People
Iriti, Jennifer
Research Associate, Heinz Endowment
Contact:
801C LRDC
412-624-7092
412-624-9149
iriti@pitt.edu
Summary:
Jennifer Iriti, PhD
Dr. Iriti has been a Research Associate with the Evaluation for Learning group for 9 years. Her activities in this capacity as well as her outside consulting work support educational organizations in the development of coherent, research- and data-based programming with appropriate implementation and outcomes evaluations. Dr. Iriti brings to her work expertise in student and adult learning theory and practices, educational reform models, educational assessment, organizational development, and evaluation as well as strong skills in teaching, coaching, and collaboration. Past work includes external evaluations of educational programs or schools, support during program design and implementation (including the infusion of research-based best practices in education, logic modeling, needs assessment), coaching and infrastructure development to increase organizational capacity to capture and use data for decision-making, and strategic reviews of past work to identify avenues for future design. In addition to her evaluation and organizational development work, Dr. Iriti often teaches courses on applied learning theory, action research, and human development to Masters-level students in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Education.
Dr. Iriti is the PI for EFL evaluation work conducted for the Ball Foundation Education Initiatives (Chicago) and is co-PI of current and past evaluation work for the Heinz Endowments. Current and recent consulting clients include The California Endowment, The Rochelle Lee Fund in Chicago, City Charter High School in Pittsburgh, the InfoLink program based at Carnegie Mellon University, and both the National Writing Project and the Western Pennsylvania Writing Project.
Dr. Iriti received her doctoral degree in Developmental and Educational Psychology with a minor in Research Methodology and a certificate in Interdisciplinary Policy and Evaluation at the University of Pittsburgh in 2003. Her training and experience in evaluation includes a wide range of quantitative and qualitative approaches and methodologies that she draws upon to design and implement evaluation plans tailored to the specific needs of the program. A particular skill Iriti has developed is integrating capacity-building components into traditional external evaluation designs so that client organizations are better able to use data to make decisions after the evaluation contract has concluded. Her content area expertise in professional development design and implementation, learning theory, and organizational learning makes her a particular asset to clients working in the education arena who are seeking to use evaluation to improve practice. Dr. Iriti has presented numerous manuscripts at the American Evaluation Association annual conferences, the American Educational Research Association conferences, is co-author of a chapter in the International Handbook of Educational Evaluation, and has most recently authored an article published in the American Journal of Evaluation.
Projects/Labs
Publications
- Bickel, W. E., Iriti, J. E., & Nelson, C. A. (2008). Integrating Evaluative Inquiry into the Work of Private Foundations: A Case Study of a Hybrid “Retainer Model.” Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Denver, CO.
- Iriti, J., Bickel, W. E., Nelson, C. A. (2008). “Ball Foundation Partnership Evaluation: Understanding the Engagement Phase.” Pittsburgh, PA: EFL, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. (Abstract-pdf)
- Bickel, W. E., Iriti, J. E., & Nelson, C. A. (2007). Educational Leadership Initiative: Pilot Year Final External Evaluation Report. Pittsburgh, PA: EFL, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. (Abstract-pdf)
- Bickel, W. E., Hendricks, A., Iriti, J., Nelson, C. A. (November, 2007) Barriers to Organizational Learning in Private Foundations” THINK TANK at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Baltimore, MD.
- Nelson, C. A., Bickel, W. E., Iriti, J., with Murphy, N. (2006). “District-Wide Urban High School Reform: What does it look like? What does it take to do it right? Scan of National Trends, Best Practices, and Empirical Research.” Pittsburgh, PA: EFL, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. (Abstract-pdf)
- Bickel, W. E., Hendricks, A., Iriti, J., Nelson, C. A. (November, 2006) “Integrating Evaluation Into the Learning Processes of Private Foundations” Paper presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Portland, Oregon.
- Iriti, J. E., Bickel, W. E., & Nelson, C. A. (2005). Using recommendations in evaluation: A decision-making framework for evaluators. American Journal of Evaluation, 26 (4), 464-479.
- Bickel, W. E., Iriti, J. E., & Nelson, C. A. (2004). Heinz Endowments Education Program, Strategic Analysis of the Technology For Learning Grant-making Strand (Abstract-pdf)
- Nelson, C. A., Iriti, J. E. (2004). Evaluation as capacity building: Transforming tacit knowledge into decision-making tools. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Bickel, W. E., Iriti, J. E., & Nelson, C. A. (2003). School Performance Network: An Assessment of the Status and Impact of the SPN in the Third Year of Its Development. Pittsburgh, PA: EFL, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. (Abstract-pdf)
- Bickel, W. E., Iriti, J. E., & Nelson, C. A. (2003). Foundation questions—evaluation responses: A resource for integrating evaluative thinking into the grant making cycle. Paper accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Evaluation Association in Reno, Nevada.
There are 11 publications total. View All
