The Center for Evaluation Research and Methodology

vanderbilt institute for public policy studies, 1207 18th avenue south, nashville, tn 37212
phone: (615) 322-8505 fax: (615) 322-8081

The Center for Evaluation Research and Methodology (CERM) is a collaboration of social scientists organized to advance research on the effectiveness of social programs and policy by:

~ ~ ~ ~ Current Projects ~ ~ ~ ~

This project is a meta-analysis to identify the factors measurable in childhood and adolescence that are predictive of antisocial behavior in adulthood. Statistical information on the strength of the relationships between risk factors and antisocial behavior is coded from longitudinal studies and assembled in a database for analysis of risk-outcome relationships over different developmental periods. [Supported by NIMH Grant #MH63288, PI: Lipsey]

This meta-analysis project uses longitudinal research to address the following issues: (1) The capability of risk and protective variables observed during different age periods to predict school success or failure at later ages; (2) The differences in predictive relationships between risk/protective variables and school success/failure associated with the gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of the students; and (3) The combinations of risk and protective variables that tend to co-occur during different age periods and the strength of their collective ability to predictive school outcomes ability when they are combined into multivariate factors. [Supported by NICHD Grant # HD47301, PI: Wilson]

This meta-analysis is directed at two questions: (1) What risk variables observed in childhood and adolescence show the strongest predictive associations with later alcohol, tobacco, and drug use? (2) Are the largest of these empirical relationships effective for identifying juveniles sufficiently at risk to warrant preventive intervention? Statistical information on the associations between risk factors and substance use is being extracted from longitudinal studies to create a database for analysis of risk at different developmental stages. [Supported by NIDA Grant #DA14290, PI: Lipsey]

Development of a Standardized Evaluation Protocol for the Juvenile Justice Programs in North Carolina

This project tests an innovative approach to the evaluation of the juvenile justice programs in the State of North Carolina. The programs in the delinquency intervention meta-analytic database described above are clustered into categories that match the various types of programs implemented in North Carolina under the auspices of the Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. For each program type, the dimensions related most strongly to program effectiveness for reducing recidivism will be organized into a "best practice" profile against which actual program practice can be compared. The resulting "Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol" can then be used as a basis for evaluating individual programs and identifying the most promising directions for improvement. [Supported by the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention]

This CSAT/NIAAA funded project seeks to examine the nature and quantity of available research and data sources on the effectiveness of adolescent AOD (Alcohol and other drug) treatment and to conduct a meta-analysis on the available research. It focuses on identifying the characteristics of the most effective programs and the types of adolescents for which they are most effective. The database for this meta-analysis currently contains detailed information on the nature and outcomes of over 100 experimental and quasi-experimental studies. [Supported by CSAT/NIAAA Grant #, PI: Lipsey]

Effectiveness of Family-based Preventive Interventions

The purpose of this meta-analysis project is to study the effectiveness of family-based universal or selective preventive interventions on problem behavior known to deter positive youth development, including substance use, risky sexual behavior, school failure and dropout, and violence and delinquency. The characteristics of the most effective programs will be identified, and differential programs effects associated with the characteristics of the children and their families will be examined.

Effectiveness of the Opening the World of Learning (OWL) Curriculum

This project will develop a consortium of preschool programs who use the Opening the World of Learning (OWL) curriculum with the purpose of evaluating associations between student achievement gains in language and literacy and variability in implementation fidelity, training procedures, and teacher characteristics across program sites. The overall objectives of the project include: (1) evaluating the effectiveness of the OWL curriculum in real-world preschool settings; and (2) developing a collaborative network of program sites who can share information about training practices and program implementation for the benefit of all.

This project is part of a national evaluation of the effects of preschool curricula on literacy and school readiness outcomes. Preschool classrooms (N=34) serving low-income children in middle Tennessee were randomly assigned to (a) implement a developmental curriculum (Creative Curriculum), (b) implement an educational curriculum (Bright Beginnings) or (c) to continue practice as usual. Outcomes such as academic achievement, school-related skills, and child language are being assessed through the first grade. The goals of the project include determining the differential effects of the curricula for preparing children for the transition to kindergarten, as well as discovering the processes that influence the effectiveness of each curriculum. [Supported by the Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences]

Early Reading First in Wayne County, TN

This project is an evaluation of the Early Reading First program in the Wayne County, TN school system. Early Reading First is a federally funded program intended to enhance existing pre-Kindergarten programs in order to ensure that low income children enter Kindergarten with the language, cognitive, and early reading skills necessary for academic success. The evaluation assesses the degree to which pre-Kindergarten teachers implement an educational curriculum, and tracks children's academic progress using several achievement measures.

This meta-analysis investigates the effectiveness of different interventions for reducing risk for antisocial behavior in children and adolescents. Information about the effects of interventions on identified risk factors is coded from research studies with those risk variables measured among the outcomes. Analysis of this information focuses on identifying the most effective approaches for reducing risk and thus potentially preventing subsequent antisocial behavior. [Supported by NIMH Grant #MH57766]

This project is a meta-analysis of controlled studies of the effects of intervention programs for juvenile offenders on recidivism and other outcomes. It focuses on identifying the characteristics of the most effective programs and the types of juveniles for which they are most effective. Attention has also been directed toward the methodological features of the studies and their relationship to the observed outcomes. The database for this meta-analysis currently contains detailed information on the nature and outcomes of over 500 experimental and quasi-experimental studies. [Supported by NIMH Grant #MH51685, OJJDP, and the Russell Sage Foundation]

Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programs for Adult Offenders

This meta-analysis examines controlled studies of the effects of intervention programs for adult offenders on recidivism and other outcomes. It focuses on identifying the characteristics of the most effective programs and the types of criminal offenders for which they are most effective. Analysis is also being conducted on the methodological features of the studies and their relationship to the observed outcomes. The database for this meta-analysis currently contains detailed information on the nature and outcomes of over 250 experimental and quasi-experimental studies. [Supported by NIMH Grant #MH64485]

Development and Dissemination of Best Practice Guidelines for Juvenile Delinquency Programs

Using the database of delinquency intervention studies described above, this project endeavors to identify and describe the characteristics of effective programs with the greatest implications for improving practice in juvenile justice settings. Program profiles are being developed for various interventions that are commonly used or of emerging interest and "best practices" are depicted on the basis of the effects demonstrated in research studies. A related aspect of this project is development of procedures for disseminating the results in useful form to juvenile justice practitioners. [Supported by OJJDP Grant #JN-FX-0008]

The purpose of this project is to determine the effectiveness of school-based programs to prevent and reduce aggressive and violent behavior. A meta-analysis of relevant outcome research studies is being conducted to identify the characteristics of the most effective programs, differential effects related to the nature of the students receiving the programs, and the magnitude of the change that appears on various outcome variables. [Supported by NIMH Grant #MH57766]

This evaluation project is assessing the implementation and outcomes of Project Gear Up in six middle schools. Gear Up is a federally funded program that aims to motivate middle school students to continue their education and plan for meaningful careers while providing the academic support to make that feasible. The evaluation documents the program activities, describes the experiences and perceptions of the program by students, parents, and teachers, and examines the academic progress of the participating students as they move through middle school and into high school. [Supported by the Department of Education]