Projects » Higher Education

Some of the projects that Philliber Research has evaluated in the field of higher education include:

David and Lucile Packard and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundations – PRA collected data from leaders of organizations concerned with reproductive rights and reproductive health (RR/RH) issues on the nation’s college and university campuses. PRA reviewed the history of campus organizing in the nation, particularly around RR/RH issues. Survey data were collected both from campus leaders and from national leaders of organizations who support these campus groups. PRA offered conclusions about the current needs of campus organizing around reproductive rights and reproductive health issues.

The State University of New York (SUNY) Ulster, also known as Ulster County Community College (UCCC), serves over 11,000 credit and non-credit students each year with over 45 different courses/programs in a two-year institution. PRA contacted over 3,500 former, current and prospective students to assess the interest in potential new services: 1) accelerated on-campus and accelerated on-line courses (approximately five to eight weeks rather than the standard 15 weeks); 2) classes during “off-peak” times, specifically before 10:00 a.m. and after 2:00 p.m.; and 3) student housing on campus.

Ulster County (NY) Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) – PRA conducted surveys with teachers participating in “The Design for Differentiation” project which was intended to increase the ability of middle level teachers to implement differentiation strategies. A special focus was to improve the performance of advanced learners in heterogeneous classrooms and discover any additional benefits of the differentiation process.

Ulster County (NY) BOCES – “The Goals 2000 Pre-service Grant” was geared toward Master Teachers and pre-service students working with them in a spring after-school program. Through training sessions, Master Teachers were shown how to integrate technology into curriculums, new strategies to reach at-risk students, and how to align units with State standards. PRA collected surveys from teachers, students, and parents at both the beginning and end of the project.