Photo Courtesy of Future Foundation

ServicesImpact Evaluation

Impact evaluation assesses the changes directly attributable to a particular intervention, program, policy, or model. It is often used to establish or build an evidence base for the target intervention. We have a national reputation for designing and conducting rigorous impact evaluations that meet nationally-recognized evidence standards, such as randomized control trials and quasi-experimental studies.

In Newark, New Jersey, Bard High School Early College students work collaboratively in the school library on their college class assignments. Metis conducted an impact evaluation of the efficacy of this early college model. Photo Courtesy of Bard College.

At Metis, senior researcher Jing Zhu, Ph.D., is one of only 300 certified reviewers nationwide for the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC). The WWC has approved Metis as Dr. Zhu’s organizational affiliate for this esteemed certification.

Our team of WWC-trained senior statisticians conducts impact evaluations that feature the following key elements and steps:

  • Feasibility. Determining whether an intervention or program is ready for a rigorous impact evaluation
  • Focus. Identifying key impact evaluation questions based on the program logic model or theory of change
  • Design. Selecting the most appropriate impact evaluation design (e.g., randomized control trial design, comparison group design, short-interrupted time series, regression-discontinuity design, etc.)
  • Sample Sizes. Conducting a priori power analyses to determine target sample sizes for the impact evaluation
  • Data Sources. Identifying valid and reliable measures for target outcomes, including  baseline and post-program data
  • Mixed-method. Using qualitative data to inform the design and interpretation of quantitative data
  • Analysis. Selecting the statistical analysis methods for each research question based on units of assignment and analysis, analytical sample size, dimensions of data structure, covariates, confounding factors, and outcome measurement scales
  • Technical Reporting. Creating high-quality technical reports for evidence bodies such as the WWC and Arts Education Partnership, as well as research articles for peer-reviewed journals 

Let Metis Associates Help with Your Next Impact Evaluation Project.

For additional information about Metis’s impact evaluation services, please contact Dr. Jing Zhu.

Impact Evaluation Case Studies

Improving Four-Year College Graduation Rates

We helped the nation’s largest city university system test the efficacy of its baccalaureate completion program, yielding both promising outcomes and support for program expansion.

Understanding the Impact of Home Visiting on Vulnerable Families

Florida’s fifth-most affluent county offers home visiting services to vulnerable pregnant women and mothers of young children. We helped them study the effectiveness of delivering home visits through a coordinated system of care approach to keeping these families safe and healthy.

What Our Clients Say

Metis Associates has deep expertise in research and evaluation methodology as well as highly relevant knowledge of higher education. The Metis team members bring this technical expertise in ways that make the analyses stronger and accessible to a non-technical audience. They are collaborative, flexible, patient, responsive, and committed.

Donna Linderman, Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, City University of New York

More Client Testimonials