March 21, 2007 - 10:10am
Our current evaluation of Performing Arts Workshop's Artists-in-Schools program involves researching how the effects of the program differ for students in general and special education. A concern of ours is how to conduct our research in a way that identifies and accommodates the needs of students in special education without adding to the stigma of being in special education.
March 20, 2007 - 2:41pm
risks.bmp When conducting an evaluation, we are required to minimize the risks to participants; however we sometimes struggle to identify what those risks may be and how they relate to any potential benefits. Particularly when the study involves issues like the arts, academic achievement or interest in extra-curricular activities, the risks may seem very remote or negligible.
February 27, 2007 - 1:11pm
We thought we’d share news about an interesting analysis method we recently used…
February 27, 2007 - 9:31am
For my Master’s thesis in the Department of Geography at the University of Minnesota and with the help of an Independent Research Grant from the Improve Group, I conducted a study on the accessibility of healthy amenities, primarily healthy food, in the city of Minneapolis. This study examined one aspect of how the built environment can potentially impact health. I mapped the amenities against different neighborhood demographic, economic, and crime characteristics.
February 19, 2007 - 9:52pm
Strategic planning has been used by public and non-profit organizations for decades. Planning has both its adherents and its detractors--those who feel it is a useful exercise find that it helps to set direction and keep varied interest groups focused on issues important to the key mission. Others find it nearly impossible to create plans that anticipate all possible future scenarios, and particularly that monitoring progress falls to the wayside as day-to-day reality sets in.
February 7, 2007 - 12:29pm
In our work with the Girl Scouts of the USA to evaluate the uniquely ME! program, we currently designing a blog for girls that will be used as part of the evaluation. This is a new and exciting territory for us and our heads have been buzzing with ideas of how best to collect and analyze the data. We’ve designed the blog so that girls will be able to comment on our posted questions about beauty, self-esteem and healthy living.
January 2, 2007 - 12:35pm
Clients often ask us how they can be sure they are getting the "true" answer to their research questions. This question comes up when developing a survey, reviewing participant files, or even recruiting for a focus group. The answer comes down to both sampling strategy and sample size.
December 26, 2006 - 4:09pm
Recently we had a data security issue in our office; a flash drive with client data was lost. All of us involved were very devastated; we felt horrible that it happened and worried about the risks to our client and the people they serve. Although our client was understandably upset, and we felt horrible, we did the best we could under the circumstances to make amends. We actually received compliments (!) on how we handled the issue. We also were told by several people that this sort of thing happens all the time.
December 14, 2006 - 6:36am
In our on-going work with Performing Arts Workshop, we've been asked to conduct a quasi-experimental evaluation of their arts residency program, Artists-in-Schools. Based on results in the last three years, they created the ARISE program, designed to bring arts residencies to classrooms with some students with special needs (called inclusion classrooms in California).

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