Full Client List
Apter & O'Connor is proud, excited, and honored to support clients across a wide swath of the public sector, some of which are included below. If a line is included below a given client logo, please click to read a brief summary of the work performed and, in some cases, a testimonial from our client. And, of course, feel free to contact us to learn more about work we've done in the sectors represented by the organizations on this list -- or for references. Thank you!
Advocacy
American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA): Every Child By Two
AIRA is a national volunteer membership organization that promotes and supports immunization information systems (IIS) to ensure healthy communities across the country. The offer advocacy, education, and technical assistance to their members. A&O has guided two strategic planning processes for this dynamic organization and completed a multi-year outcome evaluation encompassing their subcontractor Vaccinate Your Family (formerly known as Every Child by Two). For the most recent project Cynthia O’Connor teamed up with Steve Schack of Clear Blue Associates of NYC and traveled to Savannah to facilitate a board retreat. Together, they led a five-month strategic planning and organizational capacity building process with AIRA’s senior staff and board of directors. Our holistic approach was based on the published body of work by Susan Kenny Stevens known as “Nonprofit Lifecycles” [1] We find that organizations often embark on strategic planning efforts that are almost exclusively focused on looking outward and focusing on their programs and services, with little consideration to the capacity that it will require. By taking this holistic view, we can help ensure that growth is managed, and efforts stay in synch.
[1] Susan Kenny Stevens, Nonprofit Lifecycles Stage-Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity (Wayzata, MN: Stagewise Enterprises, Inc., 2002).
Testimonial
Our Board for our national association was able to come to agreement for a re-organization and succession strategy which we successfully implemented. We were able to “turn around” from decline.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Process & Outcome Evaluations of a Multifaceted Child Care Improvement Effort
Child Care Solutions is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1975 to provide information and resources to parents, providers, employers, and community leaders in Onondaga and Cayuga Counties (NY) who seek solutions to their child care needs. In partnership with the Early Childhood Alliance, Child Care Solutions has been working tirelessly to assure child care options are not only available but of high quality.
Beginning in 2021, The Child Care Quality Improvement Pilot (CCQI) funded by Onondaga County, provided extra resources to this effort. This year the pilot’s focus is on family child care. Key components include training family care providers to implement an evidenced-based curriculum (The Creative Curriculum), one-on-one coaching in using assessments (a curriculum fidelity tool, the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale [FCCRS], and the Ages and Stages questionnaire) to inform lesson planning, and communication with parents. There are also stipends for the providers.
As the independent evaluator of the pilot, A&O’s work will have two key components. First, a process evaluation. This is designed to assess CCQI’s progress implementing the project components they’ve planned.
Second, an outcome evaluation will measure progress toward the intended outcomes and describe the activities’ early impacts. Stakeholder feedback and assessment data will be important to that evaluation, and A&O will synthesize data from a variety of sources to formulate suggestions for improvement.
Child Care Solutions of Onondaga and Cayuga Counties (CCS): A Child Care Needs Assessment
In the past, Apter & O’Connor has worked with Child Care Solutions several times to support their needs assessment related to the current state of child care. A&O designed specific inquiries to examine child care supply and demand. The final product illustrated the child care needs unique to these geographic areas and the related work-life issues for both child care providers and the families they serve. The assessments included: a detailed review of national, state and local data; focus groups with child care providers, local government officials, funders and human service experts; surveys for parents and providers; and interviews with human resource professionals. The rigorous methodology employed for each study provided child care advocates with a powerful tool to design new interventions and educate state and local legislators and funders.
View Case Study
Rigorous Inquiries into Trends and Impacts of The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga
The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County (ECA) was launched in 2015 to advance a comprehensive, coordinated, well-funded system of high-quality, prenatal-to-age-five early childhood programs and supports. It is a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders with a shared vision that all young children in the county are healthy, thriving, and successful in school and life, and that all families of young children are supported in their parenting. A&O was engaged to examine two of teh ECA’s key areas of effort: funding support and parent engagement.
In 2022, we completed a study of recent early childhood funding levels and trends nationally, statewide, and within Onondaga County. The results serve as an updated baseline for monitoring future growth and to measure ECA’s advocacy impact.
Methods for this inquiry included a document review of past ECA reports, a literature review on early childhood funding levels and trends at state and national levels, interviews with ECA staff, and a spring 2022 funding survey of local anchor systems (nine key early childhood services and supports).
That report, Funding to Support A Strong Early Childhood System 2019–2021, detected an 8% decrease in funding for the early childhood ecosystem from 2019 through 2021 in Onondaga County. Several survey respondents noted that COVID-related challenges, closures, and lockdowns skewed service delivery data and, in some cases, resulted in underutilized services which could explain some of the funding decreases.
The second inquiry, also completed in 2022, examined the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), the primary mechanism for the ECA’s parent engagement work. A group of parents of young children meet regularly to discuss improving the early childhood system, leveraging their own experiences to provide the ECA with input about its initiatives.
The ECA funded this study to learn how the PAC was functioning, what impact the members have on ECA planning and decision-making, and if the parent participants perceive any value or benefit for themselves. ECA was also interested in gaining new knowledge and ideas from other parent engagement professionals and endeavors statewide and nationally to help inform their overall parent engagement strategy.
A thorough report, Parents in Partnership: An Initiative of the Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County, offered valuable insights to the Alliance and strong recommendations and references to strengthen their early efforts.
View Case Study
Apter & O’Connor led the CNY Community Foundation’s initiative to develop community wide indicators to assess literacy in Central New York. A&O conducted background research, guided the management team and facilitated a task force of 25 community leaders and literacy stakeholders through a six-month exploration and planning process. The final report served as the foundation for the establishment of a community wide literacy coalition that continues today. The Coalition provides home delivered books and activities through the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, has won awards as a Pacesetter from the Campaign for Grade Level Reading and initiated numerous programs and activities in the Central New York community.\
Testimonial
As the facilitators of the Literacy Impact Task Force, Dianne and Cynthia helped us frame our task, refereed 'arguments,' got us to the goal. We now use the Indicators developed with them as the community measures of success. Dianne and Cynthia are practical, sensible data geeks.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Literacy Powerline
Apter & O’Connor is collaborating with the national organization, Literacy Powerline. The mission of Literacy Powerline is to increase literacy levels through effective and sustainable community collaboration and engagement. Literacy Powerline works with educators, business and labor leaders, philanthropic organizations, civic and faith-based groups, policymakers, literacy providers and students to demonstrate that everyone thrives when a community is committed to 100% literacy. Scores of communities across the country have accessed the resources and capabilities of the Literacy Powerline team. A&O is offering strategic planning, needs assessment and evaluation expertise to coalitions across the country to develop effective and highly accountable literacy initiatives within their own communities. We are excited to be part of the Literacy Powerline team working with the Annie E. Casey National Support Center for the Campaign for Grade Level Reading to provide consultation for accountability systems, implementation and sustainability efforts of funded projects, particularly in rural areas.
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Closer to home, Apter & O’Connor has designed an evaluation of the Herkimer Oneida Literacy Coalition for Literacy Powerline. The approach is an empowerment model to facilitate stakeholder ownership of the evaluation activities and allow for on-going feedback, dialogue and appropriate adjustment. The evaluation is designed to measure the development of a fully functioning literacy coalition and the impact on the community.
A&O has joined Literacy Powerline to support the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading in communities across New York State. The Campaign is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. The Campaign focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Recognizing that schools can’t “do it alone”, the Campaign seeks to engage and mobilize whole communities to remove barriers, expand learning opportunities and assist parents to serve as partners in their child’s education. A&O along with Literacy Powerline is helping to build a statewide network of GLR Communities across New York by offering coalition building, coaching, technical assistance and resources to individual communities and cities, so they can build their own unique networks and realize the goals of the Campaign.
View Case Study
Coalitions
O’Connor Mentors Next Generation of Leaders through Marsellus LeadUp Program - January 2023
For the 5th year, Cynthia O’Connor, in partnership with Katie Doucette from The Leading Element, is providing mentorship, support, and instruction to the next generation of leaders of nonprofit agencies in Onondaga and Madison Counties in Central New York.
The Marsellus Family Fund at the Central New York Community Foundation created LeadUp to invest time and resources in future leadership development. Cynthia and Katie work with the program’s annual cohort of ten to twelve participants selected from small or mid-sized organizations with limited professional development resources. They help each participant create an individualized development plan to allow for demonstrated growth toward their goals.
Through one-on-one coaching, half-day group learning sessions, panel discussions, and networking with key community leaders, participants gain exposure to many perspectives within the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Cynthia and Katie bring their unique real-world experiences and a genuine and straightforward approach to the program’s activities. The participants provide glowing reviews each year:
LeadUp changed us all for the better and in doing so presented Syracuse with ten leaders more able to lead with compassion, confidence, and connections. LeadUp changes the community for the better.
LeadUp gave me the opportunity to take the goals I’ve had in my head, get them down on paper in an achievable format and finally execute on them! The networking with other local, like-minded leaders was so valuable. That coupled with the individual coaching sessions made for one of the best professional development opportunities I’ve had the pleasure to take part in. I would recommend this to anyone looking to grow their networks, achieve new goals and sharpen their leadership skills
The coaching sessions were amazing. I am not sure that I would have accomplished some of my personal and professional goals this year without Katie and Cynthia's mentorship.
Central New York Community Foundation: The Literacy Task Force
Apter & O’Connor led the CNY Community Foundation’s initiative to develop community wide indicators to assess literacy in Central New York. A&O conducted background research, guided the management team and facilitated a task force of 25 community leaders and literacy stakeholders through a six-month strategic planning process. Throughout the process we prepared materials and planned & facilitated all Community Stakeholder meetings, provided regular summaries and feedback to the management team and produced a final report with indicators that served as the foundation for the establishment of a community wide literacy coalition that continues today, five years later.
View Case Study
Cities First Readers (CFR) is a collaboration of numerous nonprofits and all three public library systems across New York City designed to support the development of a literacy rich ecosystem. Their overarching goal is to ensure young children and their families receive needed supports to become successful readers. The collaborative partners are implementing numerous services and programs including parent education, book distributions, guided reading programs, professional development, home visiting and public awareness campaigns. A&O led the partners through a process of clarifying their goals, outcomes and strategies as well as each partner’s capacity for evaluation and their role within the collaborative. They were then ready to take the next step and document the benefits or impacts of this extensive endeavor. A&O conducts several independent evaluation inquiries each year utilizing a variety of methods analysis for statistical significance using standardized assessments, geocoding and mapping, descriptive illustrations of service statistics, interviews, observations, and surveys of numerous stakeholder groups. A few of these recent and current inquires have examined:
- the strength and maturity of the coalition using the lens of Collective Impact[1],
- whether targeted CFR interventions lead to improvements in knowledge, skill, and behavior among parents to support early literacy for young children
- the concentration of CFR services as related to poverty levels across all NY City council districts
- if attendance is improving at library story times within high-risk neighborhoods? Is there a correlation with the CFR public awareness campaign?
- how has CFR adapted and responded in the time of the COVID19 pandemic
- is there consistency across CFR partners in the use of evidence-based/ best practices for book distribution and associated educational messaging to support home environments and early literacy development?
A&O was chosen for their years of evaluation experience in early childhood and literacy related programming and is thrilled to support this important initiative.
[1] Preskill, H., Parkhurst, Marcie, Juster, J.S., Guide to Evaluating Collective Impact; Collective Impact Forum, FSG.
View Case Study
Rigorous Inquiries into Trends and Impacts of The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga
The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County (ECA) was launched in 2015 to advance a comprehensive, coordinated, well-funded system of high-quality, prenatal-to-age-five early childhood programs and supports. It is a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders with a shared vision that all young children in the county are healthy, thriving, and successful in school and life, and that all families of young children are supported in their parenting. A&O was engaged to examine two of teh ECA’s key areas of effort: funding support and parent engagement.
In 2022, we completed a study of recent early childhood funding levels and trends nationally, statewide, and within Onondaga County. The results serve as an updated baseline for monitoring future growth and to measure ECA’s advocacy impact.
Methods for this inquiry included a document review of past ECA reports, a literature review on early childhood funding levels and trends at state and national levels, interviews with ECA staff, and a spring 2022 funding survey of local anchor systems (nine key early childhood services and supports).
That report, Funding to Support A Strong Early Childhood System 2019–2021, detected an 8% decrease in funding for the early childhood ecosystem from 2019 through 2021 in Onondaga County. Several survey respondents noted that COVID-related challenges, closures, and lockdowns skewed service delivery data and, in some cases, resulted in underutilized services which could explain some of the funding decreases.
The second inquiry, also completed in 2022, examined the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), the primary mechanism for the ECA’s parent engagement work. A group of parents of young children meet regularly to discuss improving the early childhood system, leveraging their own experiences to provide the ECA with input about its initiatives.
The ECA funded this study to learn how the PAC was functioning, what impact the members have on ECA planning and decision-making, and if the parent participants perceive any value or benefit for themselves. ECA was also interested in gaining new knowledge and ideas from other parent engagement professionals and endeavors statewide and nationally to help inform their overall parent engagement strategy.
A thorough report, Parents in Partnership: An Initiative of the Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County, offered valuable insights to the Alliance and strong recommendations and references to strengthen their early efforts.
View Case Study
The Family Reading Partnership is a coalition in Ithaca, NY, comprised of individuals, businesses, schools, libraries, and other organizations acting to “create a culture of literacy” to assure all children have early, frequent, and pleasurable experiences with books, as a special part of everyday family life, right from the start! A&O worked with the Partners to build evaluation capacity, guide a literature review, and develop programmatic logic models. A&O conducted external evaluations of three programs and with a participatory1 approach built the Partnership’s capacity to continue their evaluation work internally.
[1] Whitmore. E (Ed) (1998). Special Issue: Understanding and Practicing Participatory Evaluation. New Directions in Evaluation. Vol. 80, pp. 1-99
Testimonial
The A&O team provided us with thoughtful, engaging and realistic leadership for our evaluation project. They helped us understand the data and provided recommendations and ideas for our organizational growth (to address what we discovered in the evaluation.) Our organizational culture is shifting – we are “evaluation ready” and are now using data to inform our program planning thanks to the patience, skill and talent of the A&O team!
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Health Foundation of Western and Central New York: Central New York Neighborhood Initiative — Helping Seniors to Age in Place
The Health Foundation of Western and Central New York in partnership with the Gifford Foundation funded a Central New York Neighborhood Action Initiative (CNYNAI) to create and test evidence-based practices that will enable seniors to remain in their homes and own communities as they grow older rather than in nursing homes or other forms of institutionalized care. To do this, the Foundation provided seven neighborhood-based organizations with resources to enable them to test best practice approaches designed to help people continue to live in their neighborhoods and to share knowledge, ideas and lessons learned with each other.
Apter & O’Connor served as the evaluator for this exciting initiative. In addition, we facilitated “learning communities” for the seven selected organizations. We were able to articulate the unique characteristics of each project that may have had the most significant influence or impact on creating conditions and supports that allow elderly residents to age in their own homes and neighborhoods. Each of the NAI funded agencies successfully served their target population of low-income seniors within their identified neighborhoods and received positive reviews and accolades from their participants. All found the Learning Sessions a valuable opportunity to network, share ideas and resources and support each other. Our final report, still in use, offered ideas for lessons learned by the Foundations as well as the seven agencies in serving this often challenging population in unique and creative ways.
Testimonial
I found the session on ‘fear of falling’ good reinforcement for the work I am doing when I look at safety in the home; I gained a few more areas of safety that I had overlooked. Hearing about other projects was helpful especially how there were problem solving to deal with barriers. Presenters were all helpful at generating deeper thought around topics such as connecting with people vs. technology, generational differences, concerns specific to seniors. Much thanks to Apter & O’Connor. I'm going to forward this useful report to our Executive Director and Personal Care Assistance President.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Apter & O’Connor led the CNY Community Foundation’s initiative to develop community wide indicators to assess literacy in Central New York. A&O conducted background research, guided the management team and facilitated a task force of 25 community leaders and literacy stakeholders through a six-month exploration and planning process. The final report served as the foundation for the establishment of a community wide literacy coalition that continues today. The Coalition provides home delivered books and activities through the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, has won awards as a Pacesetter from the Campaign for Grade Level Reading and initiated numerous programs and activities in the Central New York community.\
Testimonial
As the facilitators of the Literacy Impact Task Force, Dianne and Cynthia helped us frame our task, refereed 'arguments,' got us to the goal. We now use the Indicators developed with them as the community measures of success. Dianne and Cynthia are practical, sensible data geeks.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Literacy Powerline
Apter & O’Connor is collaborating with the national organization, Literacy Powerline. The mission of Literacy Powerline is to increase literacy levels through effective and sustainable community collaboration and engagement. Literacy Powerline works with educators, business and labor leaders, philanthropic organizations, civic and faith-based groups, policymakers, literacy providers and students to demonstrate that everyone thrives when a community is committed to 100% literacy. Scores of communities across the country have accessed the resources and capabilities of the Literacy Powerline team. A&O is offering strategic planning, needs assessment and evaluation expertise to coalitions across the country to develop effective and highly accountable literacy initiatives within their own communities. We are excited to be part of the Literacy Powerline team working with the Annie E. Casey National Support Center for the Campaign for Grade Level Reading to provide consultation for accountability systems, implementation and sustainability efforts of funded projects, particularly in rural areas.
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Closer to home, Apter & O’Connor has designed an evaluation of the Herkimer Oneida Literacy Coalition for Literacy Powerline. The approach is an empowerment model to facilitate stakeholder ownership of the evaluation activities and allow for on-going feedback, dialogue and appropriate adjustment. The evaluation is designed to measure the development of a fully functioning literacy coalition and the impact on the community.
A&O has joined Literacy Powerline to support the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading in communities across New York State. The Campaign is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. The Campaign focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Recognizing that schools can’t “do it alone”, the Campaign seeks to engage and mobilize whole communities to remove barriers, expand learning opportunities and assist parents to serve as partners in their child’s education. A&O along with Literacy Powerline is helping to build a statewide network of GLR Communities across New York by offering coalition building, coaching, technical assistance and resources to individual communities and cities, so they can build their own unique networks and realize the goals of the Campaign.
View Case Study
Cultural
A&O Senior Associate Vicki Quigley has received high praise for her work with The Erie Canal Museum, Canal Landing in Chittenango, and The Skaneateles Historical Society, all located in Central New York.
One client told us, “This is one invoice we are happy to pay. I don't have enough words to thank Vicki for all her help and good work. We could not have achieved all we have without her.”
Many arts organizations, struggling post-pandemic, are seeing the benefit of revisiting and, in some cases, re-envisioning their mission and activities. To the tough and rewarding strategic planning process, Vicki brings her experience in not-for-profit and museum management. Her legal knowledge (she holds a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, where she specialized in issues of charitable corporations) is an additional benefit to our clients.
View Case Study
A&O Senior Associate Vicki Quigley has received high praise for her work with The Erie Canal Museum, Canal Landing in Chittenango, and The Skaneateles Historical Society, all located in Central New York.
One client told us, “This is one invoice we are happy to pay. I don't have enough words to thank Vicki for all her help and good work. We could not have achieved all we have without her.”
Many arts organizations, struggling post-pandemic, are seeing the benefit of revisiting and, in some cases, re-envisioning their mission and activities. To the tough and rewarding strategic planning process, Vicki brings her experience in not-for-profit and museum management. Her legal knowledge (she holds a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, where she specialized in issues of charitable corporations) is an additional benefit to our clients.
View Case Study
Special Needs
Jowonio School
The Jowonio School in Syracuse, NY is an internationally recognized model for inclusive education of young children with a wide range of abilities. A&O facilitated a diverse group of stakeholders including parents, staff, early childhood professionals, program supporters, funders and board members to develop a concise logic model to articulated their many program facets. From there, A&O provided guidance and technical assistance to Jowonio staff to build their capacity for systematic tracking, measurement and reporting of the school’s impact on children, families and staff. Armed with clear knowledge of their data collection needs and methods for collecting useful data they were able to secure funding to develop the technology for a performance management system which they implemented and continue to use today.
Testimonial
A&O took the time to thoroughly understand our organizational needs and project expectations. They worked quickly and efficiently, gave us multiple opportunities to provide feedback on draft reports, and were always responsive to our questions and concerns. We are delighted with the product of our efforts together!
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Needs Assessment for NYS Commission for the Blind
The New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) has selected A&O to conduct a comprehensive statewide needs assessment for The New York State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB). NYSCB provides vocational and rehabilitation services to more than 4,500 consumers with blindness and visual impairment through seven district offices located throughout New York State. The assessment will include quantitative analysis of the state's case management data system, fiscal modeling and forecasting, as well as surveys, focus groups and interviews - all developed to meet 508 compliance and accessibility standards. The inquiries are designed to:
- assess factors related to successful case closures, i.e., demographics, secondary disabilities and functional limitations, and the combination/s of services received;
- gain the perspectives of district office staff regarding system outcomes, service barriers and successful collaborations;
- examine how the use of braille impacted success in school, college, and/or vocational training;
- assess proficiency and level of experience with braille among teachers of the visually impaired and vision rehabilitation therapists;
- and complete fiscal forecasting to gain an improved understanding of students who are eligible or potentially eligible for services.
A&O will present the analysis, findings, and recommendations in a white paper to be incorporated into the annual plan for the Federal Rehabilitation Services Administration.
View Case Study
Unity House is a large and complex human service agency. Their mission is to empower people in recovery from substance abuse, coping with mental illness or diagnosed with a developmental disability. Apter & O’Connor’s work with Unity House started with a strategic planning process. The resulting three-year plan guided their preparation for NY State’s service-delivery and reimbursement transformation resulting from Managed Care. The process explored new business opportunities, planned for updating all administrative systems for new compliance requirement, designed a robust performance management (PM) infrastructure to support high quality programming and addressed the steps needed to strengthen their marketing and community engagement.
Following the strategic planning process, A&O was engaged to provide professional development and lead a newly convened PM committee. Over the course of 18 months, the committee examined each program area to articulate intended outcomes, identify performance measures, collect and analyze data, develop user-friendly reports and dashboards, and plan for program adjustments and improvements. The work with A&O concluded but the PM Committee continues with data-driven-decision-making now a part of the agency culture.
Testimonial
This strategic planning process was different than others I’ve participated in the past. It was at a higher level and more intense; we really had to work. The end product was worth it – we now have a viable plan for the next three years that will situate the agency for success.
I want to thank A&O for everything. I was so impressed by your ability to take information from our industry, digest it and feed it back in an organized way. My observation was that you were attentive and did not miss anything from what we said, to how we engaged. I feel that you helped to push the agency and staff to a new level in terms of strategic planning and program evaluation. I completely enjoyed my experience with you. Thank you and enjoy the fall!
We have made so many strides with our dashboards and data collection! I believe our directors now “think” data. Thank you for our support
- Comments from Unity House directors...View Case Study
Education & Literacy
Addison Central School District: Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL): Read To Learn Project
The Addison Central School District is comprised of rural communities in New York State’s southern Tier. A&O has a long-standing relationship with the District including successful evaluation work on their multi-year federally funded Early Reading First project and, the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Read to Learn Projects. A&O has also assisted them secure additional funding to support these and other related projects. Each of these initiatives was designed to promote early literacy among families, motivate students to read and increase student achievement through improved classroom instruction, the use of school libraries, book distribution to families and high-quality family literacy activities. We used both quantitative and qualitative analysis with observations, interviews, surveys and student performance data to determine progress toward goals and ultimate impact of the project. The evaluation demonstrated that the professional development activities have enhanced teacher’s skills for literacy instruction and the new library collections and supports have strengthened classroom reading instruction. Addison used their evaluation results to successfully apply for continued federal funding and was one of 46 school districts in the county to be refunded for a 2nd cycle. This enabled the District to expand its scope to serve children from age 3 through Grade 6.
Testimonial
Apter & O’Connor has been a tremendous asset to our school district. Their professionalism and knowledge of grant implementation has given us the upper-hand when it comes to gathering data and compiling information to promote best practice and keep our project moving in the right direction. I can’t thank them enough for the multiple conversations, suggestions, and pieces of advice to encourage participation and discover alternative ways to reach our goals.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Early Reading First
Early Reading First (ERF) was an early literacy program targeting preschoolers from low income families at high risk of reading failure. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, each of these projects was a multi-year contract (3-6 years) with features unique to each district. Apter & O’Connor provided rigorous evaluations to support continuous program improvement and to assess both fidelity of implementation and the impact of the ERF interventions. Each scope of work required a detailed evaluation plan, extensive data collection and analysis, and extensive and detailed reporting to satisfy all US DOE GPRA requirements. Our evaluation outcomes enabled the districts to design and sustain changes in professional development practices and classroom instruction, gain a place on the federal What Works Clearinghouse for early childhood best practices, initiate further research on critical factors for student gains, and leverage their data to support applications for additional grant funding.
Testimonial
Apter and O’Connor Associates are highly skilled and committed to ensuring a balanced, fair and well written program evaluation. They always research the topic thoroughly including interviewing staff and visiting the sites to observe the project. They are able to gather the necessary data, both qualitative and quantitative, to evaluate the outcomes of the project. They meet with staff to develop the evaluation plan before the project, and monitor the implementation of the plan and data collection during the project to ensure the data is correct. They are always willing to meet with staff to offer recommendations for program improvements. Their approach is hands-on, face-to-face and research-based. They are committed to excellence, have never missed a deadline and also have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
As evaluators, Apter & O’Connor provide extensive, ongoing information, feedback and recommendations that pave the way for clear, focused direction of the Early Reading First grant I presently oversee as the coordinator. They ‘tell it like it is’ and offer valuable analysis, recommendations and resources that make a significant difference in the process. Their professional expertise and guidance is a driving force for success of any grant or project. I highly trust and value Apter & O’Connor Associates, Inc. for their exemplary services and would strongly recommend them as evaluators.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs
A&O conducts evaluations for several 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs. These programs are federally, and state funded to support tutoring, academic enrichment and a broad array of youth development opportunities before and after school to complement the school’s regular academic program. It features partnerships with school districts and community-based organizations to programs target students from high-poverty neighborhoods and attending low-performing schools.
A&O’s evaluation activities include systematic observations at all sites, interviews with staff and administrators, surveys of all stakeholder (students, staff and parents) and extensive analysis of student academic data. A&O has worked with large multi-site school districts as well as smaller community agency sites, including The Syracuse City School District, Watervliet Central School District, The YMCA of Central New York, and the Center for Community Alternatives.
Program Directors consistently note the value of these rigorous evaluations and the ongoing feedback and technical assistance for program improvement that the A&O team provides. These independent evaluations have provided the needed evidence and critical information to convince legislators at all levels of government to continue funding these after school programs.
Testimonial
We so appreciate the multi-year evaluations so we can note differences from year to year and reflect on improvements. Very helpful to share with our board, the principal and even our staff so they can see what impact they are having. The Student surveys are especially useful.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
O’Connor Mentors Next Generation of Leaders through Marsellus LeadUp Program - January 2023
For the 5th year, Cynthia O’Connor, in partnership with Katie Doucette from The Leading Element, is providing mentorship, support, and instruction to the next generation of leaders of nonprofit agencies in Onondaga and Madison Counties in Central New York.
The Marsellus Family Fund at the Central New York Community Foundation created LeadUp to invest time and resources in future leadership development. Cynthia and Katie work with the program’s annual cohort of ten to twelve participants selected from small or mid-sized organizations with limited professional development resources. They help each participant create an individualized development plan to allow for demonstrated growth toward their goals.
Through one-on-one coaching, half-day group learning sessions, panel discussions, and networking with key community leaders, participants gain exposure to many perspectives within the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Cynthia and Katie bring their unique real-world experiences and a genuine and straightforward approach to the program’s activities. The participants provide glowing reviews each year:
LeadUp changed us all for the better and in doing so presented Syracuse with ten leaders more able to lead with compassion, confidence, and connections. LeadUp changes the community for the better.
LeadUp gave me the opportunity to take the goals I’ve had in my head, get them down on paper in an achievable format and finally execute on them! The networking with other local, like-minded leaders was so valuable. That coupled with the individual coaching sessions made for one of the best professional development opportunities I’ve had the pleasure to take part in. I would recommend this to anyone looking to grow their networks, achieve new goals and sharpen their leadership skills
The coaching sessions were amazing. I am not sure that I would have accomplished some of my personal and professional goals this year without Katie and Cynthia's mentorship.
Central New York Community Foundation: The Literacy Task Force
Apter & O’Connor led the CNY Community Foundation’s initiative to develop community wide indicators to assess literacy in Central New York. A&O conducted background research, guided the management team and facilitated a task force of 25 community leaders and literacy stakeholders through a six-month strategic planning process. Throughout the process we prepared materials and planned & facilitated all Community Stakeholder meetings, provided regular summaries and feedback to the management team and produced a final report with indicators that served as the foundation for the establishment of a community wide literacy coalition that continues today, five years later.
View Case Study
Process & Outcome Evaluations of a Multifaceted Child Care Improvement Effort
Child Care Solutions is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1975 to provide information and resources to parents, providers, employers, and community leaders in Onondaga and Cayuga Counties (NY) who seek solutions to their child care needs. In partnership with the Early Childhood Alliance, Child Care Solutions has been working tirelessly to assure child care options are not only available but of high quality.
Beginning in 2021, The Child Care Quality Improvement Pilot (CCQI) funded by Onondaga County, provided extra resources to this effort. This year the pilot’s focus is on family child care. Key components include training family care providers to implement an evidenced-based curriculum (The Creative Curriculum), one-on-one coaching in using assessments (a curriculum fidelity tool, the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale [FCCRS], and the Ages and Stages questionnaire) to inform lesson planning, and communication with parents. There are also stipends for the providers.
As the independent evaluator of the pilot, A&O’s work will have two key components. First, a process evaluation. This is designed to assess CCQI’s progress implementing the project components they’ve planned.
Second, an outcome evaluation will measure progress toward the intended outcomes and describe the activities’ early impacts. Stakeholder feedback and assessment data will be important to that evaluation, and A&O will synthesize data from a variety of sources to formulate suggestions for improvement.
Child Care Solutions of Onondaga and Cayuga Counties (CCS): A Child Care Needs Assessment
In the past, Apter & O’Connor has worked with Child Care Solutions several times to support their needs assessment related to the current state of child care. A&O designed specific inquiries to examine child care supply and demand. The final product illustrated the child care needs unique to these geographic areas and the related work-life issues for both child care providers and the families they serve. The assessments included: a detailed review of national, state and local data; focus groups with child care providers, local government officials, funders and human service experts; surveys for parents and providers; and interviews with human resource professionals. The rigorous methodology employed for each study provided child care advocates with a powerful tool to design new interventions and educate state and local legislators and funders.
View Case Study
Cities First Readers (CFR) is a collaboration of numerous nonprofits and all three public library systems across New York City designed to support the development of a literacy rich ecosystem. Their overarching goal is to ensure young children and their families receive needed supports to become successful readers. The collaborative partners are implementing numerous services and programs including parent education, book distributions, guided reading programs, professional development, home visiting and public awareness campaigns. A&O led the partners through a process of clarifying their goals, outcomes and strategies as well as each partner’s capacity for evaluation and their role within the collaborative. They were then ready to take the next step and document the benefits or impacts of this extensive endeavor. A&O conducts several independent evaluation inquiries each year utilizing a variety of methods analysis for statistical significance using standardized assessments, geocoding and mapping, descriptive illustrations of service statistics, interviews, observations, and surveys of numerous stakeholder groups. A few of these recent and current inquires have examined:
- the strength and maturity of the coalition using the lens of Collective Impact[1],
- whether targeted CFR interventions lead to improvements in knowledge, skill, and behavior among parents to support early literacy for young children
- the concentration of CFR services as related to poverty levels across all NY City council districts
- if attendance is improving at library story times within high-risk neighborhoods? Is there a correlation with the CFR public awareness campaign?
- how has CFR adapted and responded in the time of the COVID19 pandemic
- is there consistency across CFR partners in the use of evidence-based/ best practices for book distribution and associated educational messaging to support home environments and early literacy development?
A&O was chosen for their years of evaluation experience in early childhood and literacy related programming and is thrilled to support this important initiative.
[1] Preskill, H., Parkhurst, Marcie, Juster, J.S., Guide to Evaluating Collective Impact; Collective Impact Forum, FSG.
View Case Study
Rigorous Inquiries into Trends and Impacts of The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga
The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County (ECA) was launched in 2015 to advance a comprehensive, coordinated, well-funded system of high-quality, prenatal-to-age-five early childhood programs and supports. It is a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders with a shared vision that all young children in the county are healthy, thriving, and successful in school and life, and that all families of young children are supported in their parenting. A&O was engaged to examine two of teh ECA’s key areas of effort: funding support and parent engagement.
In 2022, we completed a study of recent early childhood funding levels and trends nationally, statewide, and within Onondaga County. The results serve as an updated baseline for monitoring future growth and to measure ECA’s advocacy impact.
Methods for this inquiry included a document review of past ECA reports, a literature review on early childhood funding levels and trends at state and national levels, interviews with ECA staff, and a spring 2022 funding survey of local anchor systems (nine key early childhood services and supports).
That report, Funding to Support A Strong Early Childhood System 2019–2021, detected an 8% decrease in funding for the early childhood ecosystem from 2019 through 2021 in Onondaga County. Several survey respondents noted that COVID-related challenges, closures, and lockdowns skewed service delivery data and, in some cases, resulted in underutilized services which could explain some of the funding decreases.
The second inquiry, also completed in 2022, examined the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), the primary mechanism for the ECA’s parent engagement work. A group of parents of young children meet regularly to discuss improving the early childhood system, leveraging their own experiences to provide the ECA with input about its initiatives.
The ECA funded this study to learn how the PAC was functioning, what impact the members have on ECA planning and decision-making, and if the parent participants perceive any value or benefit for themselves. ECA was also interested in gaining new knowledge and ideas from other parent engagement professionals and endeavors statewide and nationally to help inform their overall parent engagement strategy.
A thorough report, Parents in Partnership: An Initiative of the Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County, offered valuable insights to the Alliance and strong recommendations and references to strengthen their early efforts.
View Case Study
The Family Reading Partnership is a coalition in Ithaca, NY, comprised of individuals, businesses, schools, libraries, and other organizations acting to “create a culture of literacy” to assure all children have early, frequent, and pleasurable experiences with books, as a special part of everyday family life, right from the start! A&O worked with the Partners to build evaluation capacity, guide a literature review, and develop programmatic logic models. A&O conducted external evaluations of three programs and with a participatory1 approach built the Partnership’s capacity to continue their evaluation work internally.
[1] Whitmore. E (Ed) (1998). Special Issue: Understanding and Practicing Participatory Evaluation. New Directions in Evaluation. Vol. 80, pp. 1-99
Testimonial
The A&O team provided us with thoughtful, engaging and realistic leadership for our evaluation project. They helped us understand the data and provided recommendations and ideas for our organizational growth (to address what we discovered in the evaluation.) Our organizational culture is shifting – we are “evaluation ready” and are now using data to inform our program planning thanks to the patience, skill and talent of the A&O team!
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Jowonio School
The Jowonio School in Syracuse, NY is an internationally recognized model for inclusive education of young children with a wide range of abilities. A&O facilitated a diverse group of stakeholders including parents, staff, early childhood professionals, program supporters, funders and board members to develop a concise logic model to articulated their many program facets. From there, A&O provided guidance and technical assistance to Jowonio staff to build their capacity for systematic tracking, measurement and reporting of the school’s impact on children, families and staff. Armed with clear knowledge of their data collection needs and methods for collecting useful data they were able to secure funding to develop the technology for a performance management system which they implemented and continue to use today.
Testimonial
A&O took the time to thoroughly understand our organizational needs and project expectations. They worked quickly and efficiently, gave us multiple opportunities to provide feedback on draft reports, and were always responsive to our questions and concerns. We are delighted with the product of our efforts together!
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Apter & O’Connor led the CNY Community Foundation’s initiative to develop community wide indicators to assess literacy in Central New York. A&O conducted background research, guided the management team and facilitated a task force of 25 community leaders and literacy stakeholders through a six-month exploration and planning process. The final report served as the foundation for the establishment of a community wide literacy coalition that continues today. The Coalition provides home delivered books and activities through the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, has won awards as a Pacesetter from the Campaign for Grade Level Reading and initiated numerous programs and activities in the Central New York community.\
Testimonial
As the facilitators of the Literacy Impact Task Force, Dianne and Cynthia helped us frame our task, refereed 'arguments,' got us to the goal. We now use the Indicators developed with them as the community measures of success. Dianne and Cynthia are practical, sensible data geeks.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Early Reading First
Early Reading First (ERF) was an early literacy program targeting preschoolers from low income families at high risk of reading failure. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, each of these projects was a multi-year contract (3-6 years) with features unique to each district. Apter & O’Connor provided rigorous evaluations to support continuous program improvement and to assess both fidelity of implementation and the impact of the ERF interventions. Each scope of work required a detailed evaluation plan, extensive data collection and analysis, and extensive and detailed reporting to satisfy all US DOE GPRA requirements. Our evaluation outcomes enabled the districts to design and sustain changes in professional development practices and classroom instruction, gain a place on the federal What Works Clearinghouse for early childhood best practices, initiate further research on critical factors for student gains, and leverage their data to support applications for additional grant funding.
Testimonial
Apter and O’Connor Associates are highly skilled and committed to ensuring a balanced, fair and well written program evaluation. They always research the topic thoroughly including interviewing staff and visiting the sites to observe the project. They are able to gather the necessary data, both qualitative and quantitative, to evaluate the outcomes of the project. They meet with staff to develop the evaluation plan before the project, and monitor the implementation of the plan and data collection during the project to ensure the data is correct. They are always willing to meet with staff to offer recommendations for program improvements. Their approach is hands-on, face-to-face and research-based. They are committed to excellence, have never missed a deadline and also have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
As evaluators, Apter & O’Connor provide extensive, ongoing information, feedback and recommendations that pave the way for clear, focused direction of the Early Reading First grant I presently oversee as the coordinator. They ‘tell it like it is’ and offer valuable analysis, recommendations and resources that make a significant difference in the process. Their professional expertise and guidance is a driving force for success of any grant or project. I highly trust and value Apter & O’Connor Associates, Inc. for their exemplary services and would strongly recommend them as evaluators.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
21st Century Learning Communities
A&O conducts local evaluations for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), a federally-funded program supporting high quality learning centers for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. It features partnerships with school districts and community based youth development agencies. The programs target students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. Tutoring, academic enrichment and a broad array of youth development opportunities are offered to complement the school’s regular academic program.
In addition, literacy and other educational services are offered to families of students participating in the program. Evaluation activities include systematic observations at all sites, analysis of student academic data provided by the school district as well as surveys completed by the students themselves. A&O has worked with large multi-site school districts as well as smaller community agency sites.
View Case Study
On Point for College: The Freshman Success Project
Led by Senior Associate, Dr. Donald Cibula, A&O completed an outcome evaluation for On Point’s Freshman Success project. We used rigorous statistical methods to determine progress toward the intended goals of the project and to reveal challenges to consider for future program planning. Specifically our analysis demonstrated that after completing the Summer Institute (SI), mean scores on a standardized math and reading assessment (TABE) for intervention students were significantly and substantively higher than scores for a comparison group with baseline equivalence (intervention and comparison groups were very similar demographically or in skill level prior to the intervention). We were able to conclude that the impact of the SI program was likely responsible for the student gains.
Additionally, we assisted the agency to develop their own evaluation capacity by enhancing their existing data system to better track, measure and report program implementation and its impact on student success.
On Point for College, founded in 1999 by Virginia D. Donohue, is a unique college access and success (retention) program for enrolling inner-city, first generation college youth. The Freshman Success Program operate over a three-year grant period, January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2016. The program activities begin with advisement of prospective college enrollees and include an intensive college preparation academic component during the summer, assistance with resources for success and transition to school and on-campus advisement throughout the year.
View Case Study
High School Graduation Initiative
SCSD was awarded a four year Federal grant to tackle high dropout rates and low graduation rates. The District has contracted with Apter & O’Connor to evaluate the program and document implementation successes and challenges. The High School Graduation Initiative (HSGI) supports any student currently out of school, at-risk of dropping out or not on track for graduation. HSGI adds a strong focus on school attendance with the formation of Attendance Teams to track students early on and assist those with attendance issues through additional supports or alternative programming. Another important component are the Graduation Initiative Specialists (or Case Mangers) who work directly with students and their families. A&O is conducting a formative and outcome evaluation, utilizing data from the Basic Educational Data System (e-School), standardized test scores, attendance records, and disciplinary referral reports as well as survey/interview with students, counselors and teachers and administrators to examine success of implementation and impact of the interventions. The findings and recommendations will inform further decision making for student supports and improved achievement.
Early Reading First
Early Reading First (ERF) was an early literacy program targeting preschoolers from low income families at high risk of reading failure. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, each of these projects was a multi-year contract (3-6 years) with features unique to each district. Apter & O’Connor provided rigorous evaluations to support continuous program improvement and to assess both fidelity of implementation and the impact of the ERF interventions. Each scope of work required a detailed evaluation plan, extensive data collection and analysis, and extensive and detailed reporting to satisfy all US DOE GPRA requirements. Our evaluation outcomes enabled the districts to design and sustain changes in professional development practices and classroom instruction, gain a place on the federal What Works Clearinghouse for early childhood best practices, initiate further research on critical factors for student gains, and leverage their data to support applications for additional grant funding.
Testimonial
Apter and O’Connor Associates are highly skilled and committed to ensuring a balanced, fair and well written program evaluation. They always research the topic thoroughly including interviewing staff and visiting the sites to observe the project. They are able to gather the necessary data, both qualitative and quantitative, to evaluate the outcomes of the project. They meet with staff to develop the evaluation plan before the project, and monitor the implementation of the plan and data collection during the project to ensure the data is correct. They are always willing to meet with staff to offer recommendations for program improvements. Their approach is hands-on, face-to-face and research-based. They are committed to excellence, have never missed a deadline and also have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills.
As evaluators, Apter & O’Connor provide extensive, ongoing information, feedback and recommendations that pave the way for clear, focused direction of the Early Reading First grant I presently oversee as the coordinator. They ‘tell it like it is’ and offer valuable analysis, recommendations and resources that make a significant difference in the process. Their professional expertise and guidance is a driving force for success of any grant or project. I highly trust and value Apter & O’Connor Associates, Inc. for their exemplary services and would strongly recommend them as evaluators.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs
A&O conducts evaluations for several 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs. These programs are federally and state funded to support tutoring, academic enrichment and a broad array of youth development opportunities before and after school to complement the school’s regular academic program. It features partnerships with school districts and community-based organizations to programs target students from high-poverty neighborhoods and attending low-performing schools.
A&O’s evaluation activities include systematic observations at all sites, interviews with staff and administrators, surveys of all stakeholder (students, staff and parents) and extensive analysis of student academic data. A&O has worked with large multi-site school districts as well as smaller community agency sites, including The Syracuse City School District, Watervlieit Central School District, The YMCA of Central New York, and the Center for Community Alternatives.
Program Directors consistently note the value of these rigorous evaluations and the ongoing feedback and technical assistance for program improvement that the A&O team provides. These independent evaluations have provided the needed evidence and critical information to convince legislators at all levels of government to continue funding these after school programs.
Testimonial
We so appreciate the multi-year evaluations so we can note differences from year to year and reflect on improvements. Very helpful to share with our board, the principal and even our staff so they can see what impact they are having. The Student surveys are especially useful.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs
A&O conducts evaluations for several 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs. These programs are federally, joand state funded to support tutoring, academic enrichment and a broad array of youth development opportunities before and after school to complement the school’s regular academic program. It features partnerships with school districts and community-based organizations to programs target students from high-poverty neighborhoods and attending low-performing schools.
A&O’s evaluation activities include systematic observations at all sites, interviews with staff and administrators, surveys of all stakeholder (students, staff and parents) and extensive analysis of student academic data. A&O has worked with large multi-site school districts as well as smaller community agency sites, including The Syracuse City School District, Watervliet Central School District, The YMCA of Central New York, and the Center for Community Alternatives.
Program Directors consistently note the value of these rigorous evaluations and the ongoing feedback and technical assistance for program improvement that the A&O team provides. These independent evaluations have provided the needed evidence and critical information to convince legislators at all levels of government to continue funding these after school programs.
Testimonial
We so appreciate the multi-year evaluations so we can note differences from year to year and reflect on improvements. Very helpful to share with our board, the principal and even our staff so they can see what impact they are having. The Student surveys are especially useful.
-View Case Study
Foundations & Government
American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA): Every Child By Two
AIRA is a national volunteer membership organization that promotes and supports immunization information systems (IIS) to ensure healthy communities across the country. The offer advocacy, education, and technical assistance to their members. A&O has guided two strategic planning processes for this dynamic organization and completed a multi-year outcome evaluation encompassing their subcontractor Vaccinate Your Family (formerly known as Every Child by Two). For the most recent project Cynthia O’Connor teamed up with Steve Schack of Clear Blue Associates of NYC and traveled to Savannah to facilitate a board retreat. Together, they led a five-month strategic planning and organizational capacity building process with AIRA’s senior staff and board of directors. Our holistic approach was based on the published body of work by Susan Kenny Stevens known as “Nonprofit Lifecycles” [1] We find that organizations often embark on strategic planning efforts that are almost exclusively focused on looking outward and focusing on their programs and services, with little consideration to the capacity that it will require. By taking this holistic view, we can help ensure that growth is managed, and efforts stay in synch.
[1] Susan Kenny Stevens, Nonprofit Lifecycles Stage-Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity (Wayzata, MN: Stagewise Enterprises, Inc., 2002).
Testimonial
Our Board for our national association was able to come to agreement for a re-organization and succession strategy which we successfully implemented. We were able to “turn around” from decline.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
O’Connor Mentors Next Generation of Leaders through Marsellus LeadUp Program - January 2023
For the 5th year, Cynthia O’Connor, in partnership with Katie Doucette from The Leading Element, is providing mentorship, support, and instruction to the next generation of leaders of nonprofit agencies in Onondaga and Madison Counties in Central New York.
The Marsellus Family Fund at the Central New York Community Foundation created LeadUp to invest time and resources in future leadership development. Cynthia and Katie work with the program’s annual cohort of ten to twelve participants selected from small or mid-sized organizations with limited professional development resources. They help each participant create an individualized development plan to allow for demonstrated growth toward their goals.
Through one-on-one coaching, half-day group learning sessions, panel discussions, and networking with key community leaders, participants gain exposure to many perspectives within the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Cynthia and Katie bring their unique real-world experiences and a genuine and straightforward approach to the program’s activities. The participants provide glowing reviews each year:
LeadUp changed us all for the better and in doing so presented Syracuse with ten leaders more able to lead with compassion, confidence, and connections. LeadUp changes the community for the better.
LeadUp gave me the opportunity to take the goals I’ve had in my head, get them down on paper in an achievable format and finally execute on them! The networking with other local, like-minded leaders was so valuable. That coupled with the individual coaching sessions made for one of the best professional development opportunities I’ve had the pleasure to take part in. I would recommend this to anyone looking to grow their networks, achieve new goals and sharpen their leadership skills
The coaching sessions were amazing. I am not sure that I would have accomplished some of my personal and professional goals this year without Katie and Cynthia's mentorship.
Central New York Community Foundation: The Literacy Task Force
Apter & O’Connor led the CNY Community Foundation’s initiative to develop community wide indicators to assess literacy in Central New York. A&O conducted background research, guided the management team and facilitated a task force of 25 community leaders and literacy stakeholders through a six-month strategic planning process. Throughout the process we prepared materials and planned & facilitated all Community Stakeholder meetings, provided regular summaries and feedback to the management team and produced a final report with indicators that served as the foundation for the establishment of a community wide literacy coalition that continues today, five years later.
View Case Study
City of Syracuse, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development
Apter & O’Connor provides consultant services for the City of Syracuse, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development. Our team works with community based organizations that receive US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. In these times of shrinking funds, we are assisting CDBG agencies to strengthen their capacity in several areas including: governance and board development, performance outcomes and measurement systems, resource development and funding opportunities, effective collaborations for proposals and service delivery. Our approach offers individualized technical assistance based upon unique organizational strengths, challenges and needs. The A&O Team brings all of the needed experience for this project in strategic planning and grant writing as well as expertise as trainers and facilitators. We are delighted to be collaborating on this project with Mr. Steve Susman, who, as former Executive Director of the Westcott Community Center in Syracuse, brings 37 years of experience in grant writing and reporting, non-profit management and board development.
View Case Study
Cities First Readers (CFR) is a collaboration of numerous nonprofits and all three public library systems across New York City designed to support the development of a literacy rich ecosystem. Their overarching goal is to ensure young children and their families receive needed supports to become successful readers. The collaborative partners are implementing numerous services and programs including parent education, book distributions, guided reading programs, professional development, home visiting and public awareness campaigns. A&O led the partners through a process of clarifying their goals, outcomes and strategies as well as each partner’s capacity for evaluation and their role within the collaborative. They were then ready to take the next step and document the benefits or impacts of this extensive endeavor. A&O conducts several independent evaluation inquiries each year utilizing a variety of methods analysis for statistical significance using standardized assessments, geocoding and mapping, descriptive illustrations of service statistics, interviews, observations, and surveys of numerous stakeholder groups. A few of these recent and current inquires have examined:
- the strength and maturity of the coalition using the lens of Collective Impact[1],
- whether targeted CFR interventions lead to improvements in knowledge, skill, and behavior among parents to support early literacy for young children
- the concentration of CFR services as related to poverty levels across all NY City council districts
- if attendance is improving at library story times within high-risk neighborhoods? Is there a correlation with the CFR public awareness campaign?
- how has CFR adapted and responded in the time of the COVID19 pandemic
- is there consistency across CFR partners in the use of evidence-based/ best practices for book distribution and associated educational messaging to support home environments and early literacy development?
A&O was chosen for their years of evaluation experience in early childhood and literacy related programming and is thrilled to support this important initiative.
[1] Preskill, H., Parkhurst, Marcie, Juster, J.S., Guide to Evaluating Collective Impact; Collective Impact Forum, FSG.
View Case Study
Rigorous Inquiries into Trends and Impacts of The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga
The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County (ECA) was launched in 2015 to advance a comprehensive, coordinated, well-funded system of high-quality, prenatal-to-age-five early childhood programs and supports. It is a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders with a shared vision that all young children in the county are healthy, thriving, and successful in school and life, and that all families of young children are supported in their parenting. A&O was engaged to examine two of teh ECA’s key areas of effort: funding support and parent engagement.
In 2022, we completed a study of recent early childhood funding levels and trends nationally, statewide, and within Onondaga County. The results serve as an updated baseline for monitoring future growth and to measure ECA’s advocacy impact.
Methods for this inquiry included a document review of past ECA reports, a literature review on early childhood funding levels and trends at state and national levels, interviews with ECA staff, and a spring 2022 funding survey of local anchor systems (nine key early childhood services and supports).
That report, Funding to Support A Strong Early Childhood System 2019–2021, detected an 8% decrease in funding for the early childhood ecosystem from 2019 through 2021 in Onondaga County. Several survey respondents noted that COVID-related challenges, closures, and lockdowns skewed service delivery data and, in some cases, resulted in underutilized services which could explain some of the funding decreases.
The second inquiry, also completed in 2022, examined the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), the primary mechanism for the ECA’s parent engagement work. A group of parents of young children meet regularly to discuss improving the early childhood system, leveraging their own experiences to provide the ECA with input about its initiatives.
The ECA funded this study to learn how the PAC was functioning, what impact the members have on ECA planning and decision-making, and if the parent participants perceive any value or benefit for themselves. ECA was also interested in gaining new knowledge and ideas from other parent engagement professionals and endeavors statewide and nationally to help inform their overall parent engagement strategy.
A thorough report, Parents in Partnership: An Initiative of the Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County, offered valuable insights to the Alliance and strong recommendations and references to strengthen their early efforts.
View Case Study
Health Foundation of Western and Central New York: Central New York Neighborhood Initiative — Helping Seniors to Age in Place
The Health Foundation of Western and Central New York in partnership with the Gifford Foundation funded a Central New York Neighborhood Action Initiative (CNYNAI) to create and test evidence-based practices that will enable seniors to remain in their homes and own communities as they grow older rather than in nursing homes or other forms of institutionalized care. To do this, the Foundation provided seven neighborhood-based organizations with resources to enable them to test best practice approaches designed to help people continue to live in their neighborhoods and to share knowledge, ideas and lessons learned with each other.
Apter & O’Connor served as the evaluator for this exciting initiative. In addition, we facilitated “learning communities” for the seven selected organizations. We were able to articulate the unique characteristics of each project that may have had the most significant influence or impact on creating conditions and supports that allow elderly residents to age in their own homes and neighborhoods. Each of the NAI funded agencies successfully served their target population of low-income seniors within their identified neighborhoods and received positive reviews and accolades from their participants. All found the Learning Sessions a valuable opportunity to network, share ideas and resources and support each other. Our final report, still in use, offered ideas for lessons learned by the Foundations as well as the seven agencies in serving this often challenging population in unique and creative ways.
Testimonial
I found the session on ‘fear of falling’ good reinforcement for the work I am doing when I look at safety in the home; I gained a few more areas of safety that I had overlooked. Hearing about other projects was helpful especially how there were problem solving to deal with barriers. Presenters were all helpful at generating deeper thought around topics such as connecting with people vs. technology, generational differences, concerns specific to seniors. Much thanks to Apter & O’Connor. I'm going to forward this useful report to our Executive Director and Personal Care Assistance President.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Needs Assessment for NYS Commission for the Blind
The New York State Office of Children & Family Services (OCFS) has selected A&O to conduct a comprehensive statewide needs assessment for The New York State Commission for the Blind (NYSCB). NYSCB provides vocational and rehabilitation services to more than 4,500 consumers with blindness and visual impairment through seven district offices located throughout New York State. The assessment will include quantitative analysis of the state's case management data system, fiscal modeling and forecasting, as well as surveys, focus groups and interviews - all developed to meet 508 compliance and accessibility standards. The inquiries are designed to:
- assess factors related to successful case closures, i.e., demographics, secondary disabilities and functional limitations, and the combination/s of services received;
- gain the perspectives of district office staff regarding system outcomes, service barriers and successful collaborations;
- examine how the use of braille impacted success in school, college, and/or vocational training;
- assess proficiency and level of experience with braille among teachers of the visually impaired and vision rehabilitation therapists;
- and complete fiscal forecasting to gain an improved understanding of students who are eligible or potentially eligible for services.
A&O will present the analysis, findings, and recommendations in a white paper to be incorporated into the annual plan for the Federal Rehabilitation Services Administration.
View Case Study
21st Century Learning Communities
A&O conducts local evaluations for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), a federally-funded program supporting high quality learning centers for Kindergarten through Grade 12 students. It features partnerships with school districts and community based youth development agencies. The programs target students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. Tutoring, academic enrichment and a broad array of youth development opportunities are offered to complement the school’s regular academic program.
In addition, literacy and other educational services are offered to families of students participating in the program. Evaluation activities include systematic observations at all sites, analysis of student academic data provided by the school district as well as surveys completed by the students themselves. A&O has worked with large multi-site school districts as well as smaller community agency sites.
View Case Study
Apter and O’Connor assisted the One Love Foundation staff in Yonkers, NY in completing a comprehensive assessment to better understand the educational needs to prevent sexual and dating violence among young people. A team of four at A&O began by helping the staff at One Love to prioritize data elements and indicators and identify relevant secondary data sources. Our team then worked to review, analyze and interpret all of this existing data. We used local measures to compare with regional, state, or national benchmarks to provide context for the findings. Finally, we provided guidance and technical assistance to the One Love staff to develop a logic model and evaluation plan, strengthen survey tools and plan for future focus groups and interviews.
Testimonial
We received amazing feedback from everyone on the overall assessment. Thank you so much for your contributions to making this a success!
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
The Gifford Foundation: ADVANS Consultation
Apter & O’Connor provides consultation and assistance to a wide array of not-for-profit agencies to increase their ability to respond and thrive in challenging fiscal climates. Our capacity-building work with health, educational and human service agencies is taking several forms, depending on the needs and “life-cycle” stage of the organization. As part of this renewed emphasis on capacity building and organizational development, A&O President, Cynthia O’Connor, has served as a consultant for ADVANS (Advancing and Developing the Value & Assets of Non-Profits in Syracuse), an initiative developed and funded by the Gifford Foundation and the Ready or Not initiative supported by the Health Foundation of Western and Central New York (HFWCNY).
Cynthia was certified by Dr. Susan Kenny Stevens, Gifford’s lead consultant for the project and the author of the award-winning book Nonprofit Lifecycles Stage–Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity. This organizational development framework assumes predictable needs, challenges, and strengths dependent on an agency’s life cycle — from start up to maturity — and works intensively with agency leadership teams to assess and fortify their infrastructure across management, governance, financial, and administrative systems, as well as programs and services.
Cynthia has had the privilege of three 2-year engagements through the Gifford ADVANS program and a fourth for the HFWCNY’s Ready or Not initiative.
Testimonial
We are in a different place thanks to our work with Apter & O’Connor. They facilitated some very difficult conversations and moved the agency forward sometimes with a gentle nudge and other times with a strong shove. I have enjoyed working with you and so appreciate your guidance and advice professionally and personally. What a skillful facilitator Cynthia has been. Her tactfulness at the beginning of the process when there was a controversial issue facing the board and director was so helpful in allowing us to resolve and move forward. Her insights into the nature of board/staff relationships were critical to the success of the process. I can’t think of anything that she could have been done better.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
The Wayne County Task Force for Run Away and Homeless Youth and The Wayne County Housing Consortium
Apter & O’Connor developed and analyzed a survey to 792 eighth and eleventh grade students who attended 6 schools in Wayne County a rural community in Western New York. The survey gathered information related to the prevalence and issues surrounding homeless and/or run away youth. The survey design probed sensitive information in a manner appropriate to young people of diverse backgrounds.
View Case Study
Health & Human Services
American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA): Every Child By Two
AIRA is a national volunteer membership organization that promotes and supports immunization information systems (IIS) to ensure healthy communities across the country. The offer advocacy, education, and technical assistance to their members. A&O has guided two strategic planning processes for this dynamic organization and completed a multi-year outcome evaluation encompassing their subcontractor Vaccinate Your Family (formerly known as Every Child by Two). For the most recent project Cynthia O’Connor teamed up with Steve Schack of Clear Blue Associates of NYC and traveled to Savannah to facilitate a board retreat. Together, they led a five-month strategic planning and organizational capacity building process with AIRA’s senior staff and board of directors. Our holistic approach was based on the published body of work by Susan Kenny Stevens known as “Nonprofit Lifecycles” [1] We find that organizations often embark on strategic planning efforts that are almost exclusively focused on looking outward and focusing on their programs and services, with little consideration to the capacity that it will require. By taking this holistic view, we can help ensure that growth is managed, and efforts stay in synch.
[1] Susan Kenny Stevens, Nonprofit Lifecycles Stage-Based Wisdom for Nonprofit Capacity (Wayzata, MN: Stagewise Enterprises, Inc., 2002).
Testimonial
Our Board for our national association was able to come to agreement for a re-organization and succession strategy which we successfully implemented. We were able to “turn around” from decline.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs
A&O conducts evaluations for several 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs. These programs are federally, and state funded to support tutoring, academic enrichment and a broad array of youth development opportunities before and after school to complement the school’s regular academic program. It features partnerships with school districts and community-based organizations to programs target students from high-poverty neighborhoods and attending low-performing schools.
A&O’s evaluation activities include systematic observations at all sites, interviews with staff and administrators, surveys of all stakeholder (students, staff and parents) and extensive analysis of student academic data. A&O has worked with large multi-site school districts as well as smaller community agency sites, including The Syracuse City School District, Watervliet Central School District, The YMCA of Central New York, and the Center for Community Alternatives.
Program Directors consistently note the value of these rigorous evaluations and the ongoing feedback and technical assistance for program improvement that the A&O team provides. These independent evaluations have provided the needed evidence and critical information to convince legislators at all levels of government to continue funding these after school programs.
Testimonial
We so appreciate the multi-year evaluations so we can note differences from year to year and reflect on improvements. Very helpful to share with our board, the principal and even our staff so they can see what impact they are having. The Student surveys are especially useful.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Process & Outcome Evaluations of a Multifaceted Child Care Improvement Effort
Child Care Solutions is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1975 to provide information and resources to parents, providers, employers, and community leaders in Onondaga and Cayuga Counties (NY) who seek solutions to their child care needs. In partnership with the Early Childhood Alliance, Child Care Solutions has been working tirelessly to assure child care options are not only available but of high quality.
Beginning in 2021, The Child Care Quality Improvement Pilot (CCQI) funded by Onondaga County, provided extra resources to this effort. This year the pilot’s focus is on family child care. Key components include training family care providers to implement an evidenced-based curriculum (The Creative Curriculum), one-on-one coaching in using assessments (a curriculum fidelity tool, the Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale [FCCRS], and the Ages and Stages questionnaire) to inform lesson planning, and communication with parents. There are also stipends for the providers.
As the independent evaluator of the pilot, A&O’s work will have two key components. First, a process evaluation. This is designed to assess CCQI’s progress implementing the project components they’ve planned.
Second, an outcome evaluation will measure progress toward the intended outcomes and describe the activities’ early impacts. Stakeholder feedback and assessment data will be important to that evaluation, and A&O will synthesize data from a variety of sources to formulate suggestions for improvement.
Child Care Solutions of Onondaga and Cayuga Counties (CCS): A Child Care Needs Assessment
In the past, Apter & O’Connor has worked with Child Care Solutions several times to support their needs assessment related to the current state of child care. A&O designed specific inquiries to examine child care supply and demand. The final product illustrated the child care needs unique to these geographic areas and the related work-life issues for both child care providers and the families they serve. The assessments included: a detailed review of national, state and local data; focus groups with child care providers, local government officials, funders and human service experts; surveys for parents and providers; and interviews with human resource professionals. The rigorous methodology employed for each study provided child care advocates with a powerful tool to design new interventions and educate state and local legislators and funders.
View Case Study
City of Syracuse, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development
Apter & O’Connor provides consultant services for the City of Syracuse, Department of Neighborhood and Business Development. Our team works with community based organizations that receive US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. In these times of shrinking funds, we are assisting CDBG agencies to strengthen their capacity in several areas including: governance and board development, performance outcomes and measurement systems, resource development and funding opportunities, effective collaborations for proposals and service delivery. Our approach offers individualized technical assistance based upon unique organizational strengths, challenges and needs. The A&O Team brings all of the needed experience for this project in strategic planning and grant writing as well as expertise as trainers and facilitators. We are delighted to be collaborating on this project with Mr. Steve Susman, who, as former Executive Director of the Westcott Community Center in Syracuse, brings 37 years of experience in grant writing and reporting, non-profit management and board development.
View Case Study
Rigorous Inquiries into Trends and Impacts of The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga
The Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County (ECA) was launched in 2015 to advance a comprehensive, coordinated, well-funded system of high-quality, prenatal-to-age-five early childhood programs and supports. It is a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders with a shared vision that all young children in the county are healthy, thriving, and successful in school and life, and that all families of young children are supported in their parenting. A&O was engaged to examine two of teh ECA’s key areas of effort: funding support and parent engagement.
In 2022, we completed a study of recent early childhood funding levels and trends nationally, statewide, and within Onondaga County. The results serve as an updated baseline for monitoring future growth and to measure ECA’s advocacy impact.
Methods for this inquiry included a document review of past ECA reports, a literature review on early childhood funding levels and trends at state and national levels, interviews with ECA staff, and a spring 2022 funding survey of local anchor systems (nine key early childhood services and supports).
That report, Funding to Support A Strong Early Childhood System 2019–2021, detected an 8% decrease in funding for the early childhood ecosystem from 2019 through 2021 in Onondaga County. Several survey respondents noted that COVID-related challenges, closures, and lockdowns skewed service delivery data and, in some cases, resulted in underutilized services which could explain some of the funding decreases.
The second inquiry, also completed in 2022, examined the Parent Advisory Council (PAC), the primary mechanism for the ECA’s parent engagement work. A group of parents of young children meet regularly to discuss improving the early childhood system, leveraging their own experiences to provide the ECA with input about its initiatives.
The ECA funded this study to learn how the PAC was functioning, what impact the members have on ECA planning and decision-making, and if the parent participants perceive any value or benefit for themselves. ECA was also interested in gaining new knowledge and ideas from other parent engagement professionals and endeavors statewide and nationally to help inform their overall parent engagement strategy.
A thorough report, Parents in Partnership: An Initiative of the Early Childhood Alliance of Onondaga County, offered valuable insights to the Alliance and strong recommendations and references to strengthen their early efforts.
View Case Study
Health Foundation of Western and Central New York: Central New York Neighborhood Initiative — Helping Seniors to Age in Place
The Health Foundation of Western and Central New York in partnership with the Gifford Foundation funded a Central New York Neighborhood Action Initiative (CNYNAI) to create and test evidence-based practices that will enable seniors to remain in their homes and own communities as they grow older rather than in nursing homes or other forms of institutionalized care. To do this, the Foundation provided seven neighborhood-based organizations with resources to enable them to test best practice approaches designed to help people continue to live in their neighborhoods and to share knowledge, ideas and lessons learned with each other.
Apter & O’Connor served as the evaluator for this exciting initiative. In addition, we facilitated “learning communities” for the seven selected organizations. We were able to articulate the unique characteristics of each project that may have had the most significant influence or impact on creating conditions and supports that allow elderly residents to age in their own homes and neighborhoods. Each of the NAI funded agencies successfully served their target population of low-income seniors within their identified neighborhoods and received positive reviews and accolades from their participants. All found the Learning Sessions a valuable opportunity to network, share ideas and resources and support each other. Our final report, still in use, offered ideas for lessons learned by the Foundations as well as the seven agencies in serving this often challenging population in unique and creative ways.
Testimonial
I found the session on ‘fear of falling’ good reinforcement for the work I am doing when I look at safety in the home; I gained a few more areas of safety that I had overlooked. Hearing about other projects was helpful especially how there were problem solving to deal with barriers. Presenters were all helpful at generating deeper thought around topics such as connecting with people vs. technology, generational differences, concerns specific to seniors. Much thanks to Apter & O’Connor. I'm going to forward this useful report to our Executive Director and Personal Care Assistance President.
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
Huntington Family Centers
The Huntington Family Centers Brighton Tower’s Service Coordination Program needed an independent quality assurance review on a tight timeline. Funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the program provides residents in this 600 unit subsidized senior housing complex with the personal assistance they need to access resources and services.
The review examined the 12-month period ending June 30, 2014. A&O worked with residents, apartment building staff and Huntington to answer the three questions all funders and providers need answered: 1) Did we implement with fidelity? 2) Did we do it with quality? 3) Did our services have an impact on our constituents? We conducted interviews, held group discussions with residents, and used questionnaires to collect anonymous feedback. Sixty residents participated (approximately 10% of total residents, and 25% of the residents served in 2013). We wanted to know about their satisfaction and utilization of the services offered as well as barriers the residents faced in accessing them. We also gathered ideas for improvement for the Service Coordination Program.
In addition to providing the deliverable of a high quality independent program evaluation for the client, our process of communicating with residents about the Service Coordination Program increased their understanding of this valuable resource.
View Case Study
Literacy Powerline
Apter & O’Connor is collaborating with the national organization, Literacy Powerline. The mission of Literacy Powerline is to increase literacy levels through effective and sustainable community collaboration and engagement. Literacy Powerline works with educators, business and labor leaders, philanthropic organizations, civic and faith-based groups, policymakers, literacy providers and students to demonstrate that everyone thrives when a community is committed to 100% literacy. Scores of communities across the country have accessed the resources and capabilities of the Literacy Powerline team. A&O is offering strategic planning, needs assessment and evaluation expertise to coalitions across the country to develop effective and highly accountable literacy initiatives within their own communities. We are excited to be part of the Literacy Powerline team working with the Annie E. Casey National Support Center for the Campaign for Grade Level Reading to provide consultation for accountability systems, implementation and sustainability efforts of funded projects, particularly in rural areas.
The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Closer to home, Apter & O’Connor has designed an evaluation of the Herkimer Oneida Literacy Coalition for Literacy Powerline. The approach is an empowerment model to facilitate stakeholder ownership of the evaluation activities and allow for on-going feedback, dialogue and appropriate adjustment. The evaluation is designed to measure the development of a fully functioning literacy coalition and the impact on the community.
A&O has joined Literacy Powerline to support the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading in communities across New York State. The Campaign is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. The Campaign focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade. Recognizing that schools can’t “do it alone”, the Campaign seeks to engage and mobilize whole communities to remove barriers, expand learning opportunities and assist parents to serve as partners in their child’s education. A&O along with Literacy Powerline is helping to build a statewide network of GLR Communities across New York by offering coalition building, coaching, technical assistance and resources to individual communities and cities, so they can build their own unique networks and realize the goals of the Campaign.
View Case Study
Apter and O’Connor assisted the One Love Foundation staff in Yonkers, NY in completing a comprehensive assessment to better understand the educational needs to prevent sexual and dating violence among young people. A team of four at A&O began by helping the staff at One Love to prioritize data elements and indicators and identify relevant secondary data sources. Our team then worked to review, analyze and interpret all of this existing data. We used local measures to compare with regional, state, or national benchmarks to provide context for the findings. Finally, we provided guidance and technical assistance to the One Love staff to develop a logic model and evaluation plan, strengthen survey tools and plan for future focus groups and interviews.
Testimonial
We received amazing feedback from everyone on the overall assessment. Thank you so much for your contributions to making this a success!
- A comment from our client...View Case Study
The Salvation Army Syracuse Area Services: Expanding Evaluation Capacity for the Family Place Visitation Program
The Salvation Army received a funding award from the Central New York Community Foundation to develop an internal evaluation plan for the Family Place Visitation Program. Apter & O’Connor was asked to facilitate a series of meetings with the key stakeholders and program partners to develop the organizational capacity for Family Place to systematically track, measure and report program implementation and its impact on children and families.
Family Place was established 7 years ago as a collaboration of The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, Huntington Family Center and the County Department of Social Services to reduce the length of stay for children in foster care. Together they provide a variety of parent support activities in different settings. The needs of the families are quite variable and complex which presented a challenge to determining feasible performance measures.
The fact that the services are provided by four different entities contributed to this challenge. A&O led the group in developing a logic model of Family Place that communicates the relationships between community needs, program elements and activities, service outputs and family outcomes. From there A&O facilitated the development of benchmarks, indicators of progress and reporting systems that now provide reliable and consistent information to the leadership team for ongoing measurement of fidelity and impact and identification of areas in need of improvement.
Testimonial
We could now say we can measure the performance of our collaborative project and determine if it is truly having an impact on the people we serve.
- Comment from our clientView Case Study
St. Joseph Hospital and Health Center, Syracuse NY: The Children’s Health Innovation Project (CHIP)
CHIP was a funded by the National Institute for Mental Health as a system of care grant intended to improve mental health services and outcomes for children and youth. Apter & O’Connor provided a process evaluation, technical assistance for planning that included practitioners, administrators and parents, and a focused inquiry involving a series of interviews with primary care physicians and mental health professionals.
View Case Study
The Wayne County Task Force for Run Away and Homeless Youth and The Wayne County Housing Consortium
Apter & O’Connor developed and analyzed a survey to 792 eighth and eleventh grade students who attended 6 schools in Wayne County a rural community in Western New York. The survey gathered information related to the prevalence and issues surrounding homeless and/or run away youth. The survey design probed sensitive information in a manner appropriate to young people of diverse backgrounds.
View Case Study
Unity House is a large and complex human service agency. Their mission is to empower people in recovery from substance abuse, coping with mental illness or diagnosed with a developmental disability. Apter & O’Connor’s work with Unity House started with a strategic planning process. The resulting three-year plan guided their preparation for NY State’s service-delivery and reimbursement transformation resulting from Managed Care. The process explored new business opportunities, planned for updating all administrative systems for new compliance requirement, designed a robust performance management (PM) infrastructure to support high quality programming and addressed the steps needed to strengthen their marketing and community engagement.
Following the strategic planning process, A&O was engaged to provide professional development and lead a newly convened PM committee. Over the course of 18 months, the committee examined each program area to articulate intended outcomes, identify performance measures, collect and analyze data, develop user-friendly reports and dashboards, and plan for program adjustments and improvements. The work with A&O concluded but the PM Committee continues with data-driven-decision-making now a part of the agency culture.
Testimonial
This strategic planning process was different than others I’ve participated in the past. It was at a higher level and more intense; we really had to work. The end product was worth it – we now have a viable plan for the next three years that will situate the agency for success.
I want to thank A&O for everything. I was so impressed by your ability to take information from our industry, digest it and feed it back in an organized way. My observation was that you were attentive and did not miss anything from what we said, to how we engaged. I feel that you helped to push the agency and staff to a new level in terms of strategic planning and program evaluation. I completely enjoyed my experience with you. Thank you and enjoy the fall!
We have made so many strides with our dashboards and data collection! I believe our directors now “think” data. Thank you for our support
- Comments from Unity House directors...View Case Study
21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs
A&O conducts evaluations for several 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and the Extended Day/School Violence Prevention (ED/SVP) programs. These programs are federally, joand state funded to support tutoring, academic enrichment and a broad array of youth development opportunities before and after school to complement the school’s regular academic program. It features partnerships with school districts and community-based organizations to programs target students from high-poverty neighborhoods and attending low-performing schools.
A&O’s evaluation activities include systematic observations at all sites, interviews with staff and administrators, surveys of all stakeholder (students, staff and parents) and extensive analysis of student academic data. A&O has worked with large multi-site school districts as well as smaller community agency sites, including The Syracuse City School District, Watervliet Central School District, The YMCA of Central New York, and the Center for Community Alternatives.
Program Directors consistently note the value of these rigorous evaluations and the ongoing feedback and technical assistance for program improvement that the A&O team provides. These independent evaluations have provided the needed evidence and critical information to convince legislators at all levels of government to continue funding these after school programs.
Testimonial
We so appreciate the multi-year evaluations so we can note differences from year to year and reflect on improvements. Very helpful to share with our board, the principal and even our staff so they can see what impact they are having. The Student surveys are especially useful.
-View Case Study
