About
Dr. Jessica Robles has extensive experience in educational research and program evaluation, with an emphasis in advanced qualitative methods. She specializes in evaluations that focus on addressing the multifaceted needs of underrepresented and at-risk students (both in K-12 and postsecondary schools); out-of-school-time evaluations; developmental and participatory evaluations; and evaluations of cross-sector collaborations. Dr. Robles has developed evaluation plans and data collection tools for schools, districts, and specialized education programs and has a strong track record of effective and equitable stakeholder engagement in the evaluation process. Communicating complex findings well, facilitating sense-making sessions, and ensuring that evaluation deliverables are user-focused and friendly are priorities in any evaluation she leads.
Current Work
Dr. Robles is currently working on: 1. An evaluation of the Parent Teacher Home Visit Project funded by the Flamboyan Foundation. The PTHV trains elementary and high school teachers to conduct annual home visits with their students in order to develop a strong relationship with the students and their families. 2. The Evaluation of the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund (REDF) Social Enterprises. REDF is a nonprofit intermediary that provides funding and business advice to social enterprises that employ those who have to overcome formidable obstacles in order to get a job. With funding from a Social Innovation Fund grant, RTI is conducting an external evaluation of REDF’s portfolio of 22 grantees across the United States. Dr. Robles serves as the primary point of contact for the social enterprises, supports research design, and manages employment outcome and social well-being data collection. 3. The Evaluation of the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) STEM Equity Pipeline Project. Funded by the National Science Foundation, RTI is conducting an evaluation of NAPE’s STEM Equity Pipeline Project. NAPE works with state and local educators to increase equity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in secondary and postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs. The Pipeline Project espouses research-based strategies that support underrepresented groups in career cluster programs leading to high-wage, high-demand careers. Dr. Robles and NAPE are currently working together to secure finding specifically for their Micromessaging programming, which is a research-based educator professional development program to address gender- and culturally based implicit biases that occur in the classroom and that are manifested through “micromessages.”
Research Area Keyword(s)
community, education, Equity, evaluation, youth