Program Evaluation Services at CRS
- About Program Evaluation at CRS
- Recent Evaluation Reports and Publications
- Micro Business Development
- Domestic Violence
- Local Foods, Agriculture and Education
- Past Projects
- Publications
- Presentations and Proceedings
For information about our Program Evaluation Services, please email Michele Cranwell Schmidt, MPA, Evaluation Coordinator, or the CRS Co-Directors, Jane Kolodinsky or Fred Schmidt. Please call our direct line at (802) 656-3021. Copies of complete evaluation reports are available for a nominal fee.
About Program Evaluation at CRS The Center for Rural Studies (CRS) at the University of Vermont has provided successful program evaluation services for social service delivery programs for the past twenty years. Most recently, over the past eight years, CRS has provided process and outcome focused evaluation services for social service agencies in the areas of microenterprise development, education and literacy, teen leadership, restorative justice for youth, and domestic violence services. Many of these programs were designed to foster self-sufficiency in low-income populations. Click here for a complete list of current CRS Program Evaluation projects and a list of recent evaluation publications and abstracts. Through this experience, CRS has extensive expertise in developing an evaluation plan and appropriate tools (both qualitative and quantitative) and conducting surveys (pre and post tests, mail, telephone, and online), focus groups, case study interviews, and providing database development services. CRS also has extensive experience in conducting statistical and qualitative data analysis, writing interim and annual reports, presenting findings at appropriate conferences, and publishing evaluation results on our website, in popular media, and peer reviewed journals. Process Evaluation - Examining the process of a project provides information on "best practices" for ongoing program improvement and documentations of lessons learned for project replicability. Outcome Evaluation - Outcome evaluation measures demonstrate the impact of the program on participants. |
Recent Program Evaluation Reports and Publications Click here for a list of recent evaluation publications and abstracts
Micro Business Development Projects
 Jackson Browne, a muscian who has held several benefit concerts for LACE, Ariel Zevon, LACE director, and Sen Patrick Leahy at LACE's grand opening in June 2007. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The LACE project is a private sector
community revitalization project, central to the rejuvenation of downtown Barre City, Vermont.
LACE opened its doors in June 2007 with a Farm Fresh Market, Café, and an artisan vendor
space to provide a direct connection between the community and farmers and artists.
Serving the needs of the area’s micro and small businesses, LACE features local produce and products.
With the assistance of partner agency Central Vermont Community Action Council (CVCAC),
LACE’s facility is being renovated to include a commercial, shared-use kitchen to enable home-based producers
to expand their production and increase sales. Training and counseling through CVCAC’s micro business development
program will be available to vendors in sales techniques, marketing, pricing, production, business operations, and business
plan development as needed, and classes will be available in ServSafe certification to those using the kitchen facility.
Additionally, farmers and other producers serving the market and cafe will be able to access resource partners who can consult
on production and planning at their farms and on site to improve their operations. All of these strategies will result in increased employment
through business expansions as well as new business start-ups. The evaluation of this project focuses on process and outcomes measures,
to determine best practices, the impact of services, and the development of a replicable model. Evaluation methods
include surveys and focus groups with stakeholders. Three year evaluation. Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Jane Kolodinsky.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Post Start-up Training and Technical Assistance project is statewide, carried out by the regional partnerships of Vermont’s Community Action Agencies and their Micro Business Development Programs. This project provides technical assistance and business support to established micro businesses. The evaluation of this project focuses on process and outcomes measures, to determine best practices, the impact of services, and the development of a replicable model. Evaluation methods include surveys and focus groups. Three year evaluation. Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Jane Kolodinsky.
Michele C. Schmidt leading a focus group with CCV staff. 
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Community Capital of Vermont Loan Fund project is statewide, carried out by the regional partnership of Vermont’s Community Action Agencies and their Micro Business Development Programs. CCVLF is a Community Development Financial Institution that will provide loans to micro and small businesses to the state of Vermont. The evaluation of this project focuses on process and outcomes measures, to determine best practices, the impact of loans on business development, and the development of a replicable model. Evaluation methods include surveys and focus groups. Three year evaluation. Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Jane Kolodinsky.
LeadSafe U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Offices of Community Services. The Lead Paint Safety Initiative is a JOLI (Job Opportunities for Low-income Individuals) funded project, that provides training and technical assistance to low income Vermonters in the Central Vermont region, interested in becoming certified in lead abatement and starting or expanding a small business. Both process and outcomes are addressed in the evaluation, including project impact on participants' business and social, human, and financial capital development, and lessons learned and feedback for improvement. Evaluation methods include surveys, participant and staff focus groups, and data analysis. Three year evaluation. (Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Jane Kolodinsky).
The Child Care Business Initiative U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Offices of Community Services. The Child Care Business Initiative (CCBI) is a JOLI funded statewide initiative of the Vermont Community Action Agencies' Micro Business Development Program. This project's goals are to enable TANF and low-income individuals to start and operate successful child care programs and enable child care centers to improve their business operations and provide higher wages and better benefits. Evaluation focuses on process and outcomes measures, to determine impact of training on business success and social, human, and financial capital development. Evaluation methods include surveys (intake and follow up) and participant and staff focus groups. Three year evaluation. (Michele C. Schmidt and Jane Kolodinsky).
The Micro Business Development Project Pilot Follow Up Study Vermont Office of Economic
Opportunity. Agency of Human Services. The Micro Business Development Project (MBDP)
Pilot Follow Up Study is a statewide telephone survey to follow up with clients that used
MBDP services in 2001 and 2002. The survey
instrument focused on services used, impact on business, social, human, and financial
capital development, job creation, satisfaction, and feedback for improvement. This pilot
study is designed to test the survey instrument and methodology to possibly implement it
on a larger scale on a continuous basis for MBDPs throughout Vermont. Five month study. (Michele Cranwell and Jane Kolodinsky).
For more information about these projects, please email Michele C. Schmidt or Jane Kolodinsky or call (802) 656-3021. Domestic Abuse Education Project U.S. Department of Justice. Spectrum: Youth and Family Services, Burlington, Vermont.The Domestic Abuse Education Project (DAEP) is designed to provide participating men with information and skills needed to change abusive and violent behavior and beliefs. The overarching goal of the "Kidsafe" component of this project is to reduce abuse and improve the lives of children and partners by educating men who batter in Northern Vermont (Chittenden County). Evaluation focuses on examining attitudinal changes in participants through the use of a pre and post test and conducting focus groups with partners of participants to determine impact of the program on the lives of family members. Four year evaluation. Michele Cranwell Schmidt, Fred Schmidt, and Jane Kolodinsky.
Strengthening Community Collaboration in Domestic Violence U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. The Rural Domestic Violence and Child Victimization Grant of Chittenden County Domestic Violence Task Force focuses on the impact of domestic violence services in Chittenden County, specifically rural areas.2006-2008. The evaluation of the Rural Grant will focus on batterer accountability through the criminal justice system in Chittenden County. Two year evaluation. Third year of funding. Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Fred Schmidt. 2004-2006. The evaluation of the Rural Grant focuses on services for children who experience domestic violence in Chittenden County, specifically rural areas. The evaluation is two-fold to conduct a broad community review of available information regarding children and domestic violence and an in depth case study of one agency, Family Services, to increase our understanding about the needs of those families. Data is collected through interviews and archival record review. Eighteen month evaluation. Second year of funding. Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Fred Schmidt.
2002-2004. This evaluation focused on community collaboration and evaluating the structure, membership, and function of the DVTF as a community collaborative. Data is collected through both an online and mail survey. Eighteen month evaluation. (Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Fred Schmidt.
For more information about these projects, please email Michele C. Schmidt or Fred Schmidt or call (802) 656-3021. Local Foods, Agriculture and Education Burlington School Food Project U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Burlington School Food Project (BSFP) is a citywide collaborative formed to address the integration of local foods into school meals and food insecurity among school-aged children in Burlington, Vermont. Three year evaluation. Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Jane Kolodinsky.
The Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship U.S. Department of Agriculture/CSREES/Fund for Rural America. The Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship (NECFE) is a collaborative effort of the New York State Food Venture Center at Cornell University and The Center for Food Science at the University of Vermont. The mission of the project is to provide comprehensive assistance to beginning and established food entrepreneurs thus promoting sustainable economic development of rural communities. NECFE offers services, outreach and research development opportunities in four critical areas: business and product process development, product safety, process/product technology transfer and product commercialization. Evaluation focuses on process and outcome measures with emphasis on impact of NECFE and how this Center can be a transferable model. Data collection methods include surveys, focus groups with staff and clients, review of organizational documents, and case studies of client experience and success. Three year evaluation. (Michele Cranwell and Jane Kolodinsky).
The Vermont Kitchens Project U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Offices of Community Services. The Vermont Kitchens Project is a JOLI (Job Opportunities for Low-income Individuals) funded project, that provides training and production, technical, and marketing assistance to low income Vermonters in the Central Vermont region, interested in starting or expanding a small food service business. The project is run by the Central Vermont Community Action Council, Inc. in Barre, Vermont. Both process and outcomes are addressed in the evaluation, including project impact on participants' business and social, human, and financial capital development, and lessons learned and feedback for improvement. Evaluation methods include surveys, participant and staff focus groups, and data analysis. Three year evaluation. (Michele Cranwell and Jane Kolodinsky).
South Windsor County Even Start Vermont Department of Education. The South Windsor County Even Start family literacy program works with low-income families in Southern Vermont to better prepare low-income children and their parents for success in school, community service, and life. Evaluation examines inputs and outputs of program activities, including adult and early childhood education outcomes, parenting education, and parent-child interaction. Evaluation methods include surveys, focus groups, and data analysis. Eight year evaluation. Michele Cranwell and Fred Schmidt.
The Teens Teaching Internet Skills Pilot Project U.S. Department of Agriculture/CSREES. The Teens Teaching Internet Skills (TTIS) Pilot Project was a pilot for a larger, national effort to engage youth in teaching senior citizens computer and Internet skills to navigate and obtain needed information from the Medicare web site. TTIS is a national, intergenerational partnership, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture; 4-H Youth Technology Leadership Team and the Health Care Financing Administration. The pilot involved youth and adults from the 4-H Technology Teams in six states, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington. Training workshops were held in the six states during the time period of August 1999 to August 2000.
Consumer Preferences for a Downtown Supermarket Burlington Community Development and Economic Office. This study was conducted for the city of Burlington, Vermont on consumer preferences for a supermarket to be built in the downtown area. An empirical analysis was conducted of the impact of demographic factors, shopping preferences, and shopping behavior on the probability that a consumer will shop at a downtown supermarket. Six month study. Michele Cranwell and Jane Kolodinsky).
The Restorative Justice for Youth Program The mission of the Restorative Justice for Youth Program is to reduce delinquency by providing timely and meaningful pre-charge interventions to youth who commit petty crimes in Northern Vermont (Chittenden County). The evaluation focuses on the project's outcomes and success in meeting grant goals, including accountability and change in attitude and desire to provide restitution towards their actions. Evaluation methods include data analysis, pre and post test, and satisfaction questionnaires. Three year evaluation. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Spectrum: Youth and Family Services, Burlington, Vermont. (Michele Cranwell and Fred Schmidt). The Vermont Millennium Arts Partnership The Vermont Millennium Arts Partnership is an internet-based arts education program in Vermont public schools that, through the use of the latest technologies, is working to facilitate student learning through an online exchange among students, teachers, artists, musicians, and other professionals. Evaluation documents project process and outcomes of classroom participation in the online forum and related classroom activities. Evaluation methods include online surveys, workshop evaluation, and focus groups and interviews with project administrators and project participants.Department of Commerce Technology Opportunities Program. (Michele Cranwell and Fred Schmidt). Parks Place Patch Project Evaluation Parks Place Patch Project Evaluation – Patch is a word derived from the British reference to an area that we would call a foot cop’s neighborhood "beat." In the 1990s the term was extended to describe a grassroots effort empowering citizens to exert greater neighborhood service and civic control. After several years of discussion (including a major conference and a state wide "patch" coordinating committee, by 1997 a formal Patch Project emerged in Bellows Falls (other efforts are manifested in Hardwick and Milton) when the community purchased Parks Place, a modest Victorian home near the Parks Place Elementary School. The facility hosts a variety of services and meetings, many of them circuit riding personnel from various human service organizations. The CRS works with Parks Place site coordinator Barbara Ternes on annual evaluation materials and strategies. (1999 ongoing – Fred Schmidt) For more information about these projects, please email Michele C. Schmidt, Jane Kolodinsky, or Fred Schmidt or call (802) 656-3021. Click here for a list of recent CRS program evaluation publications and abstracts. Schmidt, M.C. and J. Kolodinsky. (2007). Microenterprise development program success: A path analysis of factors that lead to and mediate client success. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 47-69. Schmidt, M.C., J. Kolodinsky, G. Carsten, F. Schmidt, M. Larson, and C. MacLachlan. (2007). Short term change in attitude and motivating factors to change abusive behavior of male batterers after participating in a group intervention program based on the pro-feminist and cognitive-behavioral approach. Journal of Family Violence, 22(2), 91-100 Schmidt, M.C. , J. Jewiss, C. Koliba, and J. Kolodinsky. (2006). Perspectives on self-employment as a viable option for Vermont TANF recipients. Unpublished Master’s Thesis. University of Vermont. Cranwell, M., J. Kolodinsky, and B. Whitney. (2006). The impact of microenterprise training on low-income clients.Journal of Extension, 44(2). Cranwell, M.., J. Kolodinsky, C. Donnelly, D.L. Downing, and O. Padilla Zakour. (2005).A model food entrepreneur assistance and education program: The Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship. . Journal of Food Science Education, 4(4): 56-65. Cranwell, M., J. Kolodinsky, K. Anderson, and F. Schmidt. (2004). Evaluating a domestic violence task force: Methods to strengthen a community collaboration." Journal of Extension, 42(6). Cranwell, M., J. Kolodinsky, and E. Rowe. (2002). Bridging the generation gap accross the digital divide: teens teaching internet skills to senior citizens. Journal of Extension, 40(3). Refereed Proceedings/Presentations
Cranwell Schmidt, M. and J. Kolodinsky. (2005). Micro Business in Vermont: Lessons Learned from Three Micro Business Development Program Evaluations. Presented at the conference: What Works! The Future of Rural Entrepreneurship & Community Development in the Northeast. September 28-30, 2005. Burlington, Vermont. Cranwell Schmidt, M., Kolodinsky, J., Donnelly, C, and O. Padilla-Zakour. (2005). The Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship: Program Evaluation Findings and Lessons Learned. Poster presentation at the conference: What Works! The Future of Rural Entrepreneurship & Community Development in the Northeast. September 28-30, 2005. Burlington, Vermont. Cranwell Schmidt, M. and C. Flint. (2005). The Use of Return on Investment Analysis. Presented at the conference: What Works! The Future of Rural Entrepreneurship & Community Development in the Northeast. September 28-30, 2005. Burlington, Vermont. Cranwell, M., J. Kolodinsky, C. Donnelly, and O. Padilla-Zakour. (2004). Impact of University-Based Centers that Support Food Entrepreneurs. Pesented at the Institute of Food Technologists annual conference. July 13, 2004 Cranwell,M. and J. Kolodinsky. (2004). Increasing self-sufficiency and building social capital: the impact of the statewide Micro Business Development Program. Presented at the Vermont Research Partnership annual meeting. February 18, 2004. Cranwell, M, and J. Kolodinsky. (2002). The impact of microenterprise development on low-income Vermonters: Building social and human capital to work towards economic and self-sufficiency. Consumer Interests Annual, 48. Cranwell, M. and J. Kolodinsky. (2000). The poor pay more? Now they don't even have a store to choose from: Bringing a supermarket back to the city. Consumer Interests Annual, 46. |
Schmidt, M.C.and J. Kolodinsky. (October 2007). 