Your data tracking cheat sheet In my last post, I talked about how logic models — although they can be a chore — can actually be a great visual roadmap of your program’s components, benchmarks, and goals. Working collaboratively to develop a logic model can be a unifying experience for teams, a way to get… Continue reading Your data tracking cheat sheet
From “Ugh” to “Ooh!” – Reframing Logic Models “Ugh, they’re making us submit a logic model? What is the point of a logic model anyway? “I don’t understand all that technical jargon. What am I supposed to put in a logic model?” These are the thoughts I imagine my clients having when a funder or… Continue reading From “Ugh” to “Ooh!” – Reframing Logic Models
Use Google Maps to explore your data in a new way Isn’t it so gratifying to learn a new skill and get to apply it? One thing I’ve been learning lately is how to use ArcGIS, a super fancy mapping tool that allows you to collect, analyze, and visualize all sorts of data. I’ve talked about… Continue reading Use Google Maps to explore your data in a new way
Numbers Can’t Tell the Whole Story You should know by now that I’m a bit of a data nerd. I love spreadsheets. I love organizing data and using it to illuminate patterns. I love the “ah-ha” moments when clients realize how much their own data can tell them about the kids and families they’re serving. … Continue reading Numbers Can’t Tell the Whole Story
Tips and Tricks for Great Survey Design … and a Survey for You We have all taken TONS of surveys in our lifetime. We get surveys when we make an online purchase, when we speak with a customer service agent, when we want to get a free gift card, and even when we go to… Continue reading Tips and Tricks for Great Survey Design … and a Survey for You
Start the School Year By Hearing from Stakeholders Growing up in New Jersey, the day after Labor Day always marked the start of a new school year … and the day I finally got to wear the new outfit I had carefully planned and crack open my new, pristine notebooks. If you couldn’t tell, I… Continue reading Start the School Year By Hearing from Stakeholders
The “How” of Data Tracking: Conditional Formatting I’ve written a lot lately (here and here) about WHY tracking your school or organization’s data is so critical right now. As schools begin to reopen, I’ve heard from educators of so many different configurations for what school is going to look like: some totally virtual, some in person, some… Continue reading The “How” of Data Tracking: Conditional Formatting
Making the Most of Microsoft Excel I love a good spreadsheet. I mean, I really get excited about it. You may have read on the About page how my business evolved from the development of a really fancy spreadsheet. True story. Now I get to help others learn to use Excel to improve their work and watch… Continue reading Making the Most of Microsoft Excel
It’s funny how things work out sometimes. Tamara Hamai and I have been sowing the seeds for our new program, Evidence for Engagement, for months. Our partnership happened so organically – a meeting of the minds for two evaluators who have experience with and a passion for organizations that serve youth and families. We’d been toying… Continue reading Evidence for Engagement