The Evaluation Center’s goal is to provide substantive, formative information to program stakeholders—including districts, corporations, nonprofits, and community partners—while also ensuring any funding evaluation requirements are met. To achieve these goals, the Evaluation Center applies a utilization-focused methodology to design evaluation and deliver ongoing quality improvement support. The evaluation process, from its initiation to completion, is intentionally structured to inform decision-making and improve performance. This tailored, use-centered approach better ensures the applicability and utility of findings across educational, community, and corporate contexts.
To assist our partners in advancing their programs, the Evaluation Center offers a comprehensive range of services:
Evaluation Planning & Design
- Develop logic models and theories of change that clarify how your programs create impact.
- Co-create evaluation questions and frameworks that align with your mission and funder expectations.
- Select the right methods—quantitative, qualitative, or mixed—to ensure credible results.
Data Collection & Analysis
- Design and administer surveys, interviews, focus groups, and assessments.
- Conduct statistical analyses, outcome tracking, and qualitative coding.
- Apply advanced methods such as quasi-experimental designs, hierarchical linear modeling, Rasch modeling, etc. for validation of instruments and inter-rater reliability.
Developmental Evaluation
- Co-create adaptive frameworks and evolving theories of change.
- Collect and analyze data for real-time decision-making.
- Lead reflection sessions to surface insights and guide pivots.
- Train staff in adaptive evaluation and learning culture.
- Share evolving findings through briefs, visuals, and stories.
Implementation & Process Evaluation
- Monitor fidelity to program models and standards.
- Identify barriers and facilitators to effective implementation.
- Provide actionable feedback to improve program delivery in real time.
Outcome & Impact Evaluation
- Measure participant outcomes and organizational effectiveness.
- Assess whether programs achieve short-, medium-, and long-term goals.
Capacity Building & Technical Assistance
- Train staff and partners in evaluation design, data collection, and analysis.
- Coach organizations in building evaluation culture and data literacy.
- Create practical tools, dashboards, and guides for ongoing monitoring.
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
- Facilitate data-driven decision-making and rapid-cycle learning.
- Design feedback loops to capture insights from staff, participants, and stakeholders.
- Support adaptive program management for stronger outcomes.
Reporting & Communication
- Prepare professional reports that meet funder, board, and stakeholder needs.
- Create accessible visuals—dashboards, infographics, heat maps—that bring findings to life.
- Present results in engaging formats that translate data into action.
Specialized Expertise
- Education: curriculum mapping, assessment development, accreditation support.
- Health & Public Health: program effectiveness, outcome tracking, journey mapping, community-based evaluation.
- Workforce & Economic Development: training evaluations, user-testing, employment outcomes.
- Community & Nonprofit: participatory evaluation, ripple-effects mapping, storytelling with data.
Our goal is to partner with you to build evidence, improve practice, and strengthen impact.