Why Is Investing in Rigorous Evaluation So Important?

In an era of tightening budgets, policymakers and foundations increasingly demand more for their money when evaluating social programs. They want to know not just whether a program made a difference, but what specifically about the program made a difference.

Abt Associates is advancing the field when it comes to using rigorous evaluation to analyze “what works.” For example, researchers at Abt are examining the role of quality in Head Start – a program to boost the school readiness of low-income children –   in influencing the program’s impacts.

In this video, Abt Associates Principal Scientist Laura R. Peck urges researchers to examine “what works” to help policymakers and the public determine how best to target scarce resources.