The Value of Baseline Data: Setting Up for Success
You launch a new program. Teachers are trained. Students log in. Implementation looks strong. Six months later, outcomes are pretty good. Most students are above the benchmark. It feels like success. Then someone asks, “What were students’ starting points?” That question is where rigorous education program evaluation begins. Baseline data is the foundation that determines […]
Understanding Control Groups in Education: What You Need to Know
You review the report and feel cautiously optimistic. Scores are up. Attendance looks better. Behavioral incidents are trending down. By every surface-level indicator, the program seems to be working. Then someone asks an important, unavoidable question: “How do we know this wouldn’t have happened anyway?” That question is why control groups exist. And it’s why […]
Beyond the Glow: 3 Reasons to Question Vendor-Provided Impact Reports
By the time renewal season rolls around, the decision is rarely a clean academic question. It’s a district leader staring at competing realities and trying to make a choice that will hold up under scrutiny. On one screen, there’s a vendor slide deck. Crisp design. Strong headlines. Clean charts that climb politely upward. A testimonial […]
The 4-Step Playbook for Getting School Districts to Say “Yes” to Your Data Request
Whether you’re in EdTech or a nonprofit leader, chances are you’ve struggled to get a solid “yes” on your data request. You decide to do evidence the serious way by getting a real education program evaluation that can hold up in a superintendent’s office, a school board meeting, or a grant review panel. You draft […]
How Nonprofits Can Prove Their Program’s Worth (Without Burning Out Their Team)
You know your program changes lives. You see it in the way a sixth grader finally raises her hand, the counselor who says a student hasn’t missed a session in weeks, the teacher who quietly thanks your staff after dismissal. But when it’s time to prove it to a district partner, a funder, or your […]
Why an RCT Is an Expensive Way to Get Your Feelings Hurt
The product looks like it’s working. Usage is strong. Teachers are logging in. Students are engaging. The anecdotes are plentiful and sincere. A principal shares a story about a student who finally turned a corner. A district leader mentions fewer complaints this year. A nonprofit sees early indicators moving in the right direction. Then comes […]
Introduction to Quasi-Experimental Designs in K–12 Evaluation
By the time the renewal conversation happens, the decision is rarely theoretical. A Director of Curriculum has a vendor deck open on one screen and a district outcomes dashboard on the other. The vendor slides are crisp: implementation milestones, usage growth, success stories, a quote or two that sounds ready for a conference stage. The […]
From Efficacy to Effectiveness: Unlocking Real-World Insights with Intent-to-Treat Analysis in Education
By mid-year, the conference table usually tells the truth. Benchmark reports are stacked in front of the Director of Curriculum. A principal has a spreadsheet open with school-level data. Someone scrolls through an EdTech usage dashboard that looks reassuringly green. Attendance and behavior data sit in another tab, waiting their turn. Everyone around the table […]
The Basics of a Logic Model (And Why It’s Crucial for Proving Impact Fast)
By 4:30 p.m., the conference table is telling the truth again. There are coffee rings, a couple of laptops hanging on at 12%, and three different vendor decks open to three different slides that all say some version of “proven impact.” The curriculum team is thinking about what students actually need. The finance team is […]
When the Data Doesn’t Tell the Story: 5 Pitfalls School Systems and EdTechs Meet in Impact Evaluation (and How to Avoid Them)
By 4:30 p.m., the conference table tells the story of another long day: coffee rings, half-scribbled notes, and a stack of vendor decks claiming “proven impact.” The superintendent wants data for the board packet. The finance chief asks what will justify renewal. Instructional leaders scan spreadsheets, trying to connect logins to learning. Everyone agrees that […]