Research and Evaluation
The Research and Evaluation Division works extensively with state and local agencies to design evaluations, identify outcome measures, and conduct evaluations of innovative family centered programs and other health and human services related programs and projects. The Center has conducted many studies of national and regional significance. Center researchers use both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to build evaluations that provide measurable results and an understanding of program philosophy and process. Current NRC projects are listed below and completed work may be accessed on the toolbar at right.
In Summer 2006 the work of the Iowa Center for Evaluation Research with links to the College of Public Health [click here] was located within the National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice. To go to descriptions of the projects of the Iowa Center for Evaluation Research, [click here].
Current Projects
Improving
Recruitment and Retention in Public Child Welfare [read
more]
This is a five-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Childrens Bureau. The project created supervisory
training and supervisor/worker team-building training to all public child
welfare employees in the state of Iowa. (2003-2008)
Improving
Outcomes for Youth in Transition
This is a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Childrens Bureau. The project is a training program
for public child welfare supervisors to improve outcomes for older youth
in transition from foster care to independent living. (2006-2009).
DMC
Resource Center & Minority Youth and Families Initiative [read
more]
Nationally, minority juveniles in secure detention are greatly over-represented compared to their proportion in the general population. In Iowa, a third of youth held in juvenile detention facilities are minority even though they make up only eight percent of the state's youth population. The DMC Resource Center works statewide with communities to address issues related to the high rate of minority confinement and contact, including community involvement, developing local youth programs, and assisting in the collection and analysis of DMC related data. In 2004 the DMC Resource Center also began work on over-representation in the child welfare system. For more information see the MYFI section of the DMC Resource Center. (2002-2006)
Clinton Community School District (CCSD) Elementary School Counselor Program
This is a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support development of a Systems of Care Network within the Clinton Community School District in Eastern Iowa. The project is designed to meet the needs of all elementary students and their families along a continuum of need. Four targeted elementary schools are offering enhanced developmentally-appropriate and culturally-sensitive services through a solution-focused counseling program, teacher training and other capacity building initiatives. The NRCFCPconducted the evaluation of the project and is worked with project staff to improve services. [Click here] for a recent presentation of the project or [click here] for a recent report from focus groups conducted with parents, students and school staff. (2004-2007)
Evaluation
of Abstinence Only Education in Iowa [2007
Report]
This project of the Iowa Department of Health, funded through the federal
510 Abstinence Education program, is implementing five education pilots
demonstrating the use of abstinence education to prevent adolescent pregnancy.
(2003-2007) [Previous reports can be found at: Recently
Completed Projects;
and recent reports are available here: 2006 Report 2005 Report 2004 Final Report or 2004 Executive Summary.
Evaluation of Iowa's Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Programs (2007 Report)
This statewide evaluation includes prevention, intervention and community programs addressing reduction of teen pregnancy. The NRC has been evaluating these programs since 1997. The previous year evaluation (2006) is available by clicking on 2006 Report (click here for the 2006 Executive Summary); for previous reports see below:
[2004
Full Report] or[2004 Executive
Summary]
[2003 Report]
Iowa Compassion Capital Fund Demonstration Project (2007 Report)
The Iowa Compassion Capital
Fund Demonstration project was intended to build the capacity of Iowa
faith-based organizations (FBOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs)
seeking to better serve Iowans in need. The project is a part of a federal
initiative in response to an executive order from the President of the
United States to strengthen the capacity of FBOs/CBOs (FBCOs) in order
to better address the needs of America’s local communities. The
program evaluation focused on the extent to which the project:
• Enhanced and expanded the knowledge base of Iowa’s small,
grassroots FBCOs;
• Provided sub-grant awards to FBCOs through an open competitive
RFP;
• Provided a system of training and technical assistance (T/TA)
in the areas of leadership development, organizational development, programs
and services, funding, and community engagement
• Encouraged and facilitated replication with developing grassroots
FBCOs; and
Evaluation
of Strengthening Communities - Youth
Four out of every 5 youth (ages12-18) in our nation
with a drug or alcohol problem are not receiving treatment. The SCY Project
is intended to address this unmet need. The evaluation is part of the
Institute for Strengthening Communities
and includes a web-based MIS with a host of on-line family assessments
(e.g., FACES, Issues Checklist) which is coordinated with assessments
using the Global Assessment of Individual Needs (GAIN). High rates of
recruitment and retention have also been achieved (click
here for draft R & R Manual). An ongoing assessment of local community
collaboration through network analyses of local agencies designed to facilitate
a strengthened community systems of care for identification, screening
and assessment, referral and treatment of youth is integrated into the
project. To view a recent presentation on the project at the Joint Meeting
on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness in Washington, DC, click
here (2002-2007)
Evaluation of the Broward County Family Success Center Family Dev. Program
The focus of the evaluation was to document processes and measure effectiveness of the family development model as it has been implemented in Broward County Florida. The outcomes of strategies employed by staff and families, the process by which outcomes were achieved and understanding of how the model has worked, where it may be refined, and what lessons have been learned that can inform replication in other Centers is provided in the report. A second focus of the evaluation was to measure and make recommendations for improving community collaboration to reduce fragmentation and foster a more coordinated, comprehensive service delivery system enhancing program effectiveness. [Final Report].
Evaluation
of Community Decision-Making for Permanency
Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the State
of Iowa Court Improvement Project is conducting a demonstration project
in six communities around the state. The project is working with these
communities to facilitate a decision-making process to select and implement
alternative dispute resolution in child welfare cases. NRC is conducting
an independent process and outcome evaluation. (2001-2004)
Evaluation
of Lean on Me
Funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this
project of the Community Corrections Improvement Association of Linn County
is conducting a peer mentoring program to address high risk behaviors
among middle school-aged youth. NRC is conducting an independent evaluation
of this project. (2002-2004)
Evaluation
of Iowa CareGivers Association's Certified Nurse Assistant Mentor Training
Project [2002 Report]
This evaluation examines the effectiveness of the Iowa CareGivers Association
CNA Mentoring Program specifically as a means of worker retention. NRC
is conducting an independent evaluation of this project. (2002-2004)
Social
Network Analysis of the Scott County (IA) DMC (Disproportionate Minority
Contact) Network
This project provides a look at the relationships between the agencies
that make up the Scott County DMC Provider Network and how they change
over time. These activities are part of the technical assistance
offered through the NRC as the DMC Resource Center in Iowa. (2003-2004)
For more information on Research
& Evaluation contact:
Brad Richardson, Research Director
Research Scientist & Adj. Assoc. Professor
(319) 335-4924
brad-richardson@uiowa.edu
or
Kellee Thorburn McCrory, MPH,
Iowa Center for Evaluation Research
National Resource Center for Family Centered Practice
University of Iowa School of Social Work
100 Oakdale Campus #W206
Iowa City, IA 52242-5000
