K-12 Evaluation

First Nations MESA

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CWD worked with Washington Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) to conduct an evaluation for a capacity-building grant for First Nations MESA in order to: (1) assist First Nations MESA in developing a best practices model that can be exported to other Native communities across the state of Washington; (2) assess the need for culture-based science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curriculum in the local schools; and (3) provide recommendations for local expansion. Evaluation activities included conducting a) pre-evaluation focus groups with stakeholders (completed Fall 2008), b) observations of selected First Nations MESA activities (2008-2009), and c) a second stakeholder analysis (Fall 2009) to measure outcomes.

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Strategic Education Centers (SEC)

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Funded by the Gates Foundation, Strategic Education Centers aim to empower youth in Swaziland by providing health education, student exchange opportunities, and technology and academic training. In addition to the prevention of HIV/AIDS, which is widespread in Swaziland, SEC aims to give adolescent boys and girls the knowledge to pursue higher education in technological fields, and subsequent employment in thriving fields. Originally intended for girls, the program will soon be expanded to include boys.

CWD, in conjunction with the UW Center for Health Research and Education (CHER), monitored and evaluated the success of each cohort of students participating in the SEC program. CWD’s formative evaluation constituted an improvement of SEC’s previous monitoring and evaluation techniques, and allowed SEC to document the changes in student behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention.

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