Evaluation Activities and Findings

Conducting the evaluation of the Urban smARTS program proved to be a significant challenge, complicated by logistical, legal, program management, and methodological issues. Of the seven participating Urban smARTS schools, only five participated in the evaluation (one lacked the case management component, and the other was excluded because it was an elementary school). Project managers excused two of these five schools from having to identify a control group, believing that, as new Urban smARTS programs, they should not be burdened with this requirement.