Impact · SPARK in Action
We will tell you what we've learned only once we've learned it.
This is where SPARK shows its work in real settings, how we intend to evaluate it, and, over time, what evaluation shows. We start with a grounded implementation story. No measured outcomes are reported here yet.
SPARK in Action · Flagship story
Vandemataram Foundation: technology around the work already happening on the ground
VMF does the work on the ground through programs such as Shata Shaatam and Kalam 100. SPARK helps make that work connected, visible and easier to carry forward.
Currently supporting program visibility across 34 government schools and approximately 8,500 students.
Read the story
What this page will hold, as evidence allows
- Real implementation stories
- Partner stories
- Student-development stories, where consent permits
- Learning from pilots
- Evidence and insights
- Program outcomes, once validated
Proposed measures vs verified impact
A plan to measure is not a measurement
Every claim about SPARK's effect sits on one of three levels. We use them consistently, and we never skip a step.
- Level 1
Proposed measure
Something we intend to evaluate, and how. No data has been collected yet.
Where every SPARK measure is today
- Level 2
Data being gathered
A measure in use within an agreed pilot. Early, partial and not yet a finding.
Nothing reported at this level yet
- Level 3
Verified impact
A finding from completed evaluation, with method and sources published and reviewed beyond the SPARK team.
Nothing reported at this level yet
Proposed evaluation measures
What we intend to look at, across the cycle
Measures are refined with each partner before a pilot begins. No data has been collected against any of them yet.
| Stage | Measure | How it might be gathered | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare | Depth of teacher reflection over timeReviewing reflections across a sequence of Situation Rooms against an agreed rubric. | Reviewing reflections across a sequence of Situation Rooms against an agreed rubric. | Proposed measure |
| Prepare | Teacher confidence in specific situationsShort self-reported check-ins before and after a cohort. | Short self-reported check-ins before and after a cohort. | Proposed measure |
| Apply | Changes in everyday classroom practiceStructured peer or leader observation agreed with the school. | Structured peer or leader observation agreed with the school. | Proposed measure |
| Observe | Breadth of what teachers notice about learnersWhether observations go beyond marks to strengths, interests and wellbeing. | Whether observations go beyond marks to strengths, interests and wellbeing. | Proposed measure |
| Mentor | Continuity of mentoring conversationsWhether agreed follow-ups actually happen across a term. | Whether agreed follow-ups actually happen across a term. | Proposed measure |
| Improve | Usefulness for school leadersLeader interviews on whether insights changed professional development plans. | Leader interviews on whether insights changed professional development plans. | Proposed measure |
| Improve | Quality of year-end handoverNext-year teachers' view of how well they understood each learner at the start. | Next-year teachers' view of how well they understood each learner at the start. | Proposed measure |
Insights
Notes from the SPARK team
Perspectives and explainers today. Case studies and research will appear here only once they are evaluated, sourced and agreed with the schools involved.
- SPARK in Action6 min read
Technology around the work already happening on the ground.
Vandemataram Foundation works directly with government-school students, mentors, teachers, parents and communities through programs such as Shata Shaatam and Kalam 100. As these programs grow across schools and cohorts, SPARK is helping create continuity around the people and stories behind the numbers.
Read - Explainer4 min read
Proposed measures are not results
Why we publish what we intend to evaluate, and why we will not call it impact until it has been tested.
Read - Perspective3 min read
Why we start with teachers
Lasting change in schools happens through the people who work with children every day.
Read
Case studies and research
None published yet. We will not publish illustrative or invented case studies as evidence.
Help us evaluate SPARK, properly
Researchers, universities and funders who care about rigorous, honest evaluation are welcome to talk with us.