Scanning the Landscape of High School Alternatives

Interest in high school alternatives has grown over the last few decades as communities, school districts, states, and public agencies seek effective strategies to improve the educational and employment outcomes of young people and better serve students whose needs are not met through the traditional school system.To better understand this developing field, the Annie E. Casey?Foundation?asked Education Northwest to?conduct a systematic scan of?high school?alternative models and approaches across the United States. Based on interviews and surveys with program leaders, researchers, funders, and other experts in the field, this report outlines important considerations and recommendations for successful high school alternatives.The report describes strategies to build better systems to support high school alternatives—including shifts in mindsets and narratives, policies and budgets, and effective practices—that empower young people to transform their lives and build momentum for their future

From Policy to Practice: A Case Study of the Office of Indian Health Services' Evaluation Policy

In accordance with the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, federal agencies will continue to establish evaluation policies. Yet limited research examines the consequences of evaluation policies on how evaluation is practiced. In March of 2018, the Office of Indian Health Services (IHS) released an evaluation policy to institutionalize its principles and practices around evaluation. The culture of evaluation in the federal sector is rooted in accountability, often relying on Western, post-positivist methodologies to determine program success. However, when working with Indigenous communities, researchers argue for the use of culturally responsive approaches to create representations of programs that are aligned with community values. Imposing a research framework onto a community with different worldviews may result in an evaluation that fails to meet the needs of that community. An exploratory case study approach is used to investigate why and how the IHS developed its evaluation policy and the policy’s impact on evaluation practice.Findings show that the IHS developed an evaluation policy in response to Congressional calls for accountability. The result was a policy that seeks to adhere to performance and accountability mandates, validate outcomes, and improve program effectiveness. Program evaluators and grantees argue for the use of culturally resonant methods to build the relationships and trust needed to conduct evaluations with IHS-funded programs. Additionally, these methods can create studies that are viewed as credible and useful by the community. An evaluation policy that does not facilitate the use of culturally responsive methods could create complications when implemented in practice. This study contributes to our understanding of the factors that influence federal evaluation policy development as well as the consequences of implementing an evaluation policy that is not culturally aligned. In doing so, it speaks to the importance of policies that promote the use of culturally relevant methods when working with Indigenous communities

From Policy to Practice: A Case Study of the Office of Indian Health Services' Evaluation Policy

In accordance with the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, federal agencies will continue to establish evaluation policies. Yet limited research examines the consequences of evaluation policies on how evaluation is practiced. In March of 2018, the Office of Indian Health Services (IHS) released an evaluation policy to institutionalize its principles and practices around evaluation. The culture of evaluation in the federal sector is rooted in accountability, often relying on Western, post-positivist methodologies to determine program success. However, when working with Indigenous communities, researchers argue for the use of culturally responsive approaches to create representations of programs that are aligned with community values. Imposing a research framework onto a community with different worldviews may result in an evaluation that fails to meet the needs of that community. An exploratory case study approach is used to investigate why and how the IHS developed its evaluation policy and the policy’s impact on evaluation practice.Findings show that the IHS developed an evaluation policy in response to Congressional calls for accountability. The result was a policy that seeks to adhere to performance and accountability mandates, validate outcomes, and improve program effectiveness. Program evaluators and grantees argue for the use of culturally resonant methods to build the relationships and trust needed to conduct evaluations with IHS-funded programs. Additionally, these methods can create studies that are viewed as credible and useful by the community. An evaluation policy that does not facilitate the use of culturally responsive methods could create complications when implemented in practice. This study contributes to our understanding of the factors that influence federal evaluation policy development as well as the consequences of implementing an evaluation policy that is not culturally aligned. In doing so, it speaks to the importance of policies that promote the use of culturally relevant methods when working with Indigenous communities