21-24.
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• Dynarski, M., Agodini,R., Heavisude, S., Novak, T., Carey, N., Campuzano, L., Means, B., Murphy, R., Penuel, W., Javitz, H., Emery, D., & Sussex, W. (2007). Effectiveness of reading and mathematics software products: Findings from the first student cohort. Report to Congress. NCEE 2007-4006. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
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• Joshi, A. & Penuel, W. (2007). The Role of Institutionalized Norms of Autonomy and Equality in Shaping Interactions of Teachers. Paper presented at the University of California-Los Angeles, Human Complex Systems 2007 Conference, Lake Arrowhead, CA.
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• Koch, M. & Penuel, W.R. (2007 April). Designing for design learning. In CHI 2007 Conference Proceedings. Workshop on Converging on a Science of Design through the Synthesis of Design Methodologies. Reading, MA: ACM Press.
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• Pasnik, S., Strother, S., Schindel, J., Penuel, W. R., & Llorente, C. (2007). Report to the Ready To Learn initiative: Review of research on media and young children's literacy. New York, NY and Menlo Park, CA: Education Development Center and SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Korbak, C., Sussex, W., & Frank, K. A. (2007). Catalyzing Network Expertise: Year 1 Report. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W.R., & Riel, M. (2007). The "new" science of networks and the challenge of school change. Phi Delta Kappan. 88(8). pp. 611-615.
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• Penuel, W.R., Boscardin, C.K., Masyn, K., Crawford, V., (2007). Teaching with student response systems in elementary and secondary education settings: A survey study. Educational Technology Research and Development, 55, 315-346.
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• Penuel, W.R., Roschelle, J. & Shechtman, N. (2007). Designing formative assessment software with teachers: An analysis of the co-design process. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 2, 1, 51-74.
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• Koch, M. (2006) Build IT curriculum. Featured in Consumers Guide to After School Science Resources at http://www.sedl.org/cgi-bin/mysql/afterschool/science.cgi?location=search&show_resource_id=45
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• Koch, M. et al. (August, 2006). Build IT: Girls Developing Information Technology Fluency through Design. Annual Report Year 1. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R. (2006). Report on professional development plans and materials for the TIDES Project. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R. (2006). Implementation and effects of 1:1 computing initiatives: A research synthesis. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38(3), 329-348.
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• Penuel, W. R., Abrahamson, A. L., & Roschelle, J. (2006). Theorizing the transformed classroom: A sociocultural interpretation of the effects of audience response systems in higher education. In D. Banks (Ed.), Audience response systems in higher education: Applications and cases (pp. 187-208). Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.
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• Penuel, W. R., Bienkowski, M., Gallagher, L., Korbak, C., Sussex, W., Yamaguchi, R., Fishman, B. J. (2006). GLOBE Year 10 evaluation: Into the next generation. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Gallagher, L., & Kreikmeier, P. (2006). TIDES: Report on technical quality of 7th grade student assessment. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Gallagher, L., & Kreikemeier, P. (2006). Report on technical quality of 6th and 8th grade student assessments for the TIDES Project. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Kreikmeier, P, & Venezky, D. (2006). Mapping standards to big ideas: A task for assessing teachers’ comprehension of curricular purposes in Earth science. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Bienkowski, M., Penuel, W., Toyama, Y., Molina, A., Hurst, K., & Peck-Theis, L. (2005). JASON Academy summative program evaluation: Final report. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Means, B., & Penuel, W. R. (2005). Scaling up technology-based educational innovations. In C. Dede, J. P. Honan, & L. C. Peters (Eds.), Scaling up success: Lessons from technology-based educational improvement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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• Penuel, W. R. (2005). Implementing a handheld program: Lessons from a district-level initiative. Learning and Leading with Technology, 32(6), 2-6.
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• Penuel, W. R. (2005, October). Recommendations for evaluation research within educational innovations. Paper presented at the Joint Conference of the Canadian Evaluation Society and the American Evaluation Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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• Penuel, W. R., & Yarnall, L. (2005). Designing handheld software to support classroom assessment: An analysis of conditions for teacher adoption. Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 3(5). Available from http://www.jtla.org.
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• Penuel, W. R., Bienkowski, M., Korbak, C., Molina, A., Russo, D., Toyama, Y., et al. (2005). GLOBE Year 9 evaluation: Implementation supports and student outcomes. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Crawford, V., Boscardin, C. K., Masyn, K., Debarger, A. H., & Urdan, T. C. (2005). Teaching with student response system technology: A survey of K-12 teachers. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Sussex, W., & Korbak, C. (2005, October). Mapping the distribution of expertise and resources in a school: Investigating the potential of using social network analysis in evaluation. Paper presented at the Joint Conference of the Canadian Evaluation Society and the American Evaluation Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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• Penuel, W.R., Fishman, B.J. GLOBE Teacher Survey on Professional Development (2005). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Means, B., Roschelle, R., Penuel, W., Sabelli, N., & Haertel, G. (2004). Technology’s contribution to teaching and policy: Efficiency, standardization, or transformation? In R. E. Floden (Ed.), Review of Research in Education (Vol. 27). Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.
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• Penuel, W. R., & Means, B. (2004). Implementation variation and fidelity in an inquiry science program: An analysis of GLOBE data reporting patterns. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(3), 294-315.
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• Penuel, W. R., Korbak, C., Lewis, A., & Yarnall, L. (2004). GLOBE Year 8 evaluation: Adapting implementation to diverse contexts. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Shear, L., Korbak, C., & Sparrow, E. (2004, April). The roles of regional partners in supporting an international science inquiry program. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
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• Penuel, W. R., Tatar, D., & Roschelle, J. (2004). The role of research on contexts of teaching practice in informing the design of handheld learning technologies. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 30(4), 331-348.
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• Penuel, W.R., Roschelle, J., Crawford, V., Shechtman, N. & Abrahamson, L. (2004). Workshop report: Advancing research on the transformative potential of interactive pedagogies and classroom networks. Menlo Park: SRI International.
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• Roschelle, J., Penuel, W. R., & Abrahamson, L. A. (2004). The networked classroom. Educational Leadership, 61(5), 50-54.
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• Yarnall, L., & Penuel, W. R. (2004, April). Designing handheld software to support classroom assessment. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
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• Means, B., & Penuel, W. (2003). Research to Support Scaling-Up Technology-Biased Educational Interventions. Paper commissioned for the Scaling Up Success Conference, Harvard Graduate School of Education, March 20-31, 2003.
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• Michalchik, V. & Penuel, B. (2003). Case study of technology access and learning in twelve communities. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Mislevy, R., Steinberg, L., Almond, R. G., Haertel, G. D., & Penuel, R. (2003). Leverage points for improving educational assessment (PADI Technical Report 2). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Korbak, C., Lewis, A., Shear, L., Toyama, Y., & Yarnall, L. (2003). GLOBE Year 7 evaluation: Exploring student research and inquiry in GLOBE. Menlo Park: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W.R., Gray, J., & Kim, D. (2003, April). Integrating technology into youth development programming. Prepared for the Quarterly Issue Brief of the John Gardner Center for Youth and their Families and Communities, Stanford University.
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• Tatar, D., Roschelle, J., Vahey, P., & Penuel, W. R. (2003). Handhelds Go To School: Lessons Learned. IEEE Computer, 36(9), 30-37.
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• Yarnall, L., Penuel, W. R., Ravitz, J., Murray, G., Means, B., & Broom, M. (2003). Portable assessment authoring: Using handheld technology to assess collaborative inquiry. Education, Communication, Information, 3(1), 7-55.
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• Korbak, C., Penuel, W. R., Kim, D., Cole, K., Daniels, M., Gillespie, M., Huang, J., Lewis, A., Whaley, A., & Yarnall, L. (2002). Community technology centers program outcome evaluation: Summary of findings from annual performance reports of FY99 and FY00 grantees. Prepared for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, B., & Cohen, A. (2002). Coming to the crossroads of knowledge, learning, and technology: Integrating knowledge management and workplace learning. In M. Ackerman, V. Pipek, & V. Wulf (Ed.), Sharing expertise: Beyond knowledge management (pp. 57-76). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
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• Penuel, W. R., Korbak, C., & Cole, K. A. (2002). Designing assessments for student multimedia projects. Learning and Leading with Technology, 29, 46-53.
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• Penuel, W.R., & Kim, D. (2002). Evaluation of a Community Technology Center’s Success in Creating an Education-based Culture of Use: Co-designing project-based learning opportunities with new staff at YouthMAP. Prepared for the Community Technology Foundation of California. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W.R., Kim, D., & Seer, N (2002, April). Professional Identity Development in a Community Technology Center, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
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• Penuel, W.R., Kim, D., Michalchik, V., Lewis, S., Means, B., Murphy, R., Korbak, C., Whaley, A., & Allen, J.E. (2002). Using technology to enhance connections between home and school: A research synthesis. Prepared for the Planning and Evaluation Services, U.S. Department of Education. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Shear, L., & Penuel, W. R. (2002). Putting the ‘learning’ in adventure learning: Design principles for technology-supported classroom inquiry. Journal of Curriculum Supervision, 17, 315-335.
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• Yarnall, L., & Penuel, W. R. (2002, January). Structuring group learning within a Web-based science inquiry program. In G. Stahl (Ed.), Proceedings of the Computer Support for Collaborative Learning Conference 2002 (pp. 577-578). Boulder, CO: University of Colorado.
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• Means, B., Penuel, B., & Quellmalz, E. (2001). "Developing Assessments for Tomorrow's Classrooms." In W. Heinecke & L. Blasi (eds.), Research Methods for Educational Technology. Volume One: Methods of Evaluating Educational Technology. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Press.
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• Means, B., Penuel, W. R., & Padilla, C. (2001). The connected school: Technology and learning in high school. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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• Means, B., Penuel, W. R., Crawford, V. M., Korbak, C., Lewis, A., Murphy, R. F., Shear, L., Villavicencio, C., Vinson, E. Y., & Yarnall, L. (2001). GLOBE Year 6 evaluation: Explaining variation in implementation. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Means, B., Penuel, W. R., Korbak, C., & Kantor, R. H. (2001). Silicon Valley Challenge 2000: Longitudinal case study report. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Mislevy, R.J., Steinberg, L.S., Almond, R.G., Haertel, G.D. and Penuel, W.J. (2001). Leverage Points for Improving Educational Assessment. CRESST Technical Paper Series, Los Angeles, CA: CRESST.
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• Murphy, R., Penuel, W., Means, B., Korbak, C., Whaley, A. (2001). E-DESK: A Review of Recent Evidence on the Effectiveness of Discrete Educational Software. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, B., Korbak, C., Yarnall, L., & Pacpaco, R. (2001). Silicon Valley Challenge 2000: Year 5 Multimedia Project report. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., & Crawford, V. M. (2001, July). Developing a GLOBE assessment in North Carolina. Paper presented at the Sixth Annual GLOBE Conference, Blaine, WA.
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• Penuel, W.R., Michalchik, M., Kim, D., Shear, L., Daniels, M., Jennings, P., Stites, R., & Yarnall, L. (2001). Community technology centers case study report: Learning with technology in six communities. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Coleman, E. B., & Penuel, W. R. (2000). Web-based student assessment for program evaluation. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 9(4), 327-342.
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• Means, B., Korbak, C., Lewis, A., Michalchik, V., Penuel, W. R., Rollin, J., & Yarnall, L. (2000). GLOBE Year 5 evaluation: Classroom Practices. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., Coleman, E. B., Means, B., Fenton, J., Jennings, P., Murray, F. G., & Chung, M. (2000, April). Measuring students’ environmental awareness and skill in data analysis and interpretation: Designing Web-based assessment for the GLOBE program. Paper presented at the AERA Conference, New Orleans, LA.
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• Penuel, W. R., Korbak, C., & Yarnall, L. (2000). Design and pilot of a Web-based assessment of environmental awareness and problem solving using data. Paper presented at the CREATE National Evaluation Institute, San Jose, CA.
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• Penuel, W. R., Means, B., & Simkins, M. B. (2000). The multimedia challenge. Educational Leadership, 58, 34-38.
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• Penuel, W. R., Yarnall, L., & Simkins, M. B. (2000, Sept./Oct.). Do technology investments pay off? The evidence is in! Leadership, 30(1): 18-19.
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• Penuel, W.R., & Davey, T. L. (2000). Meeting the educational needs of homeless teens. In J.H. Stronge & E. Reed-Victor (Eds.), Educating homeless students: Promising practices (pp. 63-78). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
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• Penuel, W.R., Korbak, C., Daniels, M., Kim, D., Yarnall, L., Hawkins, J., & Pacpaco, R. (2000). Community technology centers program findings summary: A review of FY99 grantees’ annual performance reports. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W.R.., & Kim, D. (2000). Promising practices and organizational challenges in community technology centers. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Means, B., Coleman, E., Baisden, K., Haertel, G., Korbak, C., Lewis, A., McGhee, R., Penuel, W. R., & Valdes, K. (1999). GLOBE Year 4 evaluation: Evolving implementation practices. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W. R., & Davey, T. L. (1999) I don’t like to nowhere but here! The shelter as mediator of U.S. homeless youth’s identity formation. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 6, 222-236.
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• Penuel, W.R., Cole, K.A., Korbak, C. (1999). Imagination, production, and collaboration in project-based learning using multimedia. In C. Hoadley (Ed), Proceedings of the 1999 Computer Support for Collaboration Learning Conference (pp. 445-453). Palo Alto, CA. Stanford University.
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• vStreets Research Group. (1999). Spanning the Digital Divide: Designing social futures with technology in community-based youth organizations. Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.
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• Penuel, W.R. & Wertsch, J.V. (1995). Vygotsky and identity formation: Toward a sociocultural approach. Educational Psychologist, 30, 83-92.
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