Impact Evaluation for the Palm Beach County Quality Improvement System 

July 1, 2019
Charles Smith and Stephen Peck

We sought to answer two specific questions about implementation and children’s SEL skill growth: What is the impact of QIS exposure on program quality (i.e., best practices, low staff turnover, great content), particularly for programs that have lower program quality at baseline? What is the impact of exposure to high program quality on student SEL skills?

The Multilevel Person in Context ~ neuroperson (MPCn) Model

October 26, 2019
Charles Smith, Ph.D., Stephen Peck, Ph.D., and Lucy Smith

The multilevel person-in-context model of youth development programs facilitates thinking about how the SEL skills being developed at the point of service (POS) are both (a) embedded within the wider context of policy decisions, family background, and out-of-school time (OST) program quality and (b) related subsequently to shorter-term youth outcomes (e.g., SEL skill growth) and longer-term youth achievements (e.g., graduation and employment).

Promoting Healthy Development of Young People: Outcomes Framework 2.0

October 23, 2019
Charles Smith, Ph.D., Stephen Peck, Ph.D., and Bethia McNeil, The Centre for Youth Impact

In the summer of 2018, the Local Government Association (LGA) in England commissioned the Centre for Youth Impact to produce an outcomes framework to help partners across the English youth sector to develop and agree on mutual aims to support young people in their local areas. The work was in response to LGA’s consultations that led to its vision statement described in the report, Bright Futures: Our Vision for Youth Services, published at the end of 2017.

Measure Once, Cut Twice: Using Data For Continuous and Impact Evaluation in Education Programs

April 9, 2019
Charles Smith, Ph.D., Stephen Peck, Ph.D., Leanne Roy, and Lucy Smith

This paper describes a generic quality-outcomes design (Q-O design) that meets the need for performance measurement methodology for concurrent and integrated impact evaluation and continuous improvement in the same organization; that is, measure once, cut twice.