Formative evaluations
Formative evaluations are exactly as the root word indicates – we evaluate as you are forming. In other words, we give you feedback on how things are going now. A sample formative evaluation may include:
- Document analysis of all documentation that could consist of a business plan, grant proposal, regulations, job descriptions, etc.
- Interviews with staff, partners, and participants. Through these interviews, we can identify how your organization runs, how the respondents feel about the program, and any suggestions for improvement or change from the perspective of the participants. While time-consuming, interviews are a very effective method of gathering data from a very valuable resource – people.
- Database analysis is just what it sounds like. Descriptive analyses of the database will show your organization or program’s performance to date.
- Summary report that includes an overall analysis of all the data collected.
This is a very simple but necessary form of evaluation. Doing these annually, and then using the data and reports to assess progress, set/re-set benchmarks, strategize/re-strategize for the following year can be very helpful to keep an organization on-target and in the direction that meets the needs of the participants as well as the organization.
Summative evaluations
Summative evaluations are exactly as it sounds – we evaluative the sum of your program. Most times, a summative evaluation is conducted when a program has concluded. However, summative evaluations can also be conducted at specific points in time. For example, when an organization has set benchmarks, i.e., we will increase participation by 50% in Year 4, then a summative evaluation can help in identifying whether that benchmark has been met, how it was met, and if not met, why not.
A summative evaluation is much more comprehensive than a formative evaluation. It consists of an analysis of all the work that has been conducted over the time period. As with the formative evaluation, the summative evaluation could include interviews, document analysis, and database analysis. Importantly, the analysis will identify whether goals, objectives, and performance measures have been met, and if not, where the areas of weakness and gaps were.
A good summative evaluation will also include an outcomes evaluation.
Outcomes evaluations
An outcomes evaluation includes a rigorous research design that examines the impact of a program. It is more time consuming, but very valuable if an organization wants to know if a specific program has had an effect on their target audience. With this evaluation, the organization will have the scientific evidence to prove why they are implementing the program or will have scientific evidence to show why they should tweak or discontinue the program.
Education Research
The work that we all do in education is very important – teachers, school leaders, administrators, K-12 schools, colleges/universities, community partners, and external programs supporting students, educators, and families – all these partners play pivotal roles in educating our children. Another piece to the work, however, is conducting research to answer questions, like: Is what we’re doing helping the students learn? Do they know more because of this? Is this program getting more kids into college and graduating from college? What parts of the program are the most effective? It is so important to do the work, but we need to know if our work is working and what pieces are working and what pieces are not. This is where education research comes in.
Technical Services
In addition to program evaluation and education research, we also provide technical services for programs:
- Legislations and Regulations – informally, legs & regs – with decades of program implementation experience, we are well-versed in the requirements of grants legislations, regulations, and federal guidelines.
- Program Implementation – we also provide guidance in the best methods to start up a new program, assisting in prioritizing tasks, developing timelines, providing input on staffing hires, developing partnerships, and more.
- Information Technology – databases, apps, and match forms can be designed tailored to your specific program. Training in specific software and/or computer programs is also available.