Resource Materials Prepared Prior to 2008

Articles

InSites has produced numerous confidential evaluation and planning reports for specific clients. Below are examples of articles and papers that illustrate InSites' orientation and approach to evaluation, planning, and related professional development.

See "Projects" for additional articles, papers, videos, and online learning modules.

Click on any title to see an abstract of the article. The full document may then be viewed/downloaded in one or both of the following formats: PDF or MS Word. (Questions about which format to choose? Click here.)

Evaluation Methods

Cluster Evaluation:

• Finding Transformative Themes Through Cluster Evaluation

• Attending to Self-Organizing Systems in Cluster/Initiative Evaluation

Logic Models:

• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Logic Models But Were Afraid to Ask

• Making Logic Models More Systemic: An Activity

Evaluation/Research Findings

Partnerships:

• Contrasting School-University Partnerships with Community-University Partnerships

Professional Development:

• Progress and Promise: Shaping Long-Term Social Change Through Evaluation of Professional Development

• Creating a Teacher Induction Program

Planning Tools

System Change:

• The Stages of Systemic Change

Finding Transformative Themes Through Cluster Evaluation
Parsons, B.A. (1998, November). Finding Transformative Themes Through Cluster Evaluation. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Chicago, IL.

Abstract:
This paper illustrates several types of analyses that InSites did when evaluating a cluster of community-university partnerships funded by the W.K.Kellogg Foundation. The goal of the partnerships was to modify social service workers' education and practices to build on the assets of the community.

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Attending to Self-Organizing Systems in Cluster/Initiative Evaluation
Parsons, B.A. (2007, March). Attending to Self-Organizing Systems in Cluster/Initiative Evaluation . Background paper for In-BC Cluster Evaluation session at the In-BC Interprofessional Network of BC workshop. Vancouver, BC.

Abstract:
This paper provides an overview of how self-organizing social systems function along side planned predictable systems. It is based on theories derived from research on complex adaptive systems and applied to the evaluation of partnerships and large scale initiatives.

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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Logic Models But Were Afraid to Ask
Schmitz, C. & Parsons, B.A. (1999)
This paper was funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) under a contract to InSites, a Colorado-based non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Abstract:
This paper addresses situations where a private foundation designs an initiative and awards grants to a number of sites to participate in the initiative in their local setting. The basic ideas are applicable to other situations.

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Making Logic Models More Systemic:  An Activity
Parsons, B.A. ( 1999, November)
This paper was prepared for the 1999 American Evaluation Association annual meeting, Orlando, FL.

Abstract:
This handout focuses on moving from a basic logic model of an initiative to one that takes into account the dynamics of the social systems that the initiative is designed to influence. The handout has a basic model that was built using the perspective presented in the paper, Everything You Wanted to Know About Logic Models But Were Afraid to Ask.

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Contrasting School-University Partnerships with Community-University Partnerships
Parsons, B.A. (1999, April) Questions Raised By Contrasting School-University Partnerships with Community-University Partnerships. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada.

Abstract:
This paper looks at three strategies used within a cluster of community-university partnerships to bring about a change in how social service workers are educated and work with communities. The strategies are labeled as the professional strategy, community strategy and community-professional collaboration strategy. The paper shows how the school-university partnership being studies fits into the professional strategy and raises questions about whether the school-university partnership should consider other strategies.

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Progress and Promise: Shaping Long-Term Social Change Through Evaluation of Professional Development
Parsons, B.A. (1998, November). Progress and Promise: Shaping Long-Term Social Change Through Evaluation of Professional Development. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Chicago, IL.

Abstract:
This paper presents findings from the evaluation of a grant-making initiative of the National Foundation for the Improvement of Education. The initiative, entitled A Change of Course, focused on the conditions, practices, and policies needed to support high quality, sustained professional development for all teachers. It illustrates tools and perspectives InSites uses to analyze data and report evaluation findings.

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Creating a Teacher Induction Program
Parsons, B.A. ( 2001) This paper was prepared under contract with the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education, Washington, DC.

Abstract:
This paper discusses the usefulness of induction, managing induction programs, current induction models, and characteristics of effective induction programs. It provides promising examples based on the experiences of NFIE grantees.

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The Stages of Systemic Change
Anderson (Parsons), B.L. (1993). The Stages of Systemic Change. Educational Leadership. 51 (1), 14-17.

Abstract:
This article describes six stages of systemic change and six components of the education system that typically need to change to revitalize education systems.

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