
Evaluation
Rigorous, high-quality research is at the core of CRESP’s mission.
Our experienced staff engages in a variety of methods to understand how, why, and if programs or policies are effective. We conduct both qualitative and quantitative research and maintain staff expertise in:
- applied policy research investigating public health and educational innovations and interventions;
- program evaluation;
- quantitative analyses of large administrative, state, regional, and national databases;
- qualitative methods to promote knowledge of important, but difficult-to-measure characteristics of programs and collaborative partnerships;
- randomized controlled field trials;
- longitudinal studies of changes over time that combine data from disparate sources; and
- application of statistical methods from economics, engineering, and other disciplines to social programs and policies.
CRESP researchers are trained in evaluation methodology, randomized field experiments, natural experiments, qualitative methods, statistical analysis, and survey research.
NEW BOOK RELEASE
Sue Giancola, CRESP Senior Associate Director, recently published Program Evaluation: Embedding Evaluation into Program Design and Development. This book provides an in-depth examination of the foundations, methods, and relevant issues in the field of evaluation. With an emphasis on an embedded approach, where evaluation is an explicit part of a program that leads to the refinement of the program, students will learn how to conduct effective evaluations that foster continual improvement and enable data-based decision making. This text provides students with both the theoretical understanding and the practical tools to conduct effective evaluations while being rigorous enough for experienced evaluators looking to expand their approach to evaluation. Purchase a copy here.
Taking the Pulse: UD and Community Engagement
Taking the Pulse: UD and Community Engagement is a recently completed evaluation of how UD is engaging members of its own and surrounding communities. Learn more.
Partner with CRESP on Evaluation Research
PROJECTS
HHS grant awards $750,000 for ‘We Care’ program in Delaware`: CRESP to partner as program evaluator
October 27, 2019 –Funder: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded a $750,000 grant to implement what could very well be a lifesaving service, We Care, through Sussex County’s Meals on Wheels program. The grant, awarded to CHEER Senior Services, La Red He …
Read moreEvaluation of the Special Education Administrative Leadership (SEAL) program
February 7, 2020 – September 30, 2024Funder: U.S Department of Education
SEAL is a leadership program for special education administrators in the State of Delaware. CRESP’s evaluation of SEAL utilizes a participatory, theory-based approach. See the following article from the Association of University Centers on Disab …
Read moreDelaware School Climate and Student Success (SCSS) Study
January 1, 2014 – December 1, 2019Funder: U.S Department of Education
The Delaware School Climate and Student Success (SCSS) project was funded through the U.S. Department of Education’s School Climate Transformation Grant program. SCSS is a five-year grant awarded to the University of Delaware’s Center for Disabilities …
Read moreAn Efficacy Follow-Up Study of the Long-Term Effects of Reading Recovery Under the i3 Scale-Up
August 1, 2017 – July 31, 2020Funder: Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education
Reading Recovery is a fully developed early literacy program that includes 12- to 20-week cycles of daily one-to-one lessons provided by a specially trained teacher. This is an efficacy follow-up study to an i3-funded scale-up study that uses a regress …
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