Current Projects

Areas of Expertise

The ERAD team is diverse and offer varied talents and experiences to design, develop and deliver outstanding evaluation, research, and program development services. Our team's areas of expertise include:

Evaluation Planning

• Collaborating with clients to develop “the big picture” and developing an appropriate evaluation plan to meet their needs, so that data sources and data collection methodologies are firmly grounded in the intentions of the programming and so that qualitative and quantitative data sets can be integrated for an enriched evaluative portrait
• Working as partners at the grant-writing stage, if desired, in order to incorporate evaluation from the outset of project planning
• Bringing relevant parties together through networking and using the vast resources available at the University of Arizona
• Providing needs assessments that are both informative and practical

Development/implementation of data collection methodology

• Developing cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs, using appropriate quantitative and qualitative data collection methodologies, including interview, focus group, and surveys/questionnaires
• Providing training and support for school personnel involved in survey administration

Logic Models

• Creating thoughtful and useful Logic Models including appropriate goals, objectives, and measurable outcomes based on experience and background in evaluation theory
• Applying extensive knowledge of research and theory regarding normative and non-normative mechanisms of human development in order to specify and elaborate appropriate “Theories of Change” for educational and intervention efforts

Strategic Plans with Timelines

• Developing work plans and timelines
• Implementing strategic plans for the timely completion of each phase of evaluation projects

Stakeholder relations

• Developing positive working relationships with diverse groups of stakeholder partners—urban and rural; Hispanic, Anglo, and African American
• Managing constructive relations between academia and the general public
• Providing Spanish-language documents and oral reports

Dataset Development and Maintenance

• Protecting data files and data definition provided by the District using appropriate methods of confidentiality and organization/storage on the secure Institute server system
• Applying experience in developing and maintaining relational databases, including MS Access and MYSQL
• Using technology to aid in the organization of data and evaluation tasks (such as data collection), including creating on-line interfaces which access the databases using ColdFusion and PHP
• Managing large samples of data

Interviews

• Developing and conducting interviews with sensitivity to the participant population and clients' needs
• Providing multiple formats for participant convenience: on-site, telephone, and on-line; Spanish or English
• Conducting focus groups with well-designed interview questions and managing and coding data generated

Survey Development

• Constructing appropriate survey instruments regarding targeted behaviors, and constructs related to mechanisms of anticipated change
• Selecting validated measures for constructs of interest and applying survey construction experience for customized item development if necessary
• Designing questionnaires that are culturally sensitive and in both Spanish and English if required
• Developing scannable surveys
• Designing, developing and piloting on-line surveys using appropriate methods to secure confidentiality and security

Data Analysis

• Collaborating with project staff, stakeholders (students, parents, teachers, and school administration) to interpret data
• Designing appropriate analyses for specific research designs
• Tailoring analysis depending upon the uses to be made of the findings
• Developing analytic strategies for the analysis of qualitative data, based on grounded theory
• Employing both cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative analyses
• Applying knowledge of relevant theories and methodologies