The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.
All Publications & Resources
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The Out-of-School-Time Program Evaluation Database
Erin Harris of HFRP outlines what information the HFRP Out-of-School Time Evaluation Database includes, how it is organized, and its practical applications.
Learning From Logic Models in Out-of-School Time
This brief offers an in-depth review of logic models and how to construct them. A logic model can be a powerful tool for illustrating a program's theory of change to program staff, partners, funders, and evaluators. Moreover, a completed logic model provides a point of reference against which progress towards achievement of desired outcomes can be measured on an ongoing basis, both through performance measurement and evaluation.
Documenting Progress and Demonstrating Results: Evaluating Local Out-of-School Time Programs
A collaboration with the Finance Project, this brief provides practitioners of local out-of-school time programs with techniques, tools, and strategies for improving their program and tracking their effectiveness over time.
Evaluating Citizen Schools
Charlie Schlegel of Citizen Schools explains how their evaluation strategy successfully balances the need to determine program impact with the need for continuous improvement.
Beyond the Head Count: Evaluating Family Involvement in Out-of-School Time
This brief offers an overview of how out-of-school time programs can evaluate their family involvement strategies and practices. It draws on findings from our OST Evaluation Database, interviews, and email correspondence.
Evaluating Municipal Out-of-School Time Initiatives
To inform municipal leaders who are developing out-of-school time evaluations, HFRP scanned the city-level initiatives in its evaluation profiles database and prepared this short brief that describes the evaluation approaches, methods, and performance measures that some cities are using for evaluation.
Evaluation of 21st Century Community Learning Center Programs: A Guide for State Education Agencies
This brief offers an in-depth look at the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) evaluation requirements (both performance measurement for accountability and program evaluation) and provides practical suggestions about how to implement 21st CCLC evaluation at the state and local level. It includes a checklist of issues to consider when designing state and local 21st CCLC evaluations.
Youth Involvement in Evaluation & Research
This brief draws on information collected from focus group interviews with representatives of 14 programs that are involving youth in their evaluation and research efforts. It examines the elements of successful youth involved research projects and offers short profiles of the 14 organizations included in the study.
National Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Mark Dynarski and Mary Moore of Mathematica Policy Research, reveal the challenges of evaluating a national program implemented in multiple locations with inherently different key elements.
Electronic Resources
A list of useful resources on the Internet.
CORAL: A Multi-Site Initiative to Improve Academic Achievement and Build Community Capacity
Kathleen Hebbeler of SRI International describes the evaluation of CORAL, which seeks to help communities view academic achievement as the shared responsibility of multiple sectors of the community.
Out-of-School Time Issue #2
The Spring 2001 issue is the second in a series of two dedicated to the field of out-of-school time and after school that was started in the Volume VI, Number 1 issue. This issue features a conversation with Jane Quinn about the out-of-school time field, descriptions of national and local evaluations that are under way, a discussion of developmental research and evaluating after school programs, a description of practices that involve youth in evaluation and research, and some practical advice about using logic models in evaluating after school programs.
Pizza, Transportation, and Transformation: Youth Involvement in Evaluation and Research
Jennifer Smith from HFRP writes about involving youth in evaluation and research.
Logic Models in Real Life: After School at the YWCA of Asheville
Cindy McMahon of the YWCA of Ashville, North Carolina, shares how YWCA as a whole, and her after school program as a part of it, used a logic model to show they make a difference for women and families.
Logic Model Basics
JuNelle Harris of HFRP outlines the basics of designing logic models.
Why evaluate after school programs?
Olatokunbo (Toks) Fashola, Associate Research Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR), reveals the steps new programs can take to initiate evaluation.
New & Noteworthy
The New & Noteworthy section features an annotated list of papers, organizations, initiatives, and other resources related to this issue's theme of Out-of School Time.
From the Director's Desk
An introduction to the first issue on Out-of-School Time by HFRP's Founder & Director, Heather B. Weiss, Ed.D.
Evaluations to Watch
HFRP provides a quick run-down of 12 current out-of-school time program evaluations.
Out-of-School Time Issue #1
The Fall 2000 issue, the first of a series of two dedicated to the field of out-of-school time and after school, addresses the challenges and possibilities for evaluating after school programs in the new era of accountability. The issue includes an interview with National Institute on Out-of-School Time founder Michelle Seligson, articles relating on-the-ground experiences with evaluation, and our new column, “Ask the Expert.”
Building the After School Field: A Conversation With Evaluators, Policymakers, and Practitioners
Karen Horsch and Kathleen Hart of HFRP summarize HFRP's conversations with after school evaluators, researchers, and stakeholders to map the out-of-school time field.
Reflections on Access and Equity Implications for After School Program Evaluations
Laurie Olsen, Executive Director California Tomorrow, highlights the importance of addressing issues of access and equity in the evaluation of after school programs.
Strengthening Local Evaluation Capacity in Rural Communities
Using a participatory/empowerment evaluation approach with Save the Children, Linda Morrell and Kenneth Terao from the Aguirre Group offer reflections and lessons learned from their experience.
Interview With Michelle Seligson
HFRP asked Michelle Seligson, founder of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, about the history of the out-of-school time field, the challenges it currently faces, and the role evaluation and research play.
Ask the Expert
Karen Walker, director of community studies at Public/Private Ventures (P/PV), reveals what evaluation approaches can be used to understand the connection between academic outcomes and program activities.