Evaluation of the School-Linked Services of the Berkeley Unified School District

BPA was selected by the Berkeley Unified School District to serve as evaluator of school-linked services and school-community partnerships throughout the district. The programs have multiple funding sources including Healthy Start grants and After School Learning and Safe Neighborhood Partnership grants (both through the California Department of Education), and 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants (from the U.S. Department of Education). Included in BPA's evaluation were eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and Berkeley High School. Evaluation activities included working collaboratively with school site and district staff in the design of survey instruments and student assessments, conduct of site visits to observe and assess program implementation, analysis of survey data as well as quantitative program and student performance measures, and preparation of reports that address program compliance and inform site-based decision-making for program improvement, development and sustainability. Another focus of BPA's work was on developing an integrated approach to evaluation across schools and programs, building a database that can be used for district-wide analysis and program planning.