Valencia College, Florida
The Art of Tomorrow Scholars, 2019
SEG conducted an evaluation study of The Art of Tomorrow Scholars, a dual credit initiative that is coordinated by Valencia College in partnership with the Orange County Public Schools and Universal Orlando. In addition to helping high school students earn credit in arts & entertainment, the initiative introduces students to the “behind the scenes” technology involved in Universal Orlando displays and presentations and helps students see themselves in this career field while developing key “soft skills,” such as collaboration, that are needed in today’s workplace. Data collection methods included student and parent surveys, analyses of school district data on individual students (attendance, discipline, academic, PSAT), employee survey, and focus group discussions. Analytical methods included a quasi-experimental design and use of a comparison group. As part of this work, SEG prepared a brief literature review and worked with all partners to develop a theory of change and logic model, which formed the foundation for the evaluation plan. The project was funded by the Universal Orlando Foundation.
Louis Stokes Alliance for the Minority Participation Bridges to Baccalaureate, 2021-2024
A National Science Foundation grant was awarded to Valencia College in July 2021. This project involves schools in the Central Florida STEM Alliance (i.e., Valencia College, Polk State College, College of Central Florida, Pasco-Hernando State College). The primary goals of this project are to increase the successful transfer of underrepresented minority (URM) students into baccalaureate majors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and enhance the STEM educational experience of URM students at alliance institutions. The collective impact evaluation measures institutional and student impacts through a fidelity of implementation study, process monitoring study, and a summative evaluation study. SEG provides consulting support and plans and conducts an annual evaluation that documents project implementation, monitors progress, and connects actions to outcomes.