Evaluator Correspondence

Appendix B:

I3 Technical Assistance and Evaluation Project

Evaluator Correspondence

ADVANCE NOTIFICATION TO EVALUATORS

Subject: Submitting Your Study Findings ([Grant ID])

Dear [Evaluator First Name(s)],

I’m writing to you regarding the submission of your study’s findings to the i3 Technical Assistance and Evaluation Project. Our records indicate your i3 grant will be reporting this year.

Please find attached a table with the confirmatory contrasts for which we expect you will submit impact findings. To get us started, I want to share some information with you about our process and timeline for submitting impact findings to us, as well as any findings from exploratory analyses and your implementation study.

Your Data Submission: The Analysis and Reporting (AR) Team is aware that you are working towards preparing a publicly available report of your evaluation findings; they have aligned the data collection process with that effort as much as possible. Your TA Liaison is familiar with the data collection requirements and can help you figure out the easiest way to submit your Implementation and Impact findings to the AR Team (e.g., using our reporting templates and draft report sections). Please note that your TA Liaison may not directly participate in any discussions you have with the AR Team (to ensure that your findings are reported to the AR Team by you alone).

Our Process:

• As soon as possible, consult with your TA Liaison to determine the easiest approach for documenting and submitting your findings; we expect these discussions to take place as soon as possible. Your TA Liaison will then share information with the AR Team about how and when you plan to submit your findings to the AR Team.

• When your impact and/or implementation findings are ready, you will submit findings to the AR Team (via [email protected]). You may submit your impact and implementation findings at different times, if one set of findings is ready before the other.

• After you submit findings, the AR Team will review your submitted data to ensure it is complete and follow-up with you individually with any questions. You will hear from two AR Team members – one focusing on Implementation and one focusing on Impact.

• During the AR Team preliminary review of your findings, you may be asked some follow-up questions, which we are hoping you will be able to respond to.

• When all findings have been submitted and all questions have been resolved, the AR Team will confirm (via email) that data collection is complete for your grant.

Timeline: We want to ensure that we are collecting your findings on a schedule that is aligned with your evaluation’s analysis and reporting. To help you plan the timing of your participation in our data collection, please be aware that the data collection process takes approximately 1-2 months from the time you submit your findings.

Thank you, 

Beth Boulay

Study Director, Abt Associates Inc.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

[email protected]

EMAIL INVITATION TO EVALUATORS

Subject: Please Submit Your Study’s Findings ([Grant ID])

Dear [Evaluator First Name(s)],

We are writing to invite you to participate in the i3 Technical Assistance and Evaluation Project’s findings data collection. This project is being conducted by Abt Associates Inc. on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Institute of Education Sciences (IES). A primary goal of the project is to assess the strength of evidence generated by independent local evaluations of i3 grants and to summarize evaluation findings. The purpose of this data collection is to collect information from evaluators like you regarding the findings of your i3 independent evaluation.

Your TA Liaison informed us that you would submit findings on [Month, Date, Year], via a [Final Report/the attached data collection instrument]. However you choose to submit findings, we look forward to receiving them. When your findings are ready, please submit them to [email protected].

We anticipate the data collection instrument will take 15 hours to complete.

Grantees and their independent evaluators are required to comply with the requirements of the i3 Technical Assistance and Evaluation Project. Your response is critical for producing valid and reliable data. You may skip any questions you do not wish to answer; however, we hope that you answer as many questions as you can. Your answers to questions will not affect your grant—now or in the future. Participation in this data collection will not impose any risks to you as a respondent.

For more information about the study, please email [email protected], or call your AR Team contacts, [AR Team Impact Team Member Name] at [xxx-xxx-xxxx] and [AR Team Implementation Team Member Name] at [xxx-xxx-xxxx]. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, you can contact Teresa Doksum, the Chairperson of Abt’s IRB at 617-349-2896 or by email at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Sincerely,

Beth Boulay

Study Director, Abt Associates Inc.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

[email protected]

REMINDER EMAIL TO EVALUATORS

Subject: REMINDER: Please Submit Your Study’s Findings ([Grant ID])

Dear [Evaluator First Name(s)],

We are writing to remind you to participate in the i3 Technical Assistance and Evaluation Project’s findings data collection. This project is being conducted by Abt Associates Inc. on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) Institute of Education Sciences (IES). A primary goal of the project is to assess the strength of evidence generated by independent local evaluations of i3 grants and to summarize evaluation findings. The purpose of this data collection is to collect information from evaluators like you regarding the findings of your i3 independent evaluation.

Please submit your findings, via a [Final Report/the attached data collection instrument], as soon as possible.

We anticipate the data collection instrument will take 15 hours to complete.

Grantees and their independent evaluators are required to comply with the requirements of the i3 Technical Assistance and Evaluation Project. Your response is critical for producing valid and reliable data. You may skip any questions you do not wish to answer; however, we hope that you answer as many questions as you can. Your answers to questions will not affect your grant—now or in the future. Participation in this data collection will not impose any risks to you as a respondent.

For more information about the study, please email [email protected], or call your AR Team contacts, [AR Team Impact Team Member Name] at [xxx-xxx-xxxx] and [AR Team Implementation Team Member Name] at [xxx-xxx-xxxx]. If you have any questions about your rights as a research participant, you can contact Teresa Doksum, the Chairperson of Abt’s IRB at 617-349-2896 or by email at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your participation.

Sincerely,

Beth Boulay

Study Director, Abt Associates Inc.

xxx-xxx-xxxx

[email protected]

CLOSE OUT EMAIL TO EVALUATORS

Subject: Thank you for your study findings ([GRANT ID])

Dear [Evaluator First Name(s)],

This email officially concludes your participation in the i3 Technical Assistance and Evaluation Project’s data collection. Thank you again for sharing your findings with us!

Sincerely,

The AR Team