The NCELA Program Evaluation Learning Series will provide information on evaluation as a tool for continuous improvement that is accessible to both technical and non-technical staff. By highlighting how to connect evidence to inform program decisions, participants will have access to practical and action-oriented guidance, with each module producing a concrete tool or product that grantees can use in their own discretionary grant projects.
Each module will include videos, learning activities, a short diagnostic or poll, a downloadable worksheet or tool, and knowledge check quizzes. Participants can earn a program evaluation digital badge once they complete all modules in the series.
Once you complete all modules in this series, you can request a digital badge from askNCELA.
This module introduces evaluation by explaining what evaluation is, how it differs from monitoring and compliance reporting, how evaluation supports continuous improvement, and how program staff and evaluators share responsibility for producing useful evidence.
This module focuses on translating program design into measurable outcomes and indicators. It is designed to help participants build or refine a logic model, connect activities to short- and longer-term outcomes, and select indicators that reflect the types of outcomes already being reported across discretionary grants.
This module is designed to deepen participants' ability to collect usable evidence and document implementation well. It emphasizes data quality, practical documentation routines, and the importance of using both implementation and outcome evidence.
This module is intended for evaluators and advanced project staff. It should go beyond data collection to help participants interpret findings carefully and communicate results to different audiences. It preserves the earlier emphasis on triangulating evidence and using evaluation formatively for decision-making.