MenloEDU Evaluation Group
What is the MenloEDU approach to evaluation?
At MenloEDU, we have a unique perspective on evaluation research in education that guides our work. Our approach to evaluation is inclusive and systems oriented, reflecting the core values and mission at MenloEDU.
Inclusive evaluation
We work in partnership with key stakeholders – including district staff, school administrators, teachers, students, families, and communities – to conduct evaluation work that aligns with stakeholder priorities and interests.
Systems-oriented evaluation
We attend closely to the context within which a particular innovation is being designed and implemented and the ways in which that context shapes implementation, adaptation, and outcomes.
We employ a variety of case-specific, agile strategies, such as rapid inquiry cycles, to generate timely and actionable insights that can be used to iteratively refine the innovation’s design and implementation.
Equitable, meaningful, and impactful evaluation.
We are committed to this combination of approaches because they lay the groundwork for truly equitable, meaningful, and impactful evaluation. Through partnership, our work elevates the voices of historically marginalized communities and centers questions that are most pivotal to the communities we are working to serve. Partnership also provides a mechanism through which our evaluation work supports learning – for districts, teachers, and communities; for us as researchers committed to advancing educational equity; and for the field. The combination of systems-driven implementation research plus rapid-cycle inquiry enables findings that support concrete improvement opportunities for the target interventions. Crucially, this combination of strategies also enables evaluation insights that go beyond a specific intervention in a specific location to also provide lessons for the field about the interaction between context and content, informing scaling efforts.
What do MenloEDU evaluation projects look like in practice?
Our evaluation work to date has reflected these commitments and approaches. For example, our formative evaluation of Illustrative Mathematics at Leadership Public Schools was co-designed with classroom teachers and LPS leadership and used rapid inquiry cycles to guide teacher implementation of student-centered routines supporting productive student mindsets in mathematics. Our partnership with the Center for Measurement Justice is a formative evaluation of the Center’s activities to enable systemic transformation toward development and implementation of anti-racist assessments. This project relies on collecting evidence across the educational assessment and measurement ‘system’ and documents the extent to which a range of stakeholders, specifically Black, Brown, and Indigenous stakeholders are supported by and integrated into Center activities.
Our partners value formative evaluations that inform their continuous improvement efforts. They share our commitment to involving a diversity of stakeholders throughout the evaluation process, knowing that these voices are essential for a successful evaluation. These partnerships can take a variety of forms, from full co-design to a more consultative role for various stakeholders. In either case, however, our partners support their team’s contributions to evaluation efforts, particularly around identifying the focus and goals of the evaluation and participating in interpretation and sense-making around the results.
Who do we partner with?
Contact the Evaluation Group
If you’re interested in learning more about our approach to evaluation, we would love to connect!
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