An intellectual merit criterion for the ATE program is that the grant-level evaluations should provide useful information to the project and others. This workshop is designed for PI-evaluator teams seeking to enhance the usefulness of their evaluations while keeping them practical and cost-effective. Evalua|t|e staff will facilitate hands-on activities in which participants clarify and solidify evaluation work plans and deliverables; establish or refine a logic model for their projects and use it to identify success indicators and performance standards; determine reporting needs, formats, and time lines; and identify strategies to develop, improve, and maintain productive working relationships between project evaluation staff. In addition, NSF program officers will present their expectations for evaluations of ATE grants. Other ATE PIs and evaluators will share best evaluation practices that participants can adopt to support project improvement. ATE PIs are encouraged to bring their evaluators to this session, along with project/evaluation planning materials, such as a project logic models, goals/objectives, and evaluation plans.

Details and registration information are available on the conference website: www.aacc.nche.edu/Resources/aaccprograms/ate/

Evalua|t|e will reimburse up to 16 ATE internal or external evaluators for travel-related expenses to attend the 2010 ATE PI conference. This funding is intended to enable participation by evaluators who might not otherwise be able to attend. It is mandatory that funding recipients register and participate in the preconference workshop “Designing Practical and Useful Evaluations.” This Evalua|t|e-led workshop is designed for PI-evaluator teams seeking to enhance the usefulness of their evaluations while keeping them practical and cost-effective.

To apply for conference funding your evaluator, complete an application form (available June 15) and submit as directed on the form by August 15, 2010.