Our research projects inform policy and program improvements
Research and Evaluation: Completed Projects
Early Childhood and Family Support and Evaluation Completed Research Projects and Products
This content is organized by subject area and then alphabetically by project title.
Contact
If you would like to learn more about these projects and/or would like to receive information about the services we provide, please email our Director of Early Childhood and Family Support Research, Beth Green.
Beth Green
beth.green@pdx.edu
Child Welfare
| Project Title | 24-Hour Response/Guided Assessment Process (GAP) Implementation Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Funding |
Oregon Department of Human Services, 2002-2004 |
| Project Title | Child Abuse Assessment Centers |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children's Bureau, 2003-2004 |
| Project Title | Children's Justice Act: Reducing the Trauma to Children During Child Abuse Investigations, Removal and Out-of-Home Placement |
|---|---|
| Funding |
Oregon Children's Justice Act Task Force, 2008-2009 |
| Reports & Presentations | Training Materials, Resources & Products |
| Project Title | Cohort Studies |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Department of Human Services, 1987-1995 |
| Project Title | Family Connections Oregon |
|---|---|
| Funding | US Children's Bureau, 2012-2015 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Key Outcome Evaluation Findings Key Process Evaluation Findings Training materials, resources & research capsules Rationale of Core Components of Combined Model Continuum of Family Connections Meetings for Oregon Child Welfare Practice |
| Project Title | Family Decision Making Meeting Studies |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Department of Human Services, 1998-2000 |
| Project Title | Federal System of Care Project to Improve Permanency Outcomes (IPOP) |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children's Bureau, 2003-2008 |
| Project Title | FIT for Recovery Evaluation/Regional Partnership Grants |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children's Bureau, 2007 |
| Project Title | IV-E Waiver Evaluation – Leveraging Intensive Family Engagement (LIFE) Program Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children’s Bureau & Oregon Department of Human Services |
| Brief Summary | In partnership with Oregon’s Department of Human Services, we are conducting qualitative and quantitative research to document the implementation and outcomes of the LIFE program. LIFE is an innovative approach to reducing time in out of home placement by providing intensive, multi-modal interventions that integrate Family Finding, Family Meetings, Parent Mentors, and a focus on family and youth voice in reducing the time spent in care for youth at high risk for long term foster care placements. |
| Reports & Presentations |
Life KickOff Evaluation Presentation, July 2016 LIFE Quarterly Training #1 Evaluation Presentation June 2016 LIFE Quarterly Training #2 Evaluation Presentation September 2016 |
| Evaluation Team |
Thuan Duong |
| Project Title | Strengths/Needs Based Services Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Department of Human Services, 1996-2001 |
| Project Title | Substance Abusing Parents and ASFA Project |
|---|---|
| Funding | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2001-2004 |
| Project Title | Title IV-E Student Graduation and Workplace Retention Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Department of Human Services, 2006-2007 |
| Project Title | Training for Excellence in Child Welfare Practice in Rural Oregon and Alaska |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children's Bureau, 2003-2008 |
| Project Title | Waiver I: Subsidized Gaurdianship & Flexible Funding |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Department of Human Services, 1997-2002 |
| Project Title | Waiver II: Subsidized Guardianship & Flexible Funding |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Department of Human Services, 2004-2009 |
| Project Title | Waiver III: Parent Mentor & Relationship Based Visitation |
|---|---|
| Funding |
Oregon Department of Human Services, 2011-2015 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Key Findings & Lessons Learned Relationship Based Visitation Program Overview |
Early Childhood
| Project Title | Children's Trust Fund of Oregon (CTFO) Evaluation of Funded Projects |
|---|---|
| Funding | CTFO |
| Project Title | Ecological Systems Approach to the Investigation of Child Neglect in Early Head Start |
|---|---|
| Funding | Administration for Children & Families, 2014-current |
| Brief Summary | This project, a partnership with the Brazelton Touchpoints Center, builds on an ongoing longitudinal investigation of the effectiveness of Early Head Start in preventing child maltreatment. The study applies innovative analytic methods, including multilevel modeling, latent growth curve modeling, and network analysis to evaluate whether and how EHS promotes resilient pathways for families at risk for neglectful caregiving, with broad implications for policy and practice aimed at preventing and addressing child neglect. |
| Evaluation Team |
| Project Title | Evaluation of the Oregon Relief Nurseries |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Association of Relief Nurseries, 2010-2013 |
| Project Title | Evaluation of Portland Relief Nursery Integrated Trauma Services Grant |
|---|---|
| Funding | SAMHSA, 2012-2015 |
| Project Title | Evaluation of the Start Making a Reader Today (SMART) |
|---|---|
| Funding | LifeWorks NW, 2012-2016 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Final Evaluation Report |
| Project Title | Evaluation Technical Assistant for Child Abuse Prevention & Foster Care Grantees |
|---|---|
| Funding | Portland Children's Levy, 2010-2012 |
| Project Title | Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems Collaboration: Case Studies from Oregon |
|---|---|
| Funding | MIECHV, 2015-2017 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Summary Report |
| Project Title | Kids in Transition to School (KITS) |
|---|---|
| Funding | Innovation Funds, United Way of Lane County, 2016 |
| Brief Summary | This project is conducting a process and outcome evaluation of a county-wide expansion of the Kids in Transition to School Program, and evidence-based program to improve school readiness in Lane County, Oregon. |
| Reports & Presentations |
KITS Parent Focus Group Report: January 2017 |
| Evaluation Team |
Lorelei Mitchell Mackenzie Morris |
| Project Title | Kindergarten Readiness Parent Focus Groups |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children's Institute, 2017-2018 |
| Reports & Presentations |
| Project Title | Marion-Polk Early Learning Hub Community Needs Assessment |
|---|---|
| Funding | Marion Polk Early Learning Hub, 2015-2016 |
| Project Title | Maternal Infant Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV): The Oregon Parenting Study (TOPS) |
|---|---|
| Funding | MIECHV, 2013-2015 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Community BRIEF |
| Project Title | MIECHV Oregon Retention Evaluation (MORE) |
|---|---|
| Funding | MIECHV, 2015-2017 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Community BRIEF |
| Project Title | Multnomah County Project Launch Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Funding | Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2010-2015 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Community of Practice: Early Childhood Positive Behavior Interventions Community of Practice: Early Childhood Mental Health |
| Project Title | North Douglas County Community Needs Health Assessment |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children’s Institute, 2016 |
| Reports & Presentations |
| Project Title | Oregon! Ready to Learn Initiative Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Community Foundation, 2001-2005 |
| Project Title | Prenatal to Grade 3 Alignment Initiative |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Community Foundation, 2014-Ongoing |
| Brief Summary | The purpose of this project is to create stronger connections between elementary schools & providers of early childhood care/education programs; and between schools & parents of young children in 10 grantee communities across Oregon. The evaluation team developed data collection tools and is currently providing data collection and utilization training and technical assistance, and conducting systems evaluation data collection and analysis. |
| Reports & Presentations |
Year 2 Evaluation Executive Summary Year 2 Incoming Kindergarten Parent/Caregiver Survey Report Year 2 Collaboration Survey Report Year 2 Family Engagement Self-Assessment Tool HIPS School Readiness & Kindergarten Transition Brief HIPS K-3 Outcomes & Skills Brief HIPS Family Engagement & Support Brief P3 Family Engagement Research Brief - Executive Summary P3 Family Engagement Research Brief P3 Family Engagement for Education Leaders P3 Family Engagement for Policymakers P3 Foundations Brief - Executive Summary |
| Evaluation Team |
Callie Lambarth Diane Reid |
| Project Title | Process Evaluation of Oregon's Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Pilot Project |
|---|---|
| Funding | The Early Learning Division, 2012-2013 |
| Project Title | Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS) |
|---|---|
| Funding | Early Learning Division & Oregon State University, 2016 |
| Brief Summary | With funding from the Race-to-the-Top grant, we are working with Oregon State University researchers to conduct a validation study to support the state’s Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS). The QRIS provides technical assistance to child care facilities to improve quality, as well as ratings for child care facilities to help parents in decision-making. Center staff are collecting standardized observational measures of child care quality statewide to assess the extent to which QRIS ratings correspond to observed quality. |
| Reports & Presentations |
[Full report with appendices] Oregon's QRIS Validation Study One [Full report without appendices] Oregon's QRIS Validation Study One [Highlights] Oregon's QRIS Validation Study One: Associations with Observed Program Quality |
| Evaluation Team |
Mackenzie Morris |
| Project Title | Retrospective Evaluation of Child Welfare Involvement for Early Head Start Participants |
|---|---|
| Funding | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010-2016 |
| Brief Summary | In collaboration with Harvard University’s Brazelton Touchpoints Center, we are collecting and analyzing state administrative child welfare data to determine if the Early Head Start program is effective in helping to prevent child maltreatment. |
| Reports & Presentations | Research-to-Practice Brief: Promising Evidence that Early Head Start Can Prevent Child Maltreatment |
| Evaluation Team |
Mary Beth Sanders |
| Project Title | Salem Keizer Prenatal-Grade Three Evaluation & Technical Assistance |
|---|---|
| Funding | Salem Keizer School District, Oregon Community Foundation, 2013-2016 |
| Reports & Presentations |
HIPS School Readiness & Kindergarten Transition Brief |
| Project Title | Testing the Effectiveness of Healthy Start-Healthy Families Oregon: Outcomes and Cost-Benefits |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children's Bureau, 2009-2015 |
| Reports & Presentations |
Healthy Families Oregon Fact Sheet |
Equity & Diversity
| Project Title | Communities of Color in Multnomah County |
|---|---|
| Funding | Northwest Health Foundation, Multnomah County, City of Portland, 2008-2011 |
| Project Title | Decision-Point Analysis |
|---|---|
| Funding | Casey Family Programs, 2008-2009 |
| Project Title | Volunteering in Oregon |
|---|---|
| Funding | Oregon Community Foundation |
| Brief Summary | The final report below is a companion to The Oregon Community Foundation's 2016 Giving in Oregon Report and points out positive findings about the generosity of Oregonians. |
| Reports & Presentations |
Youth
| Project Title | Native Youth Suicide Prevention Program |
|---|---|
| Funding | Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, 2005-2008 |
| Project Title | Runaway and Homeless Youth Collaborative Research |
|---|---|
| Funding | Children’s Bureau, 2007-2010 |
| Project Title | Schoolworks Project |
|---|---|
| Funding | Juvenile Rights Project, Byrne Grant, 2003-2008 |
| Project Title | Schoolworks Re-Entry Program Evaluation |
|---|---|
| Funding | Juvenile Rights Project, Byrne Grant, 2006-2010 |