
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