Evaluation

The SERC Evaluation Team works with each partner to provide situational evaluation services that accelerate change. We strategically design evaluation plans that, when possible, incorporate multiple methods and data sources to reduce bias and strengthen projects. We utilize the most comprehensive and current tools to ensure optimal organization, analysis, and communication.

We bring extensive experience in guiding the design of projects, research, websites, curricula, and programs. With a strong grounding in program evaluation and education research literature, we can support you in articulating a theory of change that underpins your program objectives, determining what analytical methods are best suited to your needs, and developing assessment tools and instruments that meet rigorous standards of validity and reliability. We have experience as internal and external evaluators and employ pragmatic, utilization-focused approaches to ensure that our instruments, analyzes, and communications are useful in helping you make data-informed decisions that will help your program succeed.

Areas of work and examples:

Planning and Design

  • Program theory development
  • Logic model and Theory of Change development
  • Strategy development
  • Metrics development
  • Needs assessments
  • Evaluation capacity building
  • Adaptive learning facilitation

Instrument Development and Data Collection

  • Surveys
  • Interviews
  • Focus groups and group interviews
  • Observations
  • Case studies
  • Usability studies
  • Website analytics
  • Artifact/ document review

Data Analysis and Reporting

  • Grounded theory
  • Narrative analysis
  • Framework analysis
  • Dimension reduction (e.g., factor analysis)
  • Predictive modeling (e.g., regression and multilevel modeling)
  • Quasi-experimental and causal analyses (e.g., mediation analysis and propensity score matching)
  • Social network analyses
  • Data visualization

Scale: classroom, department, program, institution, municipal, statewide, multi-institution, regional, national

Partners: associated with science education and research including formal and informal educators, STEM and education centers, and multi-institutional efforts including research

Principles: inclusive and responsive, continuous improvement, evidence-based, diligent

Evaluation Project Examples Education Research Examples