Past and Current Projects
55k Degrees
Achieving a More Educated City
55,000 Degrees is a public-private partnership started in 2010 to add 40,000 bachelor’s degrees and 15,000 associate’s degrees to the greater Louisville area by 2020. HEI was asked to produce a report on the communal learning in Louisville during the project’s 10-year span. Through mixed-method data collection and analysis, we documented not only the increase in degree holders (up 8%) but also other ways the project supported postsecondary degree attainment in the area.
Brookdale Community College
CTE Certificate of Eligibility, Educator Preparation Program
HEI investigated the quality and effectiveness of BCC’s teacher education models by employing a concurrent triangulation design (using both quantitative and qualitative approaches). We assessed the program quality, operations, functionality, and teacher retention of the program models, noting efficacy outcomes associated with each one. The final report described the results and offered recommendations to support programmatic improvement and inform program efficacy.
College of Southen Maryland
NSF ATE Cybersecurity Workforce: Bridging the Gap Program Evaluation
The College of Southern Maryland’s “Cybersecurity Workforce: Bridging the Gap” sought to grow the cybersecurity workforce talent pipeline and to help meet the cybersecurity workforce gap in the Southern Maryland and Washington, DC metropolitan regions. CSM’s goal was to develop an Information Assurance track in its Cybersecurity A.A.S. degree program, as well as advance understanding of student success, transfer academic/career pathways, and degree attainment for underrepresented students within the cybersecurity profession. HEI applied a comprehensive qualitative evaluation with a case study approach to collect yearly data on program implementation.
Columbus State Community College
Reach for the Cloud: Building an Industry-Aligned Pathway to Careers in Cloud Computing
The goal of CSCC’s NSF Advanced Technical Education project was to establish an industry-aligned pathway (e.g., high school to college or military to college) to increase the supply of qualified technicians with proficiency in cloud technology in response to growing industry demand. The evaluation conducted by HEI monitored progress toward a strategic, industry-aligned 2-year degree path in cloud computing.
Connecticut State Community College
NAMAP Evaluation
Connecticut State Community College (CT State) was awarded an $8-million-dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Training Administration (DOL/ETA) for National Advanced Manufacturing Apprenticeship Project (NAMAP). Through NAMAP, CT State promoted apprenticeship programs that support the advanced manufacturing sector. HEI evaluated CT State’s efforts to a) support anchor employers in sustaining and expanding existing apprenticeship efforts; b) scale-up apprenticeship programs at anchor employers and smaller manufactures; and c) facilitate the development of evidence-based apprenticeship training models.
Connecticut State Community College
CT Ship Program Evaluation
Connecticut State Community College (CT State) was granted DOL funds for the Connecticut Statewide Healthcare Industry Pathways Project (CT SHIP). This multi-year initiative is designed to build an integrated, flexible career pathway system driven by industry sector partnerships and featuring work-based learning and accelerated training. HEI’s evaluation aims to inform program implementation, evaluate student outcomes, assess institutional capacity building, and identify successful strategies to scale across all 12 Connecticut community colleges.
Frederick Community College (FCC)
Evaluation of FCC’s STEM Scholars Program
Using an NSF S-STEM grant (1833667), FCC’s goal was to help low-income students develop and complete appropriate STEM-related academic and career pathways through mentorship, cohort-based activities, and funds aimed towards reducing working hours. HEI partnered with FCC to evaluate the program’s implementation and attainment of desired student outcomes. Data was collected after each year of the five-year grant, with data summarized in formative reports after Years 1-4 and in a final summative report at the end of Year 5.
Hope Chicago
Learning and Developmental Evaluation
Hope Chicago is a nonprofit dedicated to providing debt-free education to graduates of Chicago’s Public Schools. Started in 2021, Hope Chicago partnered with HEI to create and implement an evaluation to assess program progress. In Phase 1, we worked with Hope Chicago to create a theory of change, identify desired outcomes, and design a program evaluation. In Phase 2, we implemented the evaluation, with findings and recommendations summarized in papers and presentations.
Rider University
Evaluation of the STEM-Ed NSF Noyce Project
Rider’s “STEM-Ed: A Grow-Your-Own Pipeline Program for Pre-Service Underrepresented High School Science Teachers” was designed to recruit, prepare, and retain STEM students in teaching careers in high-need urban school districts. HEI used a mixed-method approach to assess the project’s implementation and impact, culminating in summary reports, recommendations, and contributions to the body of research relating to teacher preparation, specifically in STEM.
Spartanburg Academic Movement
Strategic Consulting
SAM is a nonprofit partnership of education, business, government, foundation, community, and faith leaders pursuing high levels of academic success for the children in the community. HEI partnered with SAM on its 40/30 Challenge: to double bachelor degree attainment in Spartanburg County by 2030. HEI helped SAM form a Postsecondary Education task force and facilitated a Postsecondary Attainment Retreat. HEI also wrote and designed a report based on task force feedback, community engagement sessions, and stakeholder input. SAM now has a collective action plan to improve educational attainment across the County.
The Steve Fund
EMHC Program Evaluation
The Stephen C. Rose Legacy Fund (The Steve Fund) is the nation’s leading organization focused on supporting the mental health and emotional well-being of students of color. The Steve Fund’s Equity in Mental Health on Campus (EMHC) initiative provides structure and support for leadership teams from participating institutions who develop, implement, and refine campus efforts to better support the mental health and emotional well-being of students of color to ensure their academic and career success. HEI has partnered with the Steve Fund to examine the progress made by EMHC teams in promoting institutional change around equity in mental health. The evaluation also assesses the effectiveness of the activities and supports offered to campus teams by the Steve Fund as part of this initiative.
University of Maryland College of Education
Market Research for Program Innovation Planning
To inform its goal of “creating innovative instruction programs,” the University of Maryland College of Education partnered with HEI to conduct a market analysis with respect to opportunities in two areas: Special Education and Teacher Education. We created research questions, gathered data related to supply and demand, and collected information on other teacher training programs in Maryland. We provided monthly updates as well as a final report with all data and analyses.
Valencia College
Lake Nona Campus NSF ATE Improving the Biotechnology Internship Experience to Better Prepare Student Technicians for the Modern Workforce
In this NSF ATE project, VC-LNC worked with industry and high school partners to better prepare students for successful entry into the Biotechnology workforce as laboratory technicians. HEI evaluated to what extent VC-LNC met their four objectives: a) increase internship opportunities, b) improve the internship experience for biotechnology students c) amplify biotechnology essential skills training, and d) expand the Biotechnology Community.
Virginia Community College System (VCCS)
Evaluation of the Mellon Foundation Grant
VCCS partnered with two other community colleges and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to implement the Guided Pathways to Arts and Humanities program. It was designed to promote the transfer of community college arts and humanities students to VCU through reducing barriers to transfer, increasing student preparedness for bachelor’s programs, and increasing baccalaureate attainment prior to transfer. HEI used a mixed methods study to assess the degree to which VCCS’s program implementation and nascent intended impacts on the three participating colleges and student populations were achieved.