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Presented at the 21st Annual Research Conference

Responding to Evolving Evaluation Needs in a Comprehensive Early Childhood Initiative

Download Handouts: 2.8mb pdf

Presenting: Michael Bates

All Authors for this paper: Michael Bates; Prashant Rajvaidya

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: Illustrates how, through an ongoing planning and feedback process with partner programs and implementation of a flexible and powerful data management system, we have been able to address multiple challenges of evaluating complex community initiatives using the example of an early childhood-focused family support initiative. By responding quickly to evolving needs as they arise, we have helped partnering agencies demonstrate meaningful outcomes and enhance their own evaluation capacity.

Strategies for Rapid Development of a Transition to Adulthood Program Information System

We're sorry, handouts are not available for this presentation.

Presenting: Mason Haber

All Authors for this paper: Mason Haber; Hewitt Clark

Presentation Type: element of symposium

Synopsis: Describes an innovative approach to rapidly developing and validating tracking technology in typical field-based settings for youth with SED who are transitioning to adulthood. The authors and National Center on Youth Transition are collaborating with Mosaic Network to produce an automated version of the TAPIS. This development project provides an illustration of how measures can be developed and evaluated in typical field settings in situations where suitable alternative measurement methods do not exist.

Technology for Research, Evaluation, and Measure Development with Complex, Multisite Community Initiatives

Download Handouts: 4.4mb pdf

Session Number: 63 Room: Salon I

Presenting: Hewitt Clark

All Authors for this paper: Hewitt Clark

Presentation Type: brief symposium

Synopsis: Implementing effective evaluation of complex multi-site initiatives, such as Children’s Mental Health System of Care communities, has been a daunting task for many. Researchers and evaluators have faced the numerous challenges of collecting high-quality process and outcome data across a diversity of initiatives, organizations, programs, and populations. These challenges become increasingly difficult as the scope and specificity of data requirements have expanded.In this symposium, we will share the results from several projects in which we have addressed these challenges. In the first paper, we will share the results from an ongoing eight-year evaluation of First 5 Santa Barbara County—a comprehensive early childhood initiative with 30-40 funded community programs, comprising six collaboratives in the areas of early childhood education, oral health, mental health, newborn home visiting, family support, and school readiness. We will present findings from one of these collaboratives to highlight our approach and technology for managing such a broad and complex initiative. In the second paper, we will present the ongoing development of the Transition to Adulthood Program Information System (TAPIS) Progress Tracker and Goal Achiever. We will focus on how we have integrated the TAPIS into a web-based data management system and discuss plans for facilitating ongoing development and validation of the TAPIS Progress Tracker using this technology.

Date: Monday, February 25, 2008

Session Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM