Evaluation of the Child Development Community Policing
(CDCP) Model
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The CDCP program is a national model of a collaborative alliance among law enforcement, mental health professionals, and community agencies on behalf of children and families exposed to violence in their communities. Beginning in 2002, ICF has been conducting a five-year, multi-site evaluation of the CDCP model. The model is being employed in varied community and institutional settings, and is aimed at helping children recover from the psychological trauma of witnessing violence, thereby increasing their feelings of safety and reducing the likelihood of future delinquency. This evaluation is using a multi-method approach that includes both process and outcome data in an attempt to uncover the mechanisms that contribute to the coordinated delivery of services and to the positive impact of the program on children and families experiencing violence. A quasi-experimental design is being used to assess the effectiveness of two CDCP sites (vs. matched comparison sites). Multiple sources of cross-sectional and longitudinal data have been used to explore the problem of children exposed to violence immediately after a crisis and longitudinally track the trajectory of recovery after an intervention.
Communities in Schools (CIS)
Atlantic Philanthropies
Communities in Schools (CIS), Inc., is a nationwide initiative to help students successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life. ICF was selected to conduct this multi-year evaluation that will assess the effectiveness of the overall program and improve support strategies for state and local offices in the United States. This highly rigorous three-year evaluation has three major components, which employ progressively more rigorous methodologies. ICF staff 1) assemble and analyze all CIS data collected to date; 2) conduct a school-level quasi-experimental study, mining data from a number of public-use data files to develop a comprehensive database; and 3) conduct a randomized controlled trial that will ascertain program impacts at the student level. The first large-scale random assignment processes are in Austin, Texas, and Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mathematics and Science Partnership Program Evaluation
New Jersey Department of Education
ICF and its partners, Assessment & Evaluation Concepts and Education Resources Group, are conducting a program evaluation of New Jersey’s Mathematics and Science Partnership program. The goal of the program is to increase the academic achievement of students in mathematics and science by enhancing the content knowledge and teaching skills of classroom teachers. The New Jersey Department of Education has partnered with three lead agencies—Rutgers University, Rowan University, and Montclair University—to develop three unique curriculum and professional development schedules across 68 school districts and 73 public and nonpublic schools. The ICF team will work with the three lead agencies and the New Jersey Department of Education to implement a quasi-experimental research design comparing the development of teachers receiving Mathematics and Science Partnership professional development with nonparticipating teachers’ development. Findings from the quasi-experimental study will be supplemented by secondary analysis of available student assessment data; teacher, school, and district data; observations of teacher training; review of professional development curricula; and a school climate survey.
Regional Educational Laboratory (REL), Mid-Atlantic
U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences
ICF partners with The Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, The Metiri Group, ANALYTICA, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) to comprise the Mid-Atlantic REL, one of the ten RELs under a five-year contract with the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences. The mission of the Mid-Atlantic REL is to use applied research, development, dissemination, training, and technical assistance to introduce the latest research and proven practices into school improvement efforts in the mid-Atlantic region. ICF is actively involved in nearly every facet of REL Mid-Atlantic’s project work. We participate in identifying regional needs that drive the prioritization of research topics and technical assistance, and in the development and implementation of outreach strategies. We also contribute to the execution of Fast Response Projects that provide analysis of education issues to help policymakers and practitioners base their decisions on scientific evidence. ICF also takes part in the rigorous studies that examine the effects of proposed policies, programs, or practices on academic achievement and related high-priority needs of the region. The studies have used experimental, randomized control trial designs, and collectively employ an array of research methods. |
