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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.

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Evaluation Methodology

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange periodical focuses on evaluation methodology, covering topics in contemporary evaluation thinking, techniques, and tools. Mel Mark, president-elect of the American Evaluation Association, kicks off the issue with a discussion about the role that evaluation theory plays in our methodological choices. Other voices in the issue include Georgia State University evaluator Gary Henry, who makes the case for a paradigm shift in how we think about evaluation use and influence, and Robert Boruch, a Campbell Collaboration founder, who discusses the role of randomized trials in defining “what works.” Other contributors to the issue respond to various “how to” questions, such as how to foster strategic learning, how to find tools that assess nonprofit organizational capacity, how to select and use various outcome models, how to increase the number of evaluators of color, how to enhance multicultural competency in evaluation, and how to measure what we value so others value what we measure. Finally, the issue explores theory of change, cluster evaluation, and retrospective pretests—methodological approaches currently generating much interest and dialogue.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Free. 20 Pages.

Complementary Learning

The topic of this issue of The Evaluation Exchange is complementary learning. Complementary learning posits that we can bolster children's learning and achievement by linking and aligning both the school and nonschool arenas in which children live, learn, and play. This means, for example, linking schools with early childhood programs, out-of-school time programs, and other programs based in the community. In this issue we delve into the kinds of mechanisms that can create these linkages and sustain their effectiveness, and highlight promising approaches for evaluating the complementary-learning practices that already exist, both in terms of what outcomes to focus on and what methodologies to use.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Free. 25 Pages.

Participation in Youth Programs: Enrollment, Attendance, and Engagement

This is a special issue of New Directions for Youth Development journal edited by Heather B. Weiss, Priscilla M. D. Little, and Suzanne Bouffard, Vol. 2005, No. 105, Spring 2005. This issue unpacks the construct of participation in out-of-school time programming, posing a three-part equation: participation = enrollment + attendance + engagement.

Heather B. Weiss , Priscilla M. D. Little, Suzanne Bouffard (Spring 2005) Research Report

Research and Evaluation of Family Involvement in Education: What Lies Ahead? (Panel Session)

This panel session at the annual conference of the American Educational Research Association in Montreal, examined the current knowledge base and future directions for family involvement research and evaluation. Heather Weiss identified priority areas for future research and evaluation and criteria for selecting these areas. Panelists Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey, William Jeynes, Joyce Epstein, and Anne Henderson discussed research and evaluation on parent–child and parent–student–school relationships, home–school communication and parental expectations, school-based partnership programs, and community organizing, respectively.

Heather Weiss , Kathleen Hoover-Dempsey, William Jeynes, Joyce Epstein, Anne Henderson (April 14, 2005) Conferences and Presentations

Free. Available online only.

Engaging Adolescents in Out-of-School Time Programs: Learning What Works

This article examines both the incentives and barriers that affect adolescents' participation in out-of-school time programs.

Priscilla M. D. Little , Sherri Lauver (2005) Research Report

Health and Sports/Recreation Program Evaluations

The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Bibliography and Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Database both provide information on evaluations that have been conducted on sports/recreation and health-related out-of-school time (OST) programs, among other categories.

Erin Harris (March 2005) Research Report

Beyond School Hours VIII Annual Conference

Priscilla Little presented the workshop Learning What Works: An Evaluation Overview, providing an overview of what we know about after school evaluation. It examines how programs are collecting meaningful data for accountability and program improvement and what they are finding.

Priscilla M. D. Little (February 16, 2005) Conferences and Presentations

Free. Available online only.

Evaluating Family Involvement Programs

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange brings together the current knowledge base of programs in family support and family involvement, providing a continuous perspective on family processes with regard to children's learning and development, from a child's early years through adolescence. Articles address the challenges of evaluating family programs, such as the need for conceptual clarity, methodological rigor, accountability, and contextual responsiveness. Rounding out the issue are examples of ongoing evaluations of parent leadership and organizing to ensure that schools serve all children at high standards.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Family, School, and Community Connections Symposium: New Directions for Research, Practice, and Evaluation

We teamed up with the National Center for Family and Community Connections with Schools at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to present this 1-day Family, School, and Community Connections Symposium: New Directions for Research, Practice, and Evaluation.

Cathy Jordan , Mary Grassa O'Neill, Heather Weiss (December 2, 2004) Conferences and Presentations

Free. Available online only.

Understanding and Evaluating Family Engagement in Out-of-School Time (Workshop)

Engaging with families is one of the many strategies that out-of-school time (OST) programs use to create quality, adult-supervised experiences for youth during nonschool hours. This workshop introduced participants to the latest research and evaluation findings on family involvement in OST programs, and shared strategies for engaging with families, using two case studies to illustrate these practices in context.

Harvard Family Research Project (October 26, 2004) Conferences and Presentations

Free. Available online only.

Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Social Inquiry

Book chapter on using mixed methodology in the social sciences. In B. Somekh & C. Lewin (Eds.), Research methods in the social sciences. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Jennifer C. Greene , Holly Kreider, Ellen Mayer (2004) Research Report

Harnessing Technology for Evaluation

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange explores the contribution of technology to evaluation practice, with articles centering on four key areas in which evaluators are using technology: data collection and analysis, collaboration, knowledge mobilization, and evaluation capacity building. Rounding out the issue is a special feature on the role technology plays in fostering youth civic engagement and in evaluating programs for youth.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Free. 28 Pages.

Evaluating Family Support: Thinking Critically, Thinking Internationally (Keynote Address)

Evaluation plays a major role in shaping new directions for the field of family support. In her keynote address at the Participatory Evaluation and Parent Engagement Institute, sponsored by Family Support America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, in Kansas City, Missouri, September 20–22, 2004, Heather Weiss, Founder and Director of HFRP, described how evaluation can support learning, continuous improvement, and innovation. The four components of a family support evaluation strategy that she outlined were experimental studies to show program impact on families, utilization-focused evaluation to support policy and practitioner decision making, action research and empowerment evaluation, and performance standards based on solid research and evaluation.

Heather Weiss (September 20, 2004) Conferences and Presentations

Free. Available online only.

Working It Out: The Chronicle of a Mixed-Method Analysis

Chapter in Discovering Successful Pathways in Children's Development: Mixed Methods in the Study of Childhood and Family Life. Edited by Thomas S. Weisner. Published by University of Chicago Press. This chapter chronicles a mixed-method analysis of family involvement in children's learning, drawing observations about the process and added value of combining methods.

Heather B. Weiss , Holly Kreider, Ellen Mayer, Rebecca Hencke, Margaret Vaughan (Fall 2004) Research Report

Promoting Quality Through Professional Development: A Framework for Evaluation

Recognizing the critical role that staff play in promoting quality OST programs, in this brief we examine OST professional development efforts and offer a framework for their evaluation.

Suzanne Bouffard , Priscilla M.D. Little (August 2004) Research Report

Free. 12 Pages.

Understanding and Measuring Attendance in Out-of-School Time Programs

This brief reviews developmental research and out-of-school time program evaluations to examine three research-based indicators of attendance—intensity, duration, and breadth—offering different models for how attendance in out-of-school time programs can influence youth outcomes.

Heather B. Weiss (August 2004) Research Report

Free. Available online only.

Detangling Data Collection: Methods for Gathering Data

This Snapshot describes the common data collection methods used by current out-of-school time programs to evaluate their implementation and outcomes.

Suzanne Bouffard , Priscilla M. D. Little (August 2004) Research Report

Free. 6 Pages.

21st Century Community Learning Centers Summer Institute

This workshop, Redefining After School Programs to Support Student Achievement, provides an overview of current evaluation research, describes elements of effective after school programs, and discusses a theory of change approach to designing and implementing effective after school programs.

Priscilla M. D. Little (July 27, 2004) Conferences and Presentations

Free. Available online only.

Moving Beyond the Barriers: Attracting and Sustaining Youth Participation in Out-of-School Time Programs

This brief culls information from several implementation and impact evaluations of out-of-school time programs to develop a set of promising strategies to attract and sustain youth participation in the programs.

Sherri Lauver , Priscilla M.D. Little, Heather B. Weiss (July 2004) Research Report

Free. 16 Pages.

Early Childhood Programs and Evaluation

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange charts the course of early childhood programming and evaluation over nearly half a century. Contributing authors offer a range of views on how best to communicate the importance of investing in a child’s early years and how to improve early childhood programs and policies. Several articles consider the explosion of science—from longitudinal studies of child outcomes to a large-scale demonstration program—that has helped forward our understanding of how young children learn and grow. Finally, a number of articles suggest that better information is needed to close the persistent gap in achievement between children from low-income families and those from middle-income homes.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Free. 32 Pages.

Engaging With Families in Out-of-School Time Learning

This Snapshot provides an overview of how researchers are evaluating out-of-school time programs’ engagement with families.

Erin Harris , Christopher Wimer (April 2004) Research Report

Hard copy out of stock. Available online only.

Leveraging Resources to Promote Positive School-CBO Relationships

This article in the Spring 2004 edition of Afterschool Matters (pp. 15–23) uses information in our Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Database to examine how community-based organizations and schools can work together to build and leverage resources in creating successful after school programming.

Christopher Wimer , Margaret Post, Priscilla M. D. Little (Spring 2004) Research Report

Evaluating Out-of-School Time Program Quality

This issue of The Evaluation Exchange is the fourth devoted to exploring issues in the out-of-school time (OST) field. Its focus is assessing and improving the quality of out-of-school time and youth development programs. Articles cover innovative methodologies and new technology systems for assessing quality, strategies for recruitment and retention, and understanding and measuring participation.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Free. 32 Pages.

Performance Measures in Out-of-School Time Evaluation

This Snapshot outlines the academic, youth development, and prevention performance measures currently being used by out-of-school time programs to assess their progress, and the corresponding data sources for these measures.

Priscilla M. D. Little , Erin Harris, Suzanne Bouffard (March 2004) Research Report

Free. Available online only.

Reflecting on the Past and Future of Evaluation

This tenth-year-anniversary-issue of The Evaluation Exchange features reflections on some of the trends (both good and bad) that have occurred in the evaluation field over the past decade. Authors consider the “best of the worst”evaluator practices, changes in university-based evaluation training, and the development of evaluation as a discipline. In recognition of the need to look ahead, other articles introduce themes we will address in greater depth in the future, such as international evaluation, technology, evaluation of the arts, and diversity.

Evaluation Exchange Issue

Free. 20 Pages.

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