This week happens to be the 2021 HBCU Conference Week and we are glad to be making this short announcement. Our education research and evaluation work with HBCUs spans over 14 years when we first teamed up with national-level experts and education consultants to assess the network of UNCF-supported colleges and universities in 2007-2009 which was funded by the Mellon Foundation (GA). What a fantastic learning experience! Since then, we have continued to partner, collaborate, and contribute …
News and Updates
Wait, (But) This Grant Also Needs an Evaluation and An Evaluator!?
Wait, (but) this grant also needs an evaluation and an evaluator!? What do we do? Where can we find one? The grant is due soon! (Kind note to organizations, colleges, universities, and evaluators too--please do check with the contracting officer(s) at your institution before engaging with an evaluator and be sure to follow rules/regulations on any bidding out for evaluation services, if needed.) Well, I am quite certain that most of the evaluators at least once in their lifetime were …
Who Reads All These Reports Anyway?
Once a well-meaning friend asked, "Who really reads all these reports that you write?" I replied (nicely), "Well, we don't decide on who will read our reports. We write them to tell a good story behind the graphs, data/numbers, and facts. But, you never know who may pick those reports to read." It so happened that one of our evaluation reports on Homeless Students Education reached the desk of a state official at the Maryland State House a few years ago. So, the short answer is, "You …
MNA To Evaluate George Mason University’s Newly-Funded Noyce Grant
MNA is looking forward to collaborating as the grant evaluator on another NSF-funded Noyce grant with the illustrious STEM education team at George Mason University—Kavita's alma mater! This 5-year Track 1 NSF-funded Noyce grant teacher preparation program proposal aims to increase the number of Mason and Virginia Community College System(VCCS) students who choose STEM secondary teaching careers. The project, "Supporting, Mentoring, and Retaining New STEM Secondary Educators Through …
Can You Write?
Can you write? During my first job interview in the US in 2000, one of the questions I was asked was if I could write a report. (I had just completed a masters degree in Sociology from a US university). In my second and other job interviews, I was asked if I could write a report. (I was in a PhD program in the Education department with a major in research design). In 2004, I opened a research & evaluation company. A few of my clients asked if I could write a report. Yes, I can …
MNA To Present At The NSF-funded STEM Context Matters Conference Hosted by Morgan State University on June 3-4
Morgan State University (Baltimore, MD) is hosting a 2-day free NSF-funded STEM Context Matters virtual conference on June 3-4 / 10 EDT that focuses on supporting Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) faculty in Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE), and STEM education to leverage their expertise to create competitive proposals to the NSF SBE directorate. Program details and registration link are here: https://lnkd.in/dvQ2Mkf On June 4 at 12.30 ET, Kavita will present on the …
MNA goes to University of the Virgin Islands!
MNA is beginning new evaluation work for University of the Virgin Island's newly-funded NASA-MIRO grant. MIRO was established to strengthen and develop the research capacity and infrastructure of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in the areas of strategic importance and value to NASA’s mission and national priorities. The MIRO awards aim to promote STEM literacy and to enhance and sustain the capability of institutions to perform NASA-related research and education, which directly supports …
Mesa Community College (AZ) Contracts With MNA To Evaluate Their USDE-funded Title V Grant
Mesa Community College (MCC) in Arizona has a strong commitment to dismantling structural barriers to equity on campus by investing in equity focused policies, practices, and behaviors that work to support all students and employees. A key element of MCC's Strategic Plan is that the college is an agent for diversity, equity, and inclusion. The purpose of the DEI Strategic Direction is to provide the College with a framework for moving DEI forward in a way that is collaborative, intentional, …
MNA (Finally) Goes To California! Well, Not Yet….But Soon, Perhaps?
We are glad to announce that we will be working with Madera Community College in Fresno, CA as their program evaluators for the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant from the National Science Foundation. The 2+2+2 pathways project titled, Developing Post-Secondary Education and Career Pathways in Agriculture Business and Technology for Under-Represented Minority Student Populations, aims to develop, strengthen, and enhance the pipeline for post-secondary education and career pathways …
Persistence Pays! Thrilled to Partner with Education Development Center and University of Massachusetts, Boston on a new Track 4 Noyce Grant!
We are super stoked to start new evaluation work with the Education Development Center (EDC) and University of Massachusetts, Boston (UMB) together with partners from nine additional Noyce-funded programs across the country on a Track 4 (research) grant from the National Science Foundation. EDC and UMB's proposed research will investigate how these Noyce programs prepare scholars to be science and mathematics teachers in high-needs schools, and the relationship between alumni’s preparation …