ELRC February 2023 News Update
Highlighted Projects
LASER Evaluation of Accelerated Education Programs in Somalia
ELRC, in collaboration with COE faculty and colleagues from the Somali Research and Development Institute (SORDI) and Makerere University's Resilient Africa Network (RAN) in Uganda, completed the first draft of a report of midline findings on student achievement in an accelerated basic education program and formal primary educational programs in Somalia. The results were shared with representatives of the Federal Government of Somalia and with participating teachers during dissemination and validation workshops held in Mogadishu on 1/27 and 1/30. Feedback from these meetings will inform data interpretation and ongoing data collection activities.
Purdue University Sustainable Community Project (Juntos)
The initiative focuses on improving the school experience for students and their families by providing resources and a built-in support system within their community. Ultimately, the goal is to improve graduation rates and create interest and opportunity for secondary education. ELRC is the external evaluator on this USDA/NIFA-CYFAR funded project.
Recent Publications
Jennifer Sdunzik, together with COE’s associate professor Chrystal S. Johnson, guest-edited the Special Issue Re-imagining Teaching and Learning in the Context of Current Crises for the journal Research in Educational Policy and Management. The special issue focuses on opportunities to reimagine educational spaces, practices, and policies in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In their co-authored piece, “Conceptualizing Adolescent Black Youth Political Efficacy in an Era of Crises,” Sdunzik and Johnson conceptualize a theoretical framework to investigate youth political efficacy, discussing the interplay between racialized identity and civic engagement of adolescent Black youth.
Staff Spotlight
Alex France
Research and Evaluation Assistant
As an assistant evaluator and researcher for the ELRC he specializes in qualitative data collection and analysis. Alex earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental science and management from Indiana University in 2013 and developed a specialization in sociology, which he uses as a lens for interpretation in his work. In his personal time, Alex pursues his intellectual interests through reading and podcasts and often hikes to enjoy nature.
About the author