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Aligning and Employing Public Use Data for School-level Analyses: A Quasi-experimental Study of Communities In Schools (CIS)
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| Presenter(s):
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| Sarah Decker,
Caliber an ICF International Company,
sdecker@icfi.com
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| Kelle Basta,
Caliber an ICF International Company,
kbasta@icfcaliber.com
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| Jill Berger,
Caliber an ICF International Company,
jberger@icfi.com
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| Susan Siegel,
Communities In Schools,
siegels@cisnet.org
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| Abstract:
Communities In Schools, Inc. (CIS) is a nationwide initiative to connect community resources with schools to help at-risk students successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. One of the key components of our three-year, comprehensive evaluation of CIS is a quasi-experimental study of 300 schools implementing CIS and 300 matched comparison schools. This study was designed to ascertain the impact of CIS on a number of school-level outcomes, including: dropout, attendance, achievement, behavioral outcomes, suspension, promotion, SAT scores, graduation, and post-graduation placement. In this presentation, we will describe a rigorous methodology that utilizes public use data to assess the effectiveness of a diverse network of CIS programs. We will address issues concerning the alignment and standardization of public use files across seven states over multiple school years. The presentation will also include preliminary findings from this study.
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Think Globally, Act Accountably: An Exploration of Cross-cutting Issues in Domestic and International Nonprofit Evaluation
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| Presenter(s):
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| Monica Oliver,
Georgia State University,
bla1@student.gsu.edu
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| Shena Ashley,
Georgia State University,
padsra@langate.gsu.edu
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| Abstract:
Globalization, coupled with media attention to the 2004 tsunami and other events and situations highlighting areas of need, has heightened the efforts of corporations, nonprofits, and foundations to respond to poverty issues in urban America and around the world. As more and more foundations and corporations choose to fund both domestic and overseas assistance projects, it becomes essential to evaluate such programs effectively in order that they remain accountable both to their beneficiaries and to the corporations, nonprofits and foundations that fund them. This begs the question: given their disparate forms of governance, what are the fundamental similarities and differences in evaluating an international versus a domestic social assistance effort? What can international and domestic funders and implementers take from one another's practice? This paper looks at existing reporting and governance mechanisms to explore the different and cross-cutting elements of domestic and international social program evaluation.
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Effective Communication Strategies for Large Cross-site Evaluations: Lessons Learned From the National Evaluation of Communities in Schools
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| Presenter(s):
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| Kellie Kim,
Caliber an ICF International Company,
kkim@icfi.com
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| Melissa Busch,
Caliber an ICF International Company,
mbusch@icfi.com
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| Susan Siegel,
Communities in Schools,
siegels@cisnet.org
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| Abstract:
Effective communications strategies are imperative in the planning and execution of rigorous evaluations, especially those of national organizations with complex organizational structures. Communities in Schools, a nationwide initiative to help at-risk students successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life, is in the midst of a three-year national evaluation that focuses on all levels of the Network: National, State, Affiliate, and Site. This research requires evaluation staff to work with – and be accountable to – many different entities and stakeholders. Given the complexity of this evaluation, we have been challenged to develop innovative strategies to engage the “front lines” of the Network, to obtain “buy in” for evaluation activities, to manage expectations, and to effectively message evaluation findings. We expect that lessons learned from this study will benefit other evaluators by sharing creative strategies to maintain ongoing communication with diverse entities involved throughout all phases of evaluation study.
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