Education Excellence Through Evaluation

Systemic Research, Inc., a corporation with its principal offices in Norwood, Massachusetts, is committed to providing expertise in educational program evaluation and assessment and key indicator database management. Our evaluation projects provide a foundation for accountable educational reform among K-12 school systems and higher education institutions.

Over the past thirteen years Systemic Research has accumulated a significant knowledge-base on educational reform. We have completed three evaluative study grants for NSF systemic initiative programs: Comprehensive Partnership for Mathematics and Science Achievement (CPMSA), Urban Systemic Initiative (USI), and Rural Systemic Initiatives (RSI). The studies included more than 20 urban and rural school system site visits, during which the study teams conducted numerous interviews and focus groups with school system staff, teachers, principals ,students, representatives from partner higher education institutions, research centers or laboratories, Federal/state/local agencies, museums and aquariums, industries and businesses, foundations, and parents and community organizations. The team also conducted extensive teacher surveys.

Systemic Research designed, developed and implemented quantitative and qualitative monitoring systems for colleges and universities involved in NSF funded programs- Models for Excellence (MIE), Historically Black Universities and Colleges Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) and Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP). Systemic Research, in collaboration with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, also developed and implemented the American Indian Measures of Success Key Indicator System (AKIS). AKIS is a comprehensive database which all Tribal Colleges and Universities are required to submit annually.

Systemic Research developed self-evaluation frameworks, published program progress indicator reports, and provided technical assistance to districts and institutions involved in the aforementioned programs. Numerous workshops focusing on key indicator data management, and self-evaluation capacity building were hosted by Systemic Research.

In addition to large scale evaluative studies, Systemic Research has served as the external evaluator for individual K-12 school districts, institutions of higher education, and non-profit organizations’ educational programs and projects.