Cluster, Multi-site and Multi-level Evaluation

CMM TIG Week: Google Tools for Multi-site Evaluation by Audrey Roerrer

Hi, I’m Audrey Rorrer and I’m an evaluator for the Center for Education Innovation in the College of Computing and Informatics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where several projects I evaluate operate at multiple locations across the country.  Multisite evaluations are loaded with challenges, such as data collection integrity, evaluation training for local project leaders, and the cost of resources. My go-to resource has become Google because it’s cost-effective both in terms of efficiency and budget (it’s free). I’ve used it as a data collection tool and resource dissemination tool.

CMM TIG Week: Online Activity Logs: Low Cost and High Impact for Multisite Evaluations by Jonathan Margolin

My name is Jonathan Margolin, and I am a senior researcher in the Education Program at American Institutes for Research, where I work primarily in the State and Local Evaluation Center. One common challenge when evaluating the implementation of educational programs is to understand how the program is interpreted and adapted by teachers and schools. This issue is particularly challenging when the program is being implemented in dozens of sites across the country, where it is often not feasible to conduct in depth case studies or collect other implementation data. One low cost and highly efficient approach to capturing data on implementation is to provide teachers with online logs with which to record classroom activities. We used this approach in our recent evaluation of The CryptoClub, an informal program involving cryptography and mathematics (more information about the program is available here).

CMM TIG Week: Supporting Evaluation Practice in Organizations by Monica Hargraves

My name is Monica Hargraves and I work with Cooperative Extension associations across New York State as part of an evaluation capacity building effort in the Cornell Office for Research on Evaluation (CORE).  My work with Extension is shaped, in part, by insights we gained through a Concept Mapping research project we did in late 2008.  We wanted to explore, from practitioners’ perspectives, what factors contribute to supporting evaluation practice in an organization.

CMM TIG Week: Cross Classified Random Effects Models in Evaluation by Leland Lockhart

My name is Leland Lockhart, and I am a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin and a research assistant at ACT, Inc.’s National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA).  The NCEA is a department of ACT, Inc., a not-for-profit organization committed to helping people achieve education and workplace success. NCEA builds the capacity of educators and leaders to create educational systems of excellence for all students. We accomplish this by providing research-based solutions and expertise in higher performing schools, school improvement, and best practice research that lead to increased levels of college and career readiness.

CMM TIG Week: Using Literature Review in Cluster Evaluation by Mika Yoder Yamashita

My name is Mika Yoder Yamashita. I am the qualitative evaluation lead for the Center for Educational Policy and Practice at Academy for Educational Development. Our Center has been conducting process and outcome evaluations of the federally funded program, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP).  This program aims at increasing college access among disadvantaged students.  As we are evaluating programs implemented in several sites, we are beginning to explore the possibility of conducting a multi-site evaluation. Today I will share my Center’s thoughts on how we can effectively approach conducting a multi-site evaluation that uses qualitative data to understand the process of program implementation. Then I will share how we use the literature to guide our data collection and analysis.

CMM TIG Week: Multisite Longitudinal Studies in Education by Edith Gozali-Lee

Hello, I am Edith Gozali-Lee, a research scientist at Wilder Research. I work primarily on research and evaluation projects related to education. I am currently working on a multi-site, longitudinal study of an early childhood initiative. The study includes three cohorts of school-based preschool program children in ten schools, five cohorts of community-based child care children in homes and centers, and comparison children with and without prior preschool experience. The study follows children from preschool to third grade. That’s a lot to track, making good data collection critical from the start.

Wilder Research Week: Edith Gozali-Lee on Multisite Longitudinal Studies in Education

Hello, I am Edith Gozali-Lee, a research scientist at Wilder Research. I work primarily on research and evaluation projects related to education. I am currently working on a multi-site, longitudinal study of an early childhood initiative. The study includes three cohorts of school-based preschool program children in ten schools, five cohorts of community-based child care …

Wilder Research Week: Edith Gozali-Lee on Multisite Longitudinal Studies in Education Read More »

Gary Resnick on Using Social Network Analysis to Describe Inter-Organizational Coordination and Collaboration Networks

My name is Gary Resnick and I am the Director of Research at Harder+Company Community Research, a California-based consulting firm. My background combines program evaluation with child development research, and I have an interest in system theory and networks. Harder+Company has been involved evaluating First 5 programs in a number of California counties. First 5 …

Gary Resnick on Using Social Network Analysis to Describe Inter-Organizational Coordination and Collaboration Networks Read More »

Leland Lockhart on Cross Classified Random Effects Models in Evaluation

My name is Leland Lockhart, and I am a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin and a research assistant at ACT, Inc.’s National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA).  The NCEA is a department of ACT, Inc., a not-for-profit organization committed to helping people achieve education and workplace success. NCEA builds the capacity …

Leland Lockhart on Cross Classified Random Effects Models in Evaluation Read More »