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Institute
for Families in Society
Carolina Plaza
937 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29208
Phone (803)777-9124
Fax(802)777-1120
NEWS RELEASE
CONTACT: Renée
Gibson, 777-1121
gibsonr@gwm.sc.edu
DATE: July 25,
2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Professor
Wandersman Wins National Award for First Steps Paper
Columbia, SC – Dr. Abe
Wandersman is the recipient of the American Evaluation Association’s
2001 President’s Award for Mainstreaming Evaluation for a paper
detailing the evaluation process of South Carolina’s First Steps
School Readiness Initiative.
First Steps is a statewide
initiative
that mobilizes county partnerships and community resources to
enhance the readiness of young children to enter first grade.
The paper, PIE a la
Mode: Mainstreaming Evaluation and Accountability in Every County of
a Statewide School Readiness Initiative, describes the
implementation of the First Steps accountability system to ensure
that First Steps-funded programs in the states’ 46 counties
address and achieve school readiness results.
Wandersman, an IFS faculty member
from the USC Department of Psychology, is the creator of the process
and co-principal investigator, with Dr. Arlene Andrews, of IFS’
technical assistance contract with First Steps.
"It is a tribute to the
University of South Carolina that its experts in program evaluation
were credited with developing such an effective evaluation
system," said Marie-Louise Ramsdale, Director of First Steps.
"We are delighted that Dr. Wandersman received this honor
because it recognizes that First Steps is focused on being the best
steward of the public's money that it can be."
Planning, Implementation, and
Evaluation (PIE) is a participatory process designed to
"mainstream" evaluation and make it an integral,
instructional part of the planning and everyday operations of
organizations instead of after-the-fact "grading."
Wandersman, the lead author, will
present the paper and accept the award at the AEA’s annual meeting
in St. Louis November 7-10. Other members of the writing team
include April Ace, Arlene Andrews, Matthew Chinman, Paul Flaspohler
Cynthia Flynn, Laurie Ford, Baron Holmes, Pam Imm, Jeff Sheldon,
Mary Payson, Chris Volf, and Floy Work.
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