Photo: Alex Lazara

NECTAC Logic Model: Evaluation Activities

Evaluation activities measure the quality of NECTAC TA and the impacts on state systems, practices and results for children and families. The learnings from evaluation data are used to improve the effectiveness of TA.

NECTAC conducts a variety of evaluation activities for both formative and summative evaluation purposes.

NECTAC documents technical assistance activities by having staff report amount of time, topic, staff involved, recipients, partners, and content notes for each TA service provided. These data are used by project staff as a communication tool regarding the client needs in diverse topical areas and to get a big picture of the current trends.

• TA Documentation Form (PDF: 144kb)
• Examples of graphs to summarize annual trends
  • Proportion of Participant Types (PDF: 44kb)
  • NECTAC TA Provider Time by Age Focus (PDF: 92kb)
  • NECTAC TA Provider Time by Topic Area (PDF: 56kb)

Performance indicators that are required for all projects funded by OSEP’s TA & Dissemination network projects relate to the quality, relevance and usefulness of the project’s products and services. NECTAC defines the ‘usefulness’ as the extent to which the information and resources from TA are used to improve states’ systems and services.

NECTAC conducts ongoing evaluation activities to determine the quality and relevance of NECTAC services and products, the immediate outcomes of TA for participants, and the longer term outcomes where clients use NECTAC TA to improve state and local systems and practices. All Major TA services (typically >8 hrs) are evaluated at the time of the event via an online survey and again 6 months later using follow up survey. A randomly selected twenty percent (20%) of the less extensive TA (typically .75-8 hrs) is evaluated via online survey. Bi-annually, surveys and/or interviews are conducted with key state personnel working with NECTAC on ongoing long-term system change initiatives to determine impacts on systems and services. In addition to self-report by participants, NECTAC gathers evidence of improvements to systems (e.g. new policies, procedures, guidance) and services (more functional assessments, more meaningful IFSPs, timely identification) to substantiate the self-report surveys.

Data Collection Tools:

• Example event survey (PDF: 100kb)
• Example follow up survey questions (PDF: 60kb)
• Example follow up interview protocol (PDF: 64kb)

Evaluation Reports:

• Example of conference report (PDF: 176kb)
• NECTAC Evaluation Highlights: Client Feedback September 2006 - October 2009 (PDF: 252kb)
• 3+2 Evaluation Report (PDF: 228kb)
• NECTAC Evaluation Highlights: Client Feedback March 2009 - March 2010 (PDF: 722kb)
• Annual Performance Report Summary - March 2010 (PDF: 716kb)

In addition, NECTAC contracts with an external consultant to conduct evaluation activities with all primary clients –Part C and Section 619 Coordinators from all states and jurisdictions – regardless of their level of participation in NECTAC TA. The independent external evaluator gathers client feedback on NECTAC TA, including the quality and relevance of NECTAC services and products, and the extent to which clients have used NECTAC TA to improve state and local systems and practices.

• External evaluation report 2008 (PDF: 244kb)