Evaluation Processes
In its evaluation process CCG will address the following key evaluation questions:
What project implementation has occurred (e.g. programming offered to participants); What on-going evidence is there that the project is having a significant impact on participants? How does one explain or account for the positive impact that has occurred both statistically and in terms of stories and narratives told by staff? As part of the consultative and formative evaluation process, how can the project's implementation be improved through a better application of theoretical perspectives and recent research to ensure that quality programming occurs (e.g. in teacher commitment and improved performance leading to increases student academic performance)?; How can the implementation of the project be aligned with the assessments and with what was proposed in the grant application?
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Formative Evaluation Strategies:
CCG will conduct a wide range of formative evaluation strategies. These include: Conducting and reporting on focus groups and case studies (using grounded theories of inquiry, ethnographic and group process techniques to elicit candid responses, and questions developed in collaboration with project staff); aligning teaching and learning concepts and research with instruction; providing professional development to project site coordinators and/or instructors to develop a better understanding of the conceptual and research underpinnings of their instruction; offering on-going feedback and assistance on how projects can attain a high degree of program implementation fidelity; and developing and administering satisfaction or feedback surveys;
Summative Evaluation Strategies:
CCG will employ a wide range of possible summative evaluation strategies, including: Designing pre/post and/or retrospective educators, student, and family surveys on approaches to cognitive and non-cognitive learning, social and emotional, psychological, nutritional, or mental health development, the use of technology, and readiness for high school and college and transition from grade to grade (assessed for their face and construct validity and with Cronbach's reliability coefficients of at least .80); involving project staff in reviewing and up-dating all survey assessments to improve their quality and ensuring that the evaluation is aligned with the project's grant proposal; providing protocols and professional development on how to administer project formative and/or summative surveys; employing quality data entry and creating spreadsheets for data analysis; documenting quantitative program outcomes; developing tables and conducting the statistical analysis of program data using a wide range of statistical analyses (e.g. using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to calculate tests of significance, effect sizes, and statistics such as regression coefficients and analysis of variance to rule out alternative explanations for the results attained;
Providing Written Reports:
CCG will provide detailed semi and annual reports, and others requested by clients: Those reports will include, but not be limited to: developing and reviewing of detailed statistical results in tabular forms and qualitative findings; the analysis of outcomes and other evaluations requirements contained in the project grant proposal; using research and qualitative forms of analysis to explain project results, all to be reviewed and discussed with project clients.