4HQ Training Seminar Mid-Year Progress Report · York area. This evaluation focuses on the first 4HQ Training Seminar, a pilot funded by the UJA Federation of New York and administered

4HQ Training Seminar Mid-Year Progress Report

Dr. Ezra Kopelowitz

Research Success Technologies

January 2017

CONTENTS

Executive Summary 1

Introduction 3

Research Methods 4

Participants and their Organizations 4

Impact of the 4HQ Training Seminar 6

Ability to Engage in Israel Education 6

Extent of Engagement with Israel Education 11

Evaluation of the 4HQ Framework 16

Ability and Desire to use 4HQ 16

Learning how to apply the 4HQ framework goes hand in hand with becoming a better Israel educator 17

Implementation of Learning Modules 17

Mentoring and Networking 18

Conclusions and Recommendations 19

Appendix: The 4HQ Educational Framework 21

4 H Q M i d - Y e a r P r o g r e s s R e p o r t P a g e | 1

Executive Summary Makom: The Education Lab of the Jewish Agency (Makom) is partnering with The Jewish Education

Project to offer professional development in Israel Education for Jewish educators in the Greater New

York area. This evaluation focuses on the first 4HQ Training Seminar, a pilot funded by the UJA

Federation of New York and administered by the Jewish Education Project in collaboration with

Makom. This report presents the evaluation findings up until the mid-year point of the pilot.

The Jewish Education Project recruited eight New York area Jewish educators to participate in the

4HQ Training Seminar. The Seminar began in Summer 2016 and extends through the end of the

2016/17 academic year; includes, a one-day workshop in NY in June, an 8-day seminar in Israel in July

and a half day seminar in November. Each participant is expected to develop at least two modules

for their educational programs and receives mentoring support during the year.

The evaluation at this mid-year point, indicates success. Seven of eight participants report high

levels of impact in terms of their teaching ability, the growth of the number of students being

touched by Israel education in their organizations and/or in terms of changes occurring to the

existing work being done in their educational programs.

Four recommendations for further strengthening the Training Seminar or for addressing potential

future challenges are detailed in the body of the report:

1. 4HQ as a Framework for Israel Education

Makom developed 4HQ as a framework for Israel education that is practical, relevant, appropriate

and transportable (definitions provided in the body of the report). Participant reports indicate that

Makom has successfully instituted this goal for the pilot seminar. Participants report that 4HQ is a

compelling framework for Israel education and that they are or will use it for their educational

work. While not a primary goal of the 4HQ Training Seminar, in the future more attention might be

given to applying 4HQ to the educators work with parents and families and moderating formal

discussions about controversial topics. For these three areas, participants expect some improvement

due to the Seminar, but not as much improvement as they expect in areas touching on their work

with students and their organizations.

2. Recruitment

In its pilot year, the 4HQ Training Seminar sought experienced Jewish educators from organizations

with a track record of investing in Israel education. This decision enabled the 4HQ Seminar staff to

neutralize problems or challenges that come with working with inexperienced educators or those

who lack the support of their organizations. As the plan going forward is to conscript greater

numbers of educators, it is likely that future Seminars will face the challenge of dealing with more


diverse groups of educators, including those with less experience and/or from organizations with

lower levels of commitment to Israel education.

3. Organizational Context

The participants' organizations were all formally committed at the start of the program to improving

their Israel education programs. However, the nature of that commitment and the quality of their

Israel educational programs play out differently from one organization to the next, effecting how

participants benefit from and apply 4HQ to their educational work. The lessons learned include:

a) The recruitment strategy for the Seminar needs to focus on educators who work in

organizations that will not only encourage, but also enable hands-on experimentation in the

design and implementation of educational programming during the Seminar year.

b) The success of 4HQ as reported by the participants, rests on the way it encouraged and

empowered them to engage their organizations in order to raise enthusiasm and support for

the 4HQ approach to Israel education. Significantly, the organizational dimension was not

part of the original planning of the 4HQ Training Seminar; but rather, is an unintended

outcome of conscripting educators who both teach and hold senior administrative positions in

their organizations. The combination of educational and administrative experience

enabled the participants to see 4HQ as a tool, not only for excellent teaching, but also for

enriching their organizations educational culture.

4. Mentoring and Support

Effective mentoring and support is critical to the success of the Training Seminar. Given the small

number of participants, all mentoring and support is currently provided by Makom's senior educator.

If future 4HQ Training Seminars include larger numbers, consideration must be given to maintaining

quality of the mentoring and support experience. Given the enthusiasm of many of the current

participants and the fact that they are themselves accomplished educators, providing them a role in

the mentoring process might be an effective way to both offer effective support and develop a

professional network of Israel educators in the greater New York area.


Introduction Makom: The Education Lab of the Jewish Agency (Makom) is partnering with The Jewish Education

Project to offer professional development in Israel Education for Jewish educators in the greater New

York area. This evaluation focuses on the first 4HQ Training Seminar, a pilot funded by the UJA

Federation of New York and administered by the Jewish Education Project in collaboration with

Makom. This report presents the evaluation findings up until the mid-year point of the pilot.

The Jewish Education Project recruited eight New York area Jewish educators to participate in the

4HQ Training Seminar. The Seminar began in Summer 2016 and extends through the end of the

2016/17 academic year; includes, a one-day workshop in NY in June, an 8-day seminar in Israel in July

and a half day seminar in November. Each participant is expected to develop at least two modules

for their educational programs and receives mentoring support during the year.

The 4HQ Training Seminar goals include:1

1. To emerge with a fully-argued, well-practiced, working knowledge of the Four Hatikvah

Questions approach to Israel education.2

2. To experience communicable aspects of Israel’s complexity that can be grasped through the

Four Hatikvah Questions.

3. To further explore the interface between participants' personal and professional relationship

with Israel.

4. To lay the seeds for a community of practice of Israel educators in New York.

A detailed description of the 4HQ approach to Israel education is found in the appendix to this report.

1 From the Israel seminar booklet title: "Training Tour of Israel," July 2016, pg. 3.

2 For a description of the 4HQ framework see: http://makomisrael.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/4HQ-for-the-world-full-d2.pdf

http://makomisrael.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/4HQ-for-the-world-full-d2.pdf


Participants and their Organizations As this is the first cohort of the 4HQ Training Seminar, a decision was made to conscript experienced

educators from supplementary Jewish educational organizations with an established record of

prioritizing Israel education. Given the learning curve associated with a first cohort, the goal was to

minimize, to the extent possible, issues that arise with less experienced educators, or with

educational organizations that do not have a record

of supporting Israel educational initiatives.

The first cohort includes 7 education directors from

synagogue supplementary schools and one from a

Jewish Community Center educational program.

Seven are female, one male. Seven of eight hold

administrative positions in their school's education

programs. All of them are experienced educators (exhibit 1) who focus on Jewish education for at

least half of their professional work (exhibit 2). The participants' educational programs have in total

2227 students. Three of the synagogue schools are affiliated with the Conservative Movement, three

are affiliated with the Reform Movement, and one is Reconstructionist. Two of the organizations are

located on Long Island, two in New York City and four in Westchester.

When it comes to working in Israel education: Two of the eight report that all their professional work

includes, in some fashion, a connection to Israel. Two of the eight answered that between a quarter

Number of participants

4 to 5 years 1

6 to 10 1

11 to 20 4

21 or more 2

Exhibit 1: How many years have you worked as an educator?

Research Methods The evaluation research included the following

components:

1. A start of seminar survey conducted in

June 2016 to which all participants

responded 2. Two focus groups with the participants

during the Israel seminar in July 2016

3. A mid-year survey conducted in

December 2016 to which all participants

responded

4. Telephone interviews with two

participants in December 2016.


to a half of their work touches on Israel education. With the remaining for answering that a half to a

majority of their work touches on Israel (exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2: How much of your professional work, in total, touches on each of the following? Table shows number of participants

All my professional work A majority About half Less than half [more than a quarter]

Work that focuses on Jewish education broadly defined 6 2 0 0

Work that focuses on Israel broadly defined 2 2 2 2

As shown in exhibit 3, all the participant's stated that Israel is a subject taught in classes at their

organization. One of the eight organizations stood out as relatively weak, in that Israel is not a focus

of out-of-class activities, ceremonies and events and is not an integrated part of the environment and

learning activities. Events that inform the broader Israel education environment at the stronger

organizations, beyond classes and an Israel trip, include Israeli singing, cooking and dancing, the

participation of young college aged Israelis in the education program (Shin Shin program), an Israel

fair, Israel Independence Day events, a community Israel celebration, participation in the Israel day

parade, and an Israel art club.

Exhibit 3: Do any of the following describe your educational institution? Table shows number of participants Yes No

Core characteristics of a strong Israel education program

Israel is a subject taught in classes 8 0

Israel is a focus of out-of-class activities, ceremonies or special events 7 1

Israel is an integrated part of the environment and learning activities within my institution

6 2

Additional characteristics informing Israel education

My organization sponsors a trip to Israel 5 3

Forming relationships with Israelis is a focus 5 3

Israel learning occurs in another way 4 3


Impact of the 4HQ Training Seminar

Ability to Engage in Israel Education

In both the post Israel Seminar and the mid-year surveys the participants expressed high levels of

confidence that their ability to educate about Israel is improving due to their participation in the 4HQ

training seminar. At both points in time, seven of eight answered that they feel that their ability to

educate about Israel improved "to a great extent."

Exhibit 4: To what extent do you feel that your ability to educate about Israel improved because of your participation

in the 4HQ training, to date? Table shows number of participants

Post-Israel Seminar Survey Mid-Year Survey

To a great extent 7 7

To an extent 1 1

Exhibit 5 shows six common goals of Israel education, four of which Makom expects teachers to do

better, as a result of their participation in the 4HQ training seminar. On the two items, which are not

part of the Seminar's goals, no significant change occurred from the start of year to mid-year survey.

In contrast, for the four items for which we would expect to see positive change, given 4HQ's goals,

growth occurred. On all four items, participants were already scoring 2.0 or above on the three-point

scale at the start of the Seminar, yet they still grew on average by half a point. In other words, the

participants have moved from being concerned with the 4HQ goals for Israel education to

becoming very focused on these areas for their educational work.

Exhibit 5: To what extent do each of the following statements reflect your current focus when it comes to Israel education? Mean Score: 0 – Not at all, 1 – A small extent, 2 – An extent, 3 – Describes me to a great extent

Start Survey

Mid-Year

Diff.

Included in the goals of the 4HQ Training Seminar

Developing personal connections to Israel 2.4 2.9 0.5

Encouraging discussions in which participants explore questions and ideas about Israel

2.3 2.8 0.5

Developing an individual's understanding about the place of Israel in their Jewish identity

2.3 2.8 0.5

Increasing knowledge about Israel 2.1 2.5 0.4

Not included in 4HQ's goals Increasing ability to engage in pro-Israel advocacy 1.7 1.8 0.1

Increasing relationships with Israelis 2.0 2.0 0.0


When asked to describe the single biggest impact of the 4HQ seminar on them personally or

professionally three categories of answers were given (exhibit 6), all of which fit within 4HQ's goals:

1) improving teaching, 2) enabling teachers to better grapple with Israel's complexity and/or

ambivalence towards Israel, and 3) strengthening educators' connection to Israel.

Exhibit 6: Please describe in a few words, what you think is the single biggest impact of the 4HQ training seminar on you personally or professionally.

Improved Teaching

o "I think it helps me frame a conversation/learning about Israel and it helps narrow my focus on the goals of said conversation/learning."

o "A fresh frame for thinking about lesson planning."

o "The biggest impact that the 4HQ has had on the staff during professional development sessions that take place in our school every Sunday is bringing the voices of Israel to life. We are not only studying the founders of Israel but are studying people who make an impact in modern Israeli society today. We have been privileged to have Robbie Gringras work with our Temple religious school staff regarding the lens through which to view the 4HQ mission. Robbie will be returning in February to continue engaging our staff."

o "The 4HQ framework and Makom resources and support have helped me approach Israel education in a more comprehensive way."

Israel's Complexity / Ambivalence Towards Israel

o "I am attuned to the importance of teaching about authentic Israel, without shying away from complexity."

o "Helping to give me a tangible way forward in breaking the ambivalence toward Israel topics."

o "Feeling a sense of confidence in tackling the complexities of Israel. Finding colleagues and support from the cohort to explore resources and ways to teach/educate on Israel."

Stronger Connection to Israel

o "I think that the 4HQ seminar impacted on me in many ways but the biggest would be the sheer impact of having been in Israel. I had not been in many years and so the powerfulness of learning while there empowers me and inspires me to continue."


The post-Israel Seminar and mid-year surveys asked the participants if they expect, as a result of the

4HQ Seminar to improve their educational work in five areas covering 12 measures.

High Expectations of Impact

For three of 12 measures, participants' expectations of growth grew significantly from the

Israel Seminar to mid-year. After Israel, the participants expected to improve in these three

areas "to an extent." By mid-year they were certain of improving "to a great extent."

o [Student focused] Helping students develop a positive relationship to Israel o [School focused} Creating excitement about Israel in your school o [General education] Promoting discussions about Israel as part of your educational work

For six of the remaining measures the participants were very confident of improving their

educational work after the Israel Seminar and remained so mid-year.

Moderate Expectations of Impact

For three measures the participants were confident "to an extent", rather than "to a great

extent" and remained so from the Israel Seminar to mid-year. Two of the three are

parent/family focused, the third asked about their ability to "moderate a formal discussion

about a controversial topic." The latter topic stands out in terms of the significant drop in

confidence the participants register from the Israel Seminar through mid-year.

Exhibit 7: Based on your experience to date, to what extent do you expect that by the end of the 4HQ training that you will be better able to:

Mean Score: 0 – Not at all, 1 – A small extent, 2 – An extent, 3 – A great extent

Post-Israel

Mid-year

Diff.

Student focused work Help your students develop a positive relationship to Israel 2.1 2.6 0.5

Engage students in conversations about Israel 2.6 2.6 0.0

School focused Create excitement about Israel in your school 2.3 2.6 0.3

Develop and/or implement a stronger Israel education program in your school

2.6 2.8 0.2

Increase the visibility of Israel in your school 2.5 2.4 -0.1

General educational ability

Promote discussions about Israel as part of your educational work 2.3 2.6 0.3

Increase understanding about Israel as part of your educational work 2.5 2.6 0.1

Moderate a formal discussion about a controversial topic having to do with Israel

2.3 1.8 -0.5

Personal Personally, feel more comfortable with Israeli politics 2.6 2.4 -0.2

Personally, feel more familiar with contemporary Israel 2.8 2.5 -0.3

Parent/family focused work

Engage students' parents in conversations about Israel 2.1 2.1 0.0

Increase the motivation of your students and their families to visit Israel

2.1 2.0 -0.1


Exhibit 8 shows the "Index of Expected Improvement

to Educate about Israel". Each participant receives

an index score based on their answers to the

questions shown on the previous page. Each

participant's answers were compiled and then scored

on an index of 0 to 100 points. All but one participant

(who scores 42 points) score in the top quarter of the

index. In other words, 7 of the 8 participants are

very confident that their ability to educate about

Israel will improve as a result of participating in the 4HQ Training Seminar.

The lowest score is notable in that this participant is the only one of the eight who will not engage in

hands on teaching about Israel this academic year; but, rather plays a strictly managerial role in an

organization that had already built its Israel educational program for the 2016/17 academic year.

This participant's organization also offers the least

opportunity of engaging with Israel education. The

organization has the lowest number of teens of the

eight participating organizations and its Israel

education program focuses primarily on formal

learning in particular educational activities, rather

than offering a strategy for Israel education that is

in and out of class and integrative across the

organization (see exhibit 5 on page 5). In other

words, this participant has not had reason to

engage in the nitty gritty of Israel education in a

manner necessary to apply the learning done at

the 4HQ Training Seminar. To the extent that this

participant does engage with planning for the

2017/18 academic

year, the impact of

the training

seminar might be

more strongly felt.

Improvement Index Score (0 to 100 points)

# Participants % Participants

42 1 12%

75 3 38%

81 2 25%

83 1 12%

86 1 12%

Total 8 100%

Exhibit 8: Index of Expected Improvement to Educate about Israel [mid-year survey]

4HQ inspired logo worn by

students on a Winter break Israel

trip. The trip is run by one of the

participants in the 4HQ Training

Seminar, and is entirely

structured around 4HQ.


Case Study: Connecting the Personal to Israel Education

Emily (fictitious name) is Director of Education at a large New York area

congregation. As a result of her participation in the 4HQ training seminar she is

expanding the scope of the Israel education program in her congregation's school,

from an exclusive emphasis on the land to Israel to a focus which also includes the

people of Israel.

"The big idea is infusing the voices of Israel in the curriculum throughout the school

by learning personal Israeli stories. These stories are modern day stories of everyday

people who experience Israel as regular citizens. They may include government

officials, artists, singers, and a vast variety of people who make up Israeli society."

For example, the focus of the 4th grade curriculum was cities in Israel. The teachers

while continuing to teach about Israeli cities, now include a focus on people who live

in those cities and their stories. The Shin Shin (college aged Israeli) who volunteers

at the congregation, brought her story growing up in Tel Aviv. She also interviewed

a cousin who grew up in Jerusalem and brought that story to the class. The teacher

along with the Shin Shin make an effort to connect the stories to the 4HQ quadrants.

The students are also engaged through their own personal interests. Through

research or art projects the students engage with sports teams, interesting

restaurants and chefs, theatre, schools, or youth movements in the cities they are

learning about. Emily states:

"Learning emanates from within the child's scope of interest and then builds to

expand their frame of reference. This growth mindset cultivates the personal

interest and spark in the student. The teacher is not talking at the students

about the voices of Israel. The child is delving into his/her own personal interests

and making these stories relevant to their lives."

What was previously a frontal learning exercise involving learning the history and

facts about a particular city, now is an interactive learning activity focused on the

individual student's relationship to Israel and Israelis.


Extent of Engagement with Israel Education

The original goal of the 4HQ Training Seminar was to impact teaching; however, the Seminar also

appears to have a broader impact on the participating institutions. All the participants report

expanding their personal teaching in Israel education either by teaching a new lesson or adapting

work previously done. Six of eight report educating new student populations (exhibit 9).

Exhibit 9: Impact on Teaching. Table shows number of participants Yes No* Not Sure

This academic year, I have personally taught a new lesson concerning Israel or plan to do so 7 1 0

I have adapted what I was previously doing in Israel education 7 1 0

I am now educating new student populations in matters having to do with Israel 6 1 1

*Not the same individual answering "no" or "not sure" for each question.

All report that due their participation the 4HQ Training Seminar, others in their organization are

either teaching new lessons concerning Israel or adapting existing ones. Seven of eight report

either interacting with the school administration or board in new ways on matters regarding

Israel education and/or interacting with parents in new ways (exhibit 11). The low impact case

shown in exhibit 10, is also the same person who reported least impact from the Seminar (see

discussion on page 9, above).

Exhibit 10: Expanding the Reach of Israel Education. Table shows number of participants Yes No* Not Sure

Due to my participation in 4HQ others in my institution are teaching a new lesson concerning Israel 7 1 0

Due to my participation in 4HQ others in my institution are now adapting what they were doing in Israel education

7 0 1

I am interacting with my school's senior administration or board in new ways on matters having to do with Israel

6 2 0

I am interacting with parents in new ways on matters having to do with Israel 6 1 1

*Not the same individuals answering "no" or "not sure" for each question.


When asked to detail the extent of the change, seven of eight participants report significant levels of

impact either for them personally and/or for Israel education in their organizations. How that impact

plays out differs by case.

In one of the seven schools, change includes a dramatic growth of numbers. As shown in exhibit 11,

this educator increased her personal Israel educational work dramatically in 2016/17, to touch on the

entire school's Israel educational work and in so doing introduce 4HQ inspired changes to the

curriculum.

Exhibit 11

Touched by Israel education through my

direct teaching/educational

work

Touched by Israel education in my school

(excluding my direct educational work)

% of Israel education that will change due to your

participation in 4HQ this academic year

Focus of Change

Number of students in

school 2015/16 2016/17 2015/16 2106/17

Your direct educational

work in Israel Education

Israel education in

school (excluding your work)

Dramatic change to amount of personal involvement with Israel education, including significant change to school in which Israel education program already present

220 18% 91% 91% 91% 40 to 59% 40 to 59%

In another school, significant change occurs due to the introduction of a systematic approach to

Israel education, where an Israel education program previously did not exist (exhibit 12).

Exhibit 12



work





Focus of Change


school 2015/16 2016/17 2015/16 2106/17



Israel education in


Establishing a systematic approach to Israel education where it did not previously exist

600 0% 5% 0% 17% 60 to 79% 20 to 39%


At four schools, change occurs in the way the educators' approach Israel education and their

introduction of the 4HQ approach in a manner that impacts a large percentage of students.

Exhibit 13



work





Focus of Change


school 2015/16 2016/17 2015/16 2106/17



Israel education in


Change is qualitative. The way Israel education is conducted changes both for participant and larger school.

246 16% 16% 71% 71% 80 to 99% 80 to 99%

300 5% 10% 100% 100% 60 to 79% 20 to 39%

161 58% 62% 58% 62% 40 to 59% 40 to 59%

300 83% 79% 83% 79% 100% 60 to 79%

At one school, change is primarily for the individual educator and the way she works (exhibit 14).

While almost all of this educators' work in Israel education is changing due to participation in the

4HQ Seminar, little change is taking place in the larger organization.

Exhibit 14



work

Touched by Israel education in my

school (excluding my direct educational

work)



Focus of Change


school 2015/16 2106/17 2015/16 2106/17



Israel education in school

(excluding your work)

Change is qualitative. The way Israel education is conducted changes primarily for participant.

315 11% 12% 90% 90% 80 to 99% Less than 20%


At one of the participating organizations, no significant change was reported either for the educator

or Israel education in the broader organization. The reasons were reported above on page 9.

Exhibit 15

Touched by Israel education through

my direct teaching/educational

work

Touched by Israel education in my

school (excluding my direct

educational work)



Focus of Change


school 2015/16 2106/17 2015/16 2106/17



Israel education in


Low Impact

Israel education present in school. Only small changes for both participant and school.

85 100% 76% 100% 100% Less than 20% Less than 20%


Case Study: Generating Excitement and Support for Israel Education

Two participants, both Directors of their Congregation's Educational Programs,

spoke of the contribution of 4HQ to their ability to generate interest and support for

Israel education.

Beth [fictitious name] reports that Israel education was not a priority for her

congregation's leadership; thus, she realized that she needed to push to raise

awareness and support for her Israel education agenda. 4HQ provided a framework

for enabling her to engage her Board.

"4HQ is exactly the tool for helping me to message the importance of Israel

education. Previously what seemed like a daunting process, became doable.

With 4HQ I was able to diagnose our boards problem. They were like 'why don't

more people care about Israel,' but they weren't acting. Using 4HQ, I realized

that my Board spends all their time in the Freedom quadrant. When you spend

all your time there you are not connected to the rest of life. All becomes focused

on the real [political problems], without the ideal. They were being critical on

limits to freedom in Israel, without fostering the ideal connection of love for

Israel that also needs to exist. They were assuming that there is love for Israel,

but they were not fostering it. When I challenged them, they realized that they

are spending too much time in one area."

Beth reports that she now has the support she needs from her Board to actively

develop the Israel education program in her congregation. In contrast, Emily

[fictitious name] works in a congregation that has long prioritized Israel education.

Three years ago a decision was taken by the Education Board of the congregation to

further improve the Israel Education program. However, the Congregation did not

know how to institute the changes. 4HQ provided the needed framework. During

the 4HQ Training Seminar, Emily realized that her congregation's educational

program is focusing on exclusively on topics having to do with the Land of Israel, and

not touching on the other three quadrants. To garner support for change, Emily

invited her Board members, teachers, the local Shaliach and Shin Shin to a joint

discussion in which each person shared their Israel story.

"We have a large staff and with all the others in the room, we had a people from

all walks of life with diverse connections to Israel. So many things came to the

surface that normally are not talked about. People literally had their jaws

dropping to the floor. They wanted more. At the end of the meeting my Board

members said, 'you are onto something.'"

Emily is now leading short learning sessions on "Voices of Israel" before her monthly

Education Board meetings and sharing with them the progress of implementing the


Evaluation of the 4HQ Framework

Ability and Desire to use 4HQ

In the post-Israel Seminar and mid-year surveys the participants report finding the 4HQ framework

compelling and plan to use it in their work. Slightly weaker, but still strong scores, are given for their

feeling of understanding the 4HQ framework and their knowledge of how to apply it (exhibit 16).

Exhibit 16: Do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements?

Mean Score: 0 – Strongly Disagree, 1 – Disagree, 2 – Unsure, 3 – Agree, 4 – Strongly Agree

Post-Israel Mid-Year Diff

I have found 4HQ to be a compelling framework for me to think about Israel n/a 3.9 n/a

I will use the 4HQ framework for the purpose of developing lesson plans for teaching particular classes

3.6 3.9 0.3

I will use the 4HQ framework to help me think strategically about how to approach Israel education at my school

3.8 3.8 0.0

I have a good understanding of the 4HQ framework 3.8 3.5 -0.3

I feel able to apply the 4HQ approach to my educational work 3.4 3.5 0.1

Participants feel that they can develop lesson plans independently using the 4HQ framework;

although, on average feel happy to receive the continued support through mentoring (exhibit 17).

Exhibit 17: You indicated above that you will use the 4HQ framework for developing lesson plans. To what extent do

you …. 0 – Not at all, 1 – A small extent, 2 – An extent, 3 – To a great extent

Post-Israel Mid-Year

Diff.

Do you feel capable of developing those lessons plans independently 2.6 2.4 -0.2

Do you feel the need for support for developing lessons plans 2.1 1.9 -0.2


Learning how to apply the 4HQ framework goes hand in hand with becoming a better Israel educator

Compiling the answers to the questions shown in the above two tables produces an index of "attitude

towards the 4HQ framework." All the participants score in the top quartile of the index. As shown in

exhibit 18 there is a high correlation between the index that measured "growth of competence to

engage in Israel education," and the "attitude towards 4HQ." To the extent that participants find the

4HQ framework compelling and applicable to their educational work, so they are more likely to

report growth in their feeling of competence to engage in Israel education. For these participants,

learning how to apply the 4HQ framework goes hand in hand with becoming a better Israel

educator.

Exhibit 18: Correlation between "Growth of Competence to Engage in Israel Education" and "Attitude Towards 4HQ"

Table shows number of participants by their scores on each index

Index Score: Attitude towards 4HQ framework

75 85 90 100

Index Score: Expected Improvement in Ability to Educate About Israel

42 1 0 0 0

75 0 1 1 1

81 0 0 1 1

83 0 0 0 1

86 0 0 0 1

Total

1 1 2 4

Implementation of Learning Modules

Each participant commits to developing two learning modules for the educational programs. Exhibit

19 shows a comparison of the participants' progress with developing the modules from the post-

Israel Seminar to mid-year surveys; and, implementation of those modules at the mid-year point.

From Israel to mid-year the participants express greater confidence in the level of support they

are receiving from Makom and the Jewish education project, with seven of eight indicating

they are receiving all the support they need. One participant reports receiving some of the

needed support.

All eight participants were highly motivated at the Israel Seminar to implement their modules,

with one reporting a drop-in motivation by mid-year. This is the same individual whose case is

detailed on page 9 above.

As would be expected at the mid-year point:


o More of the participants are clear as to what their modules will be and how they will

implement them, although half the participants still have not fully detailed their

modules and three are not fully certain as to how they will implement them.

o Four have not yet taught their modules, and seven have not yet written all the lessons

in their modules.

Exhibit 19: At this point, where are you with the development of the learning modules?

Means Score: 0 – Does not describe me, 1 – Partially describes me, 2 – The statement fully describes me

Comparison Mid-Year # of Participants

Post-Israel

Mid-Year

Diff. Fully Describes Me

Partially Describes

Does not Describe

I am receiving the necessary support from Makom and the Jewish Education Project to implement them

1.5 1.9 0.4 7 1 0

I am clear as to what they will be 1.3 1.5 0.2 4 4 0

I know how I will implement them 1.4 1.6 0.2 5 3 0

I am feeling motivated to work on learning modules 2.0 1.9 -0.1 7 1 0

I am receiving the necessary support from school to implement them

1.8 1.6 -0.2 5 3 0

I have crafted my lesson(s) n/a 1.1 n/a 1 7 0

I have taught at least one module. n/a 1.3 n/a 3 4 0

Mentoring and Networking

In the Tel Aviv focus groups conducted during the Israel Seminar participants expressed concern

about working with a mentor, other than the Makom staff with whom they formed personal

connection in Israel. Due to the small number of participants a decision was taken to have Robbie

Gringras (Makom's senior educator for the 4HQ seminar) serve as a mentor for all eight participants.

In at least one case, one of the participating congregations is paying an additional fee to receive extra

support for their school from Makom, which includes an on-site visit from Gringras.

The data presented in this report indicates that the participants regard the mentoring support as

important and are in almost all cases satisfied. Almost all feel that they understand the 4HQ

framework and are able to apply it, but still feel the need for ongoing support.

If the number of participants grow in future cohorts, the method for developing relationships with

mentors other than Gringras will likely be an important staffing issue. Also, worth considering is a

role for the veteran 4HQ Training Seminar participants, some of whom are very enthusiastic about

the 4HQ framework and are themselves accomplished educators. As one participant reported:

"I can at this point teach 4HQ really quickly to my staff. I've been given a way of seeing things

that I think is revolutionary, and I want to teach as many as I can to do the same."


Conclusions and Recommendations Normally, when evaluating a pilot program such as the 4HQ Training Seminar much time is spent

detailing areas that require further improvement. The data in this report shows the 4HQ Training

Seminar to be a remarkable success, with seven of eight reporting: high levels of impact, in terms of

their personal teaching abilities, the growth of the number of students touched by Israel education

and/or in terms of changes occurring to the existing work being done in their educational programs.

The following are four recommendations for further strengthening the Training Seminar or for

addressing potential future challenges.

1. 4HQ as a Framework for Israel Education

Makom developed 4HQ as a framework for Israel education that is practical, relevant, appropriate

and transportable (see appendix). Participant reports indicate that Makom has successfully

instituted this goal for the pilot seminar. They find 4HQ compelling and will use it for their

educational work. Critically, the participants report that 4HQ is a powerful tool for helping them

tackle issues, which they previously did not know how to deal with; including, the contentious nature

of Israel, Israel's complexity or apathy towards Israel.

The participants give slightly weaker, but still strong scores, for their feeling of understanding the

4HQ framework and their knowledge of how to apply it, with some participants feeling more

confident than others. This latter finding indicates the continued importance of the mentoring and

support framework Makom provides for the participants; especially for those who have not yet fully

planned out and/or implemented their 4HQ educational modules.

While not included the Training Seminar's primary goals, there is room in the future to devote more

training and support in the future to areas that touch on work with parents and families, and

moderating formal discussions about controversial topics. For these areas, participants expect some

improvement due to the Seminar, but not as much improvement as they expect in areas touching on

their work with students and their organizations.

2. Recruitment

In its pilot year, the 4HQ Training Seminar sought experienced Jewish educators from organizations

with a track record of investing in Israel education. This decision neutralized problems or challenges

that come with working with inexperienced educators or those who lack organizational support. As

the plan going forward is to recruit greater numbers, future Seminars will likely face the challenge of

dealing with greater diversity, including those with less experience and/or from organizations with

lower levels of commitment to Israel education.


3. Organizational Context

The participants' organizations were all formally committed at the start of the program to improving

their Israel education programs. However, the nature of that commitment and the quality of their

Israel educational programs plays out differently from one organization to the next, effecting how

participants benefit from and apply 4HQ to their educational work.

As of mid-year, the least successful of the eight participants, came into the Seminar highly

motivated but with time is less engaged. This participant works in an organization, which had

set its curriculum for Israel education prior to the start of the Seminar, thus was little

opportunity to introduce changes in the 2016/17 academic year. This participant was also the

only one who serves in administrative capacity and did not engage in classroom level

education. The lesson learned in this case, is that the recruitment strategy for the Seminar

needs to focus on educators who work in organizations that will not only encourage, but also

enable hands-on experimentation in the design and implementation of educational

programming during the Seminar year.

The success of 4HQ as reported by the participants, rests on their willingness to engage

their organizations in order to raise enthusiasm and support for the 4HQ approach to Israel

education. These participants engaged their Boards with 4HQ learning and worked to get

other educators enthusiastic about adopting the 4HQ approach. In some cases, the

participants brought change to established Israel education programs with a track record of

strong organizational support; in other cases, they needed to channel their leaderships'

nascent desire to improve a program that to date had made little investment in Israel

education. Significantly, the organizational dimension, was not part of the original planning

of the 4HQ Training Seminar; but rather, is an unintended outcome of conscripting educators

who both teach and hold senior administrative positions in their organizations. The

combination of educational and administrative experience enabled the participants to see

4HQ as a tool, not only for excellent teaching, but also for enriching their organizations

educational culture.

4. Mentoring and Support

Effective mentoring and support is critical to the success of the Training Seminar. Given the small

number of participants, all mentoring and support is currently provided by Makom's senior

educator. If future 4HQ Training Seminars include larger numbers, consideration must be given

to maintaining quality of the mentoring and support experience. Given the enthusiasm of many

of the current participants and the fact that they are themselves accomplished educators,

providing them a role in the mentoring process might be an effective way to both offer effective

support and develop a professional network of Israel educators in the greater New York area.


Appendix: The 4HQ Educational Framework Developed by Makom, 4HQ or "The Four Hatikvah Questions", asks educators to engage their

students with four core questions about the relationship of Jews to the Jewish People and the Jewish

State:

1. To Be? – what does it take to survive? how can we thrive?

2. People? – what does it mean to be connected to my People? my heritage? our ideals?

3. Free? – are we democratic? are we responsible? are we creative?

4. Our Land? – why land? which land? whose land?

Graphic depiction of the 4HQ Framework, provided by Makom


Based on the educational philosophy developed by Jack Schneider,3 success is predicated on

participating educators perceiving 4HQ as:

1. Practical. Educators don't need new skills; but, rather adapt work that they are already doing.

2. Relevant. Educators apply the 4HQ meth0d to subjects to they deem relevant for their

students.

3. Appropriate. Educators see 4HQ as ideologically appropriate for the populations with whom

they work.

4. Transportable. 4HQ is perceived as an easy to understand and quick-to-teach framework

that an educator can acquire, use and pass onto others.

Example Application of the 4HQ Framework for Lesson Development

3 Jack Schneider. 2014. From the Ivory Tower to the Schoolhouse: How Scholarship Becomes Common Knowledge in Education. Harvard University Press.

Documents

4HQ Training Seminar Mid-Year Progress Report · York area. This evaluation focuses on the first 4HQ Training Seminar, a pilot funded by the UJA Federation of New York and administered