HEMS is blazing a path in education, using cutting edge technology, scientifically-based evaluation designs, and innovative research approaches to address two critical areas in US education:

(1) increase higher education enrollment and degree completion for disadvantaged and at-risk students; and

(2) attract, develop, and retain high-quality K-12 teachers in impoverished US regions.

We do this through:

• Data-Driven Decision Making and Evaluation Tools-particularly for GEAR UP with our new online tool POETS
• Institutional Development
• Research and Evaluation
• Teacher Education

What's New at HEMS?

4-15-08: AED's POETS tool central to GEAR UP APR submissions

One state and eight partnership GEAR UP grants submitted timely and accurate annual performance reports (APRs) to the U. S. Department of Education, thanks in large part to AED's recently launched Performance Online Evaluation Tracking System ("POETS"). POETS is an online database that allows GEAR UP grantees to enter demographic, participation, outcome, and survey data required by the APR. POETS is the only GEAR UP database tool on the market that allows for online data entry (allowing data to be entered from any time, any place) and provides data cleaning technology that automatically identifies common data errors (such as duplicate entries or incorrect mapping of courses). In this APR cycle, POETS tracked nearly 32,000 students. Dr. Jewel Lockridge, Director of GEAR UP Waco (TX) and AED client, said, "POETS enables us to accurately and efficiently manage program data collection. Project data and reports required for APR completion are generated with the click of the computer mouse."

In addition to providing POETS and evaluation services, AED was integral in the writing of proposals leading to over $6 million in annual funding for five of these eight grantees.

The GEAR UP program, funded by the US Department of Education, is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education.

3-25-08: AED partners with University of Texas Pan American on NSF proposal

AED will evaluate an National Science Foundation Math Science Partnership Project at the University of Texas Pan American (UTPA), pending funding. The proposed project will initiate a partnership among school districts and UTPA to strengthen science teaching through a "situated professional development model" and online learning community in the Texas-Mexico border region. AED has proposed a rigorous quasi-experimental evaluation design for this project. Previously, AED served as external evaluator for UTPA's Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology grant, funded by the U. S. Department of Education.

2-6-08: AED partners with JBL Associates to research best practices in community colleges

The AED Higher Education Management Services Center was recently awarded a $862,824 subcontract to research best practices of successful community colleges, in partnership with Bethesda, MD-based JBL Associates.

The study is being funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education as part of a larger initiative to help keep America competitive by expanding the accessibility and affordability of higher education for more Americans.

Through this project, Showcasing and Replicating Successful Community College Programs, AED will play a key role in:

• Identifying community college programs and practices that successfully retain students and prepare them for effective transition to four-year institutions;
• Disseminating detailed information about community college programs and practices that work for students; and
• Partnering community colleges with institutions that have successful programs and practices in order to replicate successes.

AED will investigate community colleges throughout the nation to identify those that have demonstrated success by launching successful approaches to accelerate time-to-degree; bridge financial aid gaps, achieve high transfer rates of community college students to four-year institutions; and use data effectively to improve the retention, transfer, and success of low-income, first generation students.

"This project is a unique opportunity for AED to combine research with practice for the improvement of the nation's higher education system,” said Dr. Paul Bucci vice president and director of the AED Higher Education Management Services Center.

AED will disseminate findings through a case study report, as well as Webcasts, newsletters, a "noteworthy practices” conference, conference calls with institutions, research/practice briefs, and a website repository for institutions to share strategies and address institutional barriers.

In addition, AED will develop a network in which "lead” community colleges may share their successful approaches with "target” community colleges with similar obstacles or goals.

1-15-08: AED forms partnership with Xcalibur to develop POETS software for GEAR UP evaluation

AED has formalized a partnership with Vienna, VA-based software firm Xcalibur to develop Performance Online Evaluation and Tracking System (POETS), a successor to AED's GEAR UP Online Evaluation System (GOES). POETS is the only product in the marketplace that uses "data scrubber" technology to seamlessly integrate GEAR UP data from multiple sites in multiple formats, and thousands of GEAR UP students across the country are already being tracked successfully with POETS.