Evaluation & Technical Assistance

Areas of Expertise

Faculty and Staff at the PRCHN can assist your team or organization with the following content areas and types of evaluations:

    • Survey/ Questionnaire Content Development 
    • Community Engagement Strategies
    • Methods Development and Guidance
    • Monitoring Program Fidelity, Reach and Dosage
    • Surveys of Program Participants
    • Focus groups with program participants and program facilitators
    • Review of Program Documents 
    • Dissemination of Evaluation Results via Presentations, One-Page Info Sheets, and Reports
    • Training Evaluations
    • Process Evaluations
    • Outcome Evaluations

Current Evaluation & TA Projects

CMSD-DASH

The PRCHN YRBS team currently serves as evaluators for the Cleveland Municipal School District’s Responsible Sexual Behavior program (CMSD-DASH). In early 2019, the PRCHN entered a five-year contract with CMSD to conduct the surveillance portions of the district’s Responsible Sexual Behavior program. This work includes administering the YRBS in CMSD high schools during odd-numbered years and creating School Health Profiles during even-numbered years.

CMSD administers this program through a grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent School Health (CDC-DASH), which allows CMSD to deliver sexual health education; increase access to sexual health services; and establish safe and supportive environments. 

In the previous grant cycle, the PRCHN lead evaluation of the CDC-DASH program activities, creating dissemination tracking systems for policies developed through the program as well as a monitoring system of the implementation of these policies. In addition, the PRCHN collaborated with the CMSD in the development and evaluation of a referral system for school nurses to refer students to school-based, youth-friendly, or mobile clinics for sexual health services. The PRCHN also developed evaluation surveys and reports for professional development events sponsored by the Responsible Sexual Behavior program, including Safe Zone workshops for CMSD staff, training of health education teachers on the implementation of sexual health education, and training of nursing staff on sexual health services and referrals.

ODH 2023 YRBS/YTS Web-Based Platform

The Surveillance and Evaluation Team of the PRCHN was awarded the contract to create and oversee the web-based survey administration for the Ohio Department of Health’s 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey/Youth Tobacco Survey. For the first time, ODH can administer the survey online. The PRCHN team is already experienced with developing and administering our local Youth Risk Behavior Survey electronically, with CDC approval. The PRCHN team is responsible for developing the online platforms for both the middle and high school ODH YRBS/YTS, submitting and receiving these platforms to the CDC for approval, as well as creating survey access pathways for participating schools, and providing instructional materials and technical assistance for onsite administrators. ODH anticipates approximately 50 high schools and 50 middle schools, comprising roughly 4,000 students, will participate in the survey.

CARDI-OH

Research Scientist, Sarah Koopman Gonzalez, PhD currently serves as the Data and Evaluation Co-Lead for CARDI-OH.

Past Evaluation & TA Projects

School Based Health Promotion Initiatives

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project

        • The PRCHN served as the external evaluator of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health’s (CCBH) Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program from 2015-2020. The program provided evidence-based human sexuality programming in a classroom setting to sixth grade through high school students in local school districts and at community organizations.
        • The PRCHN’s evaluation role had several aspects to monitor the way the program is being implemented, including monitoring fidelity checklists completed by the program facilitators, conducting observations of program implementation, monitoring reach of the program, and collecting opinion surveys from students and classroom teachers. We prepared reports and presentations with the goal of informing program quality improvement and documentation of program process. 

VeggieU Curriculum

        • The PRCHN served as evaluator of the VeggieU program. VeggieU is an Oberlin-based nonprofit that provides classroom gardens and science-based lesson plans for elementary schools throughout the U.S. 

Bay Village Preventure Project

CMSD Comprehensive Extracurricular Activities Report (CEAP)

ODH YRBS Community Forum

    • In 2017, Jean Frank, MPH and Briana McIntosh, MPH, CPH served as evaluators for Ohio Department of Health (ODH) to examine adolescent surveillance efforts in northeast and southeast Ohio. Through conducting phone call interviews and regional forums, the team conducted environmental scans of surveillance efforts at the county and municipal levels and to understand challenges such as # of state and local surveys, state academic testing, and funding. The PRCHN created a report of our findings as well as recommendations for ODH to implement in order to increase participation in the statewide YRBS. 

Accelerating Change in Medical Education at CWRU School of Medicine

    • Through funding from American Medical Academy, the PRCHN served as evaluators to CWRU School of Medicine using focus group methodology with program participants. 

PRCHN Evaluation or Technical Assistance Inquiry

If you are interested in contacting the PRCHN about evaluation or technical assistance needs, please complete the following form. Someone will get in touch with you in 2-3 business days with more information and next steps. Thank you!