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Words & Numbers Research, Inc. has been evaluating educational programs since it was founded in 1984. As its name suggests, Words & Numbers Research, Inc. provides both quantitative and qualitative data to help projects make sound decisions. The evaluation designs created by Words & Numbers Research, Inc. are research-based and focused on the stated programmatic objectives.
For multiyear projects, our evaluation designs have a formative component which means that the project will receive timely and valid information on management, implementation and efficiency during the course of implementation. This is executed through periodic site visits, focus groups, interviews, observations, surveys and other means of checking the pulse of the project to be sure that it is addressing stated objectives. Corrections or changes are noted and strategies to achieve programmatic objectives are suggested.
The summative component is grounded in evidence-based research. It relies on objective performance measures that create hard data that can be statistically analyzed. Multiple methods of data collection must be integrated for corroboration of findings. These data might include assessments of the cognitive and affective domains, student behavior patterns such as attendance, tardiness, discipline infractions, teacher reports, and other data that provide feedback and replication guidance. The firm has SPSS, a premier statistical software package and HLM. We can handle large and complex data sets, track and benchmark pretest and posttest data, and produce user friendly tables and graphs for lay audiences.
Words & Numbers Research, Inc. has provided comprehensive, multiyear evaluations for the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Several of the Words & Numbers Research, Inc. evaluation reports have been published as models for evaluation design, methodology and implementation in ERIC, the federal government’s clearinghouse for best practices in program evaluations.