EXAMPLES OF REQUIRING GRANTEES TO PARTICIPATE IN EVALUATION SPONSORED BY A FEDERAL AGENCY OR SEA
Allocations of Federal Funds by Federal Agencies
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) YouthBuild program requires grantees to participate in an evaluation, if one is undertaken by the DOL.
Allocations of Federal Education Funds by SEAs
The Nevada Department of Education’s 2021 ESSA Title IV-B Nita M. Lowery 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program requires grantees to participate in both state-funded evaluations and annual external evaluations and provides a detailed list of expectations of the evaluator, as well as focus areas.
Minnesota’s 2020 Comprehensive State Literacy Development grant program requires all grantees to report data regularly to the Minnesota Department of Education, for the purpose of informing the state’s evaluation plan (page 6). Additionally, the Minnesota Department of Education awards additional funds to grantees that participate in a national impact study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education (page 5).
EXAMPLES OF PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR PLANNING AND CONDUCTING EVALUATIONS
Allocations of Federal Funds by an SEA
Pennsylvania’s Department of Education requires grantees of the ESSA Title IV-B Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program to participate in local evaluations and created a Local Evaluation Toolkit to support grantees in fulfilling this requirement.
Allocations of Federal Funds by a Federal Agency
Evaluation and capacity building for development and use of evidence were key objectives of Americorps’ Social Innovation Fund. Americorps published a paper called “Lessons from the Social Innovation Fund: A Tested Evaluation Technical Assistance Approach to Strengthening Evaluation Practice and Building A Body of Evidence.” Currently AmeriCorps provides all grantees with evaluation capacity building, training and technical assistance through a contract that provides help with evaluation plans and reports, facilitated peer learning, one-on-one coaching, and a self-paced curriculum.
EXAMPLES OF SPONSORING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRANTEES TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER
Allocations of Federal Funds by SEAs
Grantees in the Ohio Department of Education’s 2023 Comprehensive State Literacy Development grant program must agree to participate in annual Literacy Academy and Technical Assistance support. Participation includes a commitment to present at the department’s yearly Literacy Academies for the purpose of sharing information on implementation, best practices, and their experiences (page 3).
Allocations of Federal Funds by Federal Agencies
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families sponsored the Buffering Toxic Stress Consortium, which included six research grantees partnering with Early Head Start service grantees. The grantees, in collaboration with federal staff, met regularly to share information and identified common measures for use in all their studies.
EXAMPLES OF DESIGNATING ONE GRANTEE TO CONDUCT EVALUATIONS FOR A GROUP OF GRANTEES
Allocations of Federal Funds by Federal Agencies
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families awarded grants to twelve states and one tribe for the Safe Access for Victims’ Economic Security demonstration. Simultaneous with this grantmaking process, the agency published a grant announcement for a training, technical assistance, resource, and evaluation center. Applicants for the center grant could also apply for a demonstration grant, or not.
Leading Example Submissions
If you know an SEA that is implementing evidence-based spending strategies, nominate them to be included in the Guide!