scholarly journals Lessons from a Federal Grant for School Diversity: Tracing a Theory of Change and Implementation of Local Policies

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth DeBray ◽  
Kathryn McDermott ◽  
Erica Frankenberg ◽  
Ann Elizabeth Blankenship
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Supreme Court Decision ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Theory Of Change ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Federal Grant ◽  
School Diversity ◽  
City Schools ◽  
The U.S

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education made grants to eleven school districts under the Technical Assistance for Student Assignment Plans (TASAP) program. The impetus for the program came from the Council of Great City Schools, which was concerned that school districts would respond to a recent Supreme Court decision by dismantling policies with integrative aims. We analyze the design of the TASAP program, its implementation by the USED, and how the grantee districts used the funds, and find that TASAP’s effects were mixed. Five districts represented examples of “successful” implementation, using the grant funds in ways that prioritized diversity. Six demonstrated “subverted” implementation, using funds in ways that met local needs but moved away from the diversity goal.

scholarly journals Overview of PROMISE

2020 ◽  
pp. 216514342098045
Author(s):  
David E. Emenheiser ◽  
Corinne Weidenthal ◽  
Selete Avoke ◽  
Marlene Simon-Burroughs
Keyword(s):  
Career Development ◽  
Social Security ◽  
Human Services ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Social Security Administration ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Health And Human Services ◽  
The Social ◽  
The U.S

Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE), a study of 13,444 randomly assigned youth and their families, includes six model demonstration projects and a technical assistance center funded through the U.S. Department of Education and a national evaluation of the model demonstration projects funded through the Social Security Administration. The Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services and the Executive Office of the President partnered with the Department of Education and Social Security Administration to develop and monitor the PROMISE initiative. This article provides an overview of PROMISE as the introduction to this special issue of Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals.

Challenges and Solutions in Evaluation Technical Assistance During Design and Early Implementation

2020 ◽  
pp. 0193841X2091152
Author(s):  
Andrew Gothro ◽  
Elías S. Hanno ◽  
M. C. Bradley
Keyword(s):  
Human Services ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Federal Grant ◽  
Health And Human Services ◽  
Grant Programs ◽  
Early Implementation ◽  
Disconnected Youth ◽  
Youth And Young Adults ◽  
Youth At Risk ◽  
The U.S

This case study discusses two federal grant initiatives and the evaluation technical assistance (ETA) provided to the grantees. One program is a multiphase program funded by the Children’s Bureau (CB) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. The program funded communities interested in preventing homelessness among youth and young adults with child welfare histories. The funder, grantees, and ETA provider call it Youth At-Risk of Homelessness (YARH). Six federal agencies—the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services—supported the second initiative known as Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3). We discuss the programs together as they share common features including a focus on building evidence, a focus on disconnected youth, use of liaisons to work with grantees who are developing interventions and planning or conducting evaluations at the same time, and having the same liaisons provide ETA to both the grantee/service providing group and the local evaluator. The article discusses (1) the grant programs, (2) details about ETA including its funding and provision, (3) details about the success and utilization of ETA, (4) benefits of ETA, and (5) balancing program or initiative requirements and evaluation needs and concludes with (6) thoughts on how to make ETA successful.

The Fairy Godmother—and Her Warts

2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol H. Weiss ◽  
Erin Murphy-Graham ◽  
Anthony Petrosino ◽  
Allison G. Gandhi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Department Of Education ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Professional Judgment ◽  
Drug Abuse Prevention ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
The U.S

Evaluators sometimes wish for a Fairy Godmother who would make decision makers pay attention to evaluation findings when choosing programs to implement. The U.S. Department of Education came close to creating such a Fairy Godmother when it required school districts to choose drug abuse prevention programs only if their effectiveness was supported by “scientific” evidence. The experience showed advantages of such a procedure (e.g., reduction in support for D.A.R.E., which evaluation had found wanting) but also shortcomings (limited and in some cases questionable evaluation evidence in support of other programs). Federal procedures for identifying successful programs appeared biased. In addition, the Fairy Godmother discounted the professional judgment of local educators and did little to improve the fit of programs to local conditions. Nevertheless, giving evaluation more clout is a worthwhile way to increase the rationality of decision making. The authors recommend research on procedures used by other agencies to achieve similar aims.

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