To have a systemic impact on education, EOT-PACI must concentrate finite resources on programs with the greatest potential to serve national audiences. This effort is most appropriately guided by an understanding of program results. In this vein, the Evaluation team projects of EOT-PACI touch the future by leading the assessment of whether the activities we engage in today will have the outcome we hope for tomorrow. The projects, programs, and activities of EOT-PACI touch on many pressing problems and needs in education today. And yet, how can we be certain that the activities we support are the most suited to produce their desired outcome? How can we be sure they have the potential to grow and serve broader populations than those initially or immediately involved with the program? An EOT-PACI Evaluation team was created to focus solely on these questions through ongoing systematic evaluation of the organization's affiliated projects and programs. The team is composed of experts in evaluation methods, as well as others who focus on strategic policy guidance for the national education community. This mix of expertise complements EOT-PACI's mission to impart systemic change within education. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the programs supported by the organization reveals whether desired outcomes are being achieved, and catalogues the elements of these programs that engender success. Knowing the components of a program that bring about successful outcomes helps the EOT-PACI leadership determine projects that can be disseminated to other locations--including PACI partner sites--around the country, furthering the scope of their impact. This type of data is also important to educational policy development at the national level as tenets that give rise to success are incorporated into education grant guidelines and review criteria. |
LEAD Center Evaluations Help Programs Reach National Audiences |