What We Do
PERG Learning provides evaluation services in support of quality educational programs in formal and informal settings. We have worked with hundreds of organizations on projects in STEM, arts integration, museums, and higher education. PERG’s projects range in scale, from small developmental projects to national and international partnerships, with funding from federal and state agencies and foundations. We strive to tell the story of your program, using both numbers and narrative that answers questions about how, why and to what degree a program is successful.
Evaluation
PERG Learning approaches projects through collaboration, taking time to listen to project leaders’ goals, be curious about the experiences of all stakeholders from funders to participants, and serve as a critical friend who provides useful and constructive feedback and recommendations based on data.
We are best known for our formative work that seeks to understand what is happening as a program unfolds, gathering perspectives of all involved to answer relevant questions about the project. This supports the refinement of project design and implementation and leads toward strong outcomes.
We see the process of evaluation as a process of learning not just about what happens, but why and how things work– or don’t. This is what keeps our work so deeply interesting, and what benefits our clients and partners in understanding and fine-tuning their own work with learners toward equitable access, experiences and outcomes.
Getting Started
Ideally, we start working with the project team as they design their program and develop a proposal. We will hear about your vision, review existing documents, and help articulate desired outcomes.
From this, we develop an evaluation plan that is customized to the program goals, budget, and requirements of the funder. Being involved from the beginning allows us to get started right away when the project is funded. We are always available to discuss proposals, and do not bill clients unless the project is funded.
Crafting an Evaluation Plan
The heart of the evaluation plan is the logic model – a map of what your program will accomplish and how. We will collaborate with the team to draft a logic model, and then use it as the basis for fleshing out the evaluation plan. It also helps guide the proposal to ensure its coherence.
The evaluation plan specifies evaluation questions (such as “How do participants describe their identity as scientists?”) and evaluation activities that answer the questions (such as interviews or focus groups with participants at the program site). We use a matrix to link questions and data sources to ensure validity and reliability. The evaluation plan may be refined over time to fit evolving program needs. Most evaluation plans include an annual evaluation report, as well as formative feedback along the way.
Creating Evaluation Systems
Some of our work involves existing programs that are at a developmental point at which they are ready to regularly assess their progress and outcomes.
We can work with your organization to help staff articulate and/or refine desired program outcomes and design data collection tools for ongoing use. We can then provide guidance around making sense of the data collected and identifying data-informed changes to the program that could improve future outcomes.
Additional Services
In addition to serving as the external evaluator to a project, PERG offers its expertise to organizations and programs on an as-needed basis as well. PERG can consult to:
- Guide you through the logic model and goal setting process,
- Design data collection instruments aligned with your program needs,
- Conduct interviews and focus groups with stakeholders,
- Design and implement surveys,