Education

Organizations with questions about educational issues typically turn to CGR to help them chart a new course, measure their impact, or conduct a needs assessment. Our skills in this area are diverse, as underscored by the topics we addressed in the past year:

CGR was able to bring clarity to a very complex process. Thomas W. Abraham Chairman, Tech Valley Committee Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES

Preparing Students for High Tech Careers – New York's Tech Valley cuts across 19 counties in the state's northeast section, and a Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and its 31 component school districts asked us to help them identify how best to prepare students for future high tech jobs.

Assessing Services for At-Risk Youth – By providing academic resources and job and life skills training, the Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection is increasing the graduation rates of at-risk urban students in Rochester. CGR, with suport from the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, is completing its third assessment of this program – tracking retention and graduation rates over time, and suggesting ways of strengthening the program.

Market Assessments – College and Secondary Schools – For a private college we assessed the market for graduate-level educational programs; and for a private secondary school, future enrollment management challenges and opportunities.

Citywide Literacy Needs Assessment – A coalition of more than 40 groups is engaged in bringing about systemic changes in the way literacy services are provided in Buffalo, and called upon us for a citywide needs assessment. CGR also conducted focus groups with target populations.

Profile of a City: Indicators of Literacy – When Rochester's Mayor initiated plans for a “literacy summit,” city leaders turned to CGR to review area literacy programs and outcome measures, and to collect and analyze baseline data on population, existing literacy measures, and other factors associated with literacy.