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Enhance Educational Outcomes and Increase Funding
Through Objective, Third-Party Data Evaluation and Analysis That Applies Abstract Outcomes to Tangible Actions
Leverage The Mark USA’s Third-Party Evaluation Services to Help Secure Future Funding for Education and Research
You personally understand why improving educational outcomes, addressing learning loss, and furthering academic research is vitally important.
Let The Mark USA help communicate those results and outstanding needs to everyone else – from funding partners to the greater public – as your objective, third-party evaluation collaborator.
We’re here to help you solve key issues and challenges, while demonstrating what you have already achieved and overcome.
By elevating the results of your work, The Mark USA team helps you secure consistent, ongoing, and sustainable funding to ensure your program continues to succeed because stakeholders understand what you need and why.
Connect the Dots Between Your Education Work and Tangible Results With The Mark USA
The Mark USA’s unique approach blends rigorous academic research standards like yours with private sector business experience, connecting your research and results with the broader future community and business outcomes that will drive real change.
Together, your team and The Mark USA can demonstrate how the changes you made truly impacted everyone, at every level – and will secure additional funding for on-going and future projects.
Surveys, Focus Groups, Interviews, and Constituent Research
Statistical Data Analysis and Performance Analytics
Program Monitoring and External Evaluation
Community-based Participatory Research Methods
Discover How Other Educational Programs Partnered With The Mark USA
Impact Evaluation of PROFIT Financial Graduation Pilots
BRAC USA | February 2017 | $148,366
Quasi-experimental impact evaluation of interventions intended to provide 2,600 Kenyan women and youth with livelihoods, assets and skills, and health education. Our evaluation team coordinated and collaborated across US- and Kenya-based organizations.
West Virginia EPSCoR Track 1 Project – Sub-recipient
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission | 2015 – 2021 | $353,895
Led external evaluation of NSF-funded EPSCoR Track 1 Project, to increase WV’s research infrastructure, improve education and workforce development, and increase diversity in STEM. Employed mixed methods approach, using surveys, interviews, and program tracking data to assess achievement of goals.
NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M) – Sub-recipient
Howard University | 2017-2021 | $570,000
With Howard University as PI, we led external evaluation of the NOAA NCAS-M project across 13 universities over 5 years. Deliverables included an evaluation plan, project logic model, data collection process & tool development, and formative and summative reports.
Meet Your Mark USA Team
Our innovative, 100% remote workplace features skilled evaluators experienced in both virtual and in-person collaboration – making The Mark USA a reliable, flexible partner during the COVID era and beyond.
As your agency collaborates with The Mark USA on its goals and benchmarks, you’ll meet many of our key evaluators, researchers, and analysts, including:
Schedule Your First Conversation with The Mark USA Team
Traci Shirachi, MBA
CEO/President
Traci earned an M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University. Traci is the CEO of The Mark USA, Inc. Traci is responsible for making key business decisions to increase The Mark’s abilities to address client needs. Traci works with all the evaluators within the organization to deliver quality client service. Traci has over 17 years of work experience with consulting companies of various sizes, including PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Jessica Martone, Ph.D.
Director of Research and Evaluation
Dr. Martone earned a Ph.D. and her MSW from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work. Dr. Martone was a research fellow and is currently a research affiliate for the Institute for Migration and International Social Work. Dr. Martone has been involved with immigration and education focused research projects.
Adrienne Celaya, Ph.D.
Senior Evaluator
Dr. Celaya holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Sociology and Graduate Certificate in Latino and Latin American Studies from Fordham University. She has a background in program implementation and evaluation of research-informed and evidenced-based community projects, as well as domestic violence and child welfare research.
noely banos, ma
Assistant Director
Noely earned an M.A. in Experimental Psychology from Western Carolina University, with a focus in research design and statistics, and further graduate training in Applied Social and Community Psychology from North Carolina State University. Noely has extensive experience utilizing various research methods; including survey design, focus groups, experimental and quasi-experimental designs.
Rick Orlina, Ph.D.
Senior Evaluator
Rick holds a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences from the Northwestern University School of Education and Social Policy, an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Evaluation from Claremont Graduate University. He has a demonstrated history of working in program evaluation and educational research. Skilled in social network analysis, quantitative and qualitative research methods, survey design, business development, and marketing.
The Innovation Partner Plan
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