Our evaluation and research projects address a range of pressing questions in education and human services. Below is a sample of our work.
Our evaluation and research projects address a range of pressing questions in education and human services. Below is a sample of our work.
In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, we conducted an analysis of school climate in schools throughout the state. Subsequently, we evaluated how school climate predicts academic and disciplinary outcomes for students and schools, and we examined issues of equity in school climate, academic performance, and discipline across race and gender.
In partnership with the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and in collaboration with numerous institutions worldwide, we sought to understand the biological, psychological, social, and economic factors that promote healthy child development among more than 2,000 children at sites in eight low- and middle-income countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, and Tanzania).
The Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association ran a social-emotional learning program at a local North Philadelphia elementary school that included multiple interventions, such as facilitating the Second Step curriculum and providing individualized Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, all of which were evaluated to determine if they are running as intended and to gauge success.
Supported by the William Penn Foundation, we conducted an iterative process and outcome evaluation of Temple Education Scholars, a college access program run by Temple University's College of Education and Human Development.
Communities with largely Black residents face particular challenges, as well as rich opportunities, in the United States. In partnership with the Association of Black Foundation Executives (ABFE), this research project examined data focused on how outcome disparities in Black communities intersect with policy development and implementation in the following areas: education, housing, health/healthcare, labor, criminal justice, and higher education. Our ultimate goal was to map, on a large scale, what specific political and policy changes are needed to help Black communities thrive.
Many school districts are faced with the challenge of finding ways to integrate children from higher and lower socioeconomic households into their schools. In partnership with the South Orange-Maplewood School District in New Jersey, this applied research project focused on three strands of support for this complicated but important process: 1) providing research to district and school staff on socioeconomic integration strategies; 2) conducting focus groups with school staff and community members to understand concepts and expectations of socioeconomic integration; and 3) providing guidance on development and implementation of integration plans.
Funded by the William Penn Foundation, the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium (PEDC) engaged teacher preparation programs within Pennsylvania’s institutions of higher education (IHE) to adopt the Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CRSE) competencies through a community of practice (COP). A process and outcome evaluation was conducted to explore members' experiences and perceived outcomes of the project.
In partnership with the Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association, we conducted an evaluation of the early outcomes of children ages birth through 3 in the Oxford Circle neighborhood of Philadelphia, as well as conducted a “literacy walk” gauging children’s access to printed materials in a variety of languages. Findings show that in this ethnically and linguistically diverse neighborhood, printed materials — especially in languages other than English — were not widely available for young children.
Funded by the Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education, this project supports Temple undergraduate students in finding and funding daycare for their young children. An independent evaluation gauged whether the Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program supports are linked to college persistence and achievement.
Under the auspices of the William Penn Foundation, a three-year project, Bringing Evidence-based Practices to Urban Teacher Preparation, allowed Temple’s early and elementary teacher preparation team to collaborate closely with the School District of Philadelphia on the integration of cutting-edge, evidence-based techniques into our pre-service teacher training. Strategies include flipped classrooms, video-based case studies, and a year-long residency program. An evaluation examined how these approaches enhance beginning teachers’ practices.
Lack of knowledge and skills in computer and information sciences can be a barrier to workforce competitiveness and to economic mobility for low-income students. Through an NSF S-STEM Scholars Program, we identified intentional, multidisciplinary academic pathways that provide low-income students with the ability to focus on their chosen primary STEM major and explore specialized study in information science. An applied research and evaluation project was conducted in order to explore students' experiences in this program, as well as the outcomes.