[Future Evaluation Questions]
[References]
Chapter 9
We began this discussion by summarizing the major research questions this national evaluation sought to address. The evaluation has been better able to address the first two general research questions (one about who Even Start serves and the services provided, and two, about the resources used to support the program) than it has been able to address the latter two questions (about the impact on participants and the elements of effective programs and practices). We hope that the lessons learned from this evaluation prove useful for the next round of Even Start programs and for the next round of the national evaluation.
It is already clear that the third national evaluation of Even Start is taking steps to address some of the issues raised here. The Even Start Performance Information Reporting System (ESPIRS), the revised evaluation data management system, reflects continued refinements and modifications made as a result of what we have learned from previous evaluation studies. The plan to use national evaluation contractor staff to collect systematic data from a subset of projects in an Experimental Study will alleviate issues of data quality, and the expansion of progress indicators included both in the Experimental Study and the ESPIRS will hopefully allow for a better fit between exposure to Even Start and assessment of progress.
The complexity of the program is better understood now than several years ago, as a result of increased conversations among federal, state, and local officials about the program, on one hand, and federal efforts to examine how Even Start operates through a variety of methodological approaches, on the other hand. The increasing knowledge about the program allows ongoing research efforts to focus more sharply than before on issues of impact and on providing more feedback to the local projects and state coordinators. The convergence of information from multiple studies at various program levels holds promise for a greater understanding of the Even Start program effects and thus enhancing program outcomes.
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[Future Evaluation Questions] | |
[References] |