VOL. 43, NO. 1
Measuring success
FPG researchers help the Family
Success Alliance evaluate its impact
on local children's lives
eg Burchinal, as a researcher and director of the Data
Management and Analysis Center at the Frank Porter
Graham Child Development Institute, has spent more of
her time evaluating programs than creating them. The goal is to
make programs designed to improve the lives of children better.
Burchinal is the evaluator, the one whose real work begins
when the educational program creators are done. Her team
observes classrooms, interviews teachers, students and parents,
gathers and compares before and after data and rates skill levels.
Educators can then use this information to improve teaching in
the future.
Burchinal was the first person FPG senior scientist Lynne
Vernon-Feagans thought of when she heard that the Family Suc¬
cess Alliance needed to evaluate the impact of an educational
program it was launching in Orange County.
“There’s only one person who can do this and that’s Peg
Burchinal, ” said Vernon-Feagans, who has worked with Burchi¬
nal on many projects. “She has a staff. She’s done research in the
real world.”
They’re both good, not to mention cheap. The two researchers
are not billing the alliance for their time to allow the evaluation
to extend past the original year. The Office of the Provost grant
for the evaluation came from a fund set aside to support poverty-
related projects after the Board of Governors-mandated closure
of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity in 2015.
CAROLINA FACULTY AND STAFF NEWS
THE BIG DIVIDE
In a state with as much widespread rural poverty as North
Carolina, some might question a grant to help students in one of
its richest counties. But Orange County’s affluence masks some
disturbing statistics.
In income inequality, Orange County ranks first in the state
and in the top 10 nationally, Burchinal said. The median income
for households in Orange County is more than $59,000, yet 16
percent of residents live in poverty and 30 percent do not earn a
JANUARY 17, 2018
living wage, according to Orange County government statistics.
Of the county’s children, 14 percent live in poverty and 75 per¬
cent of the children born in poverty will remain there or in low-
income households into adulthood.
The severe shortage of affordable housing in town makes it
harder for the working poor to take advantage of available ser¬
vices, like the free bus system.
See ALLIANCE page 11
From left, Coby Jansen Austin, FSA director of programs and policy, and Zone 6 Navigators Mariela Hernandez and Brittany Bulluck
celebrate the Ready for
К
graduation.
Kiplinger's Personal Finance: Carolina ranked top value for 17th time
For the 17th time, Carolina ranks as the best
value in American public higher education,
according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
The top ranking reflects the University’s
commitment to opening access to a high-qual¬
ity, affordable education to talented students
from all backgrounds. The University is one of
the few public flagships to practice need-blind
admissions and provide low-debt, full-need
student aid.
“We have fantastic students and a faculty
dedicated to providing each one with the
opportunity to achieve their dreams in all
areas of human endeavor," said Chancellor
Carol L. Folt. “An excellent and affordable
education, without fear of overwhelming debt,
is one of the many ways we support our
students. Being recognized for the 17th
time as the best value in American public
higher education demonstrates our long-stand¬
ing committment.”
Carolina leads the way in college afford¬
ability with several innovative initiatives. In
2017, the University committed $83 million
in institutional funds to need-based financial
aid. In June 2017, the University was recog¬
nized nationally for its efforts to ensure all stu¬
dents had the opportunity to succeed with the
prestigious Cooke Prize for Equity in Educa¬
tional Excellence.
See TOP VALUE page 9
Meet Derek Lochbaum,
director of trademarks
and licensing.
Resolve to move
more with these 10
workday workouts.
For arborist Tom
By th ell, trees are
living history.
