In an era of fiscal responsibility and accountability, community-based early childhood, education, and family support  programs are coming under increased scrutiny to demonstrate effectiveness.  The Department of Education and Child Development serves as a statewide and regional resource to support community programs by providing a range of  research and evaluation services.  The program evaluation has strengthened community-based education, health and family support programs through a high quality process of evaluation and program improvement that maximized impact  on individuals, families, and organizations.

Available Services:

• Consultation on Research or Evaluation Design
• Development & Implementation of Evaluation Projects
• Implementation of  Community Needs Assessments
• Identification or development of tools
• Development of data management systems

Areas of Expertise: [Sample of current and post evaluation contracts]

• Director: Barbara Jackson, PhD, Developmental Psychology
• Developer and evaluator for Nebraska TIPS, a statewide developmental follow-up outcomes research project for NICU graduates.
• Statewide evaluator for Early Childhood Grant Programs, http://www.nde.state.ne.us/ech/ECGrantProg.htm, a program designed to assist in the implementation of comprehensive center-based early childhood programs intended to support the learning and development of children in the birth to kindergarten age range.
• Statewide evaluator for the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, http://www.pcanebraska.org/, a foundation that funds services that help children and families reach their full potential.
• Primary Investigator for the Nebraska Literacy and Language Connections, a statewide early childhood literacy professional development training research project, US Dept or Education Grant.
• Completed the Nebraska Developmental Disabilities Needs Assessment process in 2006.
• Statewide and local evaluator for Even Start Family Literacy Programs.

• Coordinator/Evaluator: Bob Pawloski, EdD, Educational Administration
• Served as lead evaluator for Nebraska Catalyst Project, a US Department of Education grantee in the Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology Program. 
• Served on evaluation team for two Nebraska grantees in US Department of Education's Technology Challenge Innovation Grants Program.
• Evaluates two Nebraska 21st Century Community Learning Center After-School Programs.
• Evaluates US Department of Education Teaching American History grant programs for Nebraska Educational Service Unit #2.
• Coordinates evaluation study for South Omaha Community Learning Collaborative, a project of the Compassion Capital Fund / Communities Empowering Youth Program.

• Evaluator: Lisa St. Clair, EdD, Educational Administration
• Statewide evaluator for Nebraska’s 21^st Century Community Learning Centers for the Nebraska Department of Education, http://www.nde.state.ne.us/21stcclc/Index.htm, a program serving Nebraska students ranging from kindergarten through 12^th grade.
• Evaluation of early childhood through 12^th grade education projects.
• Evaluator for the Educare Center of Omaha, http://educareomaha.com/index.asp, a state-of-the-art early childhood center that provides all-day, year-round care and education for economically disadvantaged children from birth to age five, and a member of the BOUNCE Network (Buffett Foundation and the Ounce of Prevention) and participating in the national Educare evaluation project.
• Evaluates Nebraska Department of Education projects including:  Early Childhood Education Grant Program and Even Start Family Literacy Program.