| Session Title: Scaling Up the Replication Ladder: Considerations in Evaluating Scale-up Efforts |
| Think Tank Session 443 to be held in San Clemente on Thursday, Nov 3, 2:50 PM to 4:20 PM |
| Sponsored by the AEA Conference Committee |
| Presenter(s): |
| Ginger Fitzhugh, Evaluation & Research Associates, gfitzhugh@eraeval.org |
| Discussant(s): |
| Julie Elworth, Evaluation & Research Associates, jelworth@eraeval.org |
| Carolyn Cohen, Cohen Research & Evaluation LLC, cohenevaluation@seanet.com |
| Davis Patterson, Independent Consultant, davispatterson@comcast.net |
| David Reider, Education Design, david@educationdesign.biz |
| Abstract: Participants in this session will explore challenges and promising practices associated with evaluating programs that are either considering or undertaking scale-up into new geographic regions or contexts. When are projects ready to scale up? What is the evaluators' role in working with projects that are scaling up? The facilitators will share a theoretical framework they have used to evaluate programs that have scaled up. Small groups will discuss: (1) What are evaluation considerations before programs scale up? (2) How must the evaluation itself be scaled up and what are effective strategies for a smooth transition? (3) What are useful organizing frameworks for evaluating projects as they scale up? (4) What implications do stakeholders' different values and motivations for scaling up in new contexts have for evaluation design and communication of findings? The whole group will reconvene to share insights and identify questions that merit further attention. |