Tara Donahue Email & Phone Number

Traverse City, Mi, Us

Michigan, United States

Project director for the Technical and Logistical Support for the Operation of the Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) Competition Logistics, which involves overseeing 10 staff members to provide technical and logistical support to the RACs as they conduct needs-sensing activities to inform regional educational priorities for the Comprehensive Centers.Project Manager on the National Assessment Governing Board's Technical and Logistical Support Services project, which involves overall project management, maintaining an experts and consultants' database, creating consultant agreements, reviewing and approving invoices, maintaining budget scope, and participating in research projects related to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).Lead evaluator for a professional development program at Old Dominion University focused on a mixed-methods design to measure how the program improves pre-service and in-service teachers' ability to provide instructional strategies for English learners with and without disabilities.Evaluator for the Wolf Trap Institute professional development program which uses a mixed-methods design to explore differences between in-person and virtual residencies.Menber of the Education Core Business Development Team with primary responsibility of managing, coordinating, and serving as a lead writer on multiple proposal opportunities, specifically at the federal level.Co-chair of MSG's professional development committee, which oversees internal professional development opportunities for all staff and promotes awareness of external professional development opportunities available to staff.

Michigan (Telecommuter)

At McREL International, I manage research and evaluation projects by supervising project design and development, creating data collection instruments and protocols, participating in data collection activities, conducting analyses,and writing reports. In order to do this successfully, I collaborate with project team members on conducting cost effective, efficient, and high quality client-center evaluations by working directly with clients to ensure seamless data collection and reporting processes customized to meet their unique needs and project requirements.Additionally, I lead or work on proposal development teams. I have submitted proposals supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the National Science Foundation. Writing a proposal involves developing the conceptual, technical, and budget pieces for a proposal that meets the needs of potential clients. In Fiscal Year 2014, I was involved in a number of proposals that brought in over $500,000 to McREL. Projects that I have worked on at McREL include an Investing in Innovation (i3) grant through Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS, Louisville, KY); Teacher Quality Partnership grants through Old Dominion University and Western Kentucky University; Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grants through Chattanooga State Community College and Missouri State University-West Plains; and Territories and Freely Associated States Education Grants through the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands Department of Education.

Nashville, Tn

Acquired by McREL International on October 1, 2013. See duties as described under McREL International.

Naperville, Il

Managed Learning Point Associates staff on the National 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) monitoring contract by organizing staff to participate in 21st CCLC monitoring site visits across the nation with two other partner organizations and the U.S. Department of Education. Co-managed Illinois 21st Century Community Learning Centers Professional Development and Technical Assistance contract. Presented evaluation and best practice results at national out-of-school time conferences. Provided technical assistance and professional development to afterschool programs. Designed protocols and conducted afterschool evaluations using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Developed and implemented national training for state and grantee users of the Profile and Performance Information Collection System, the national database for the 21st CCLC program.

Consulted and helped to design the Program Evaluation course for the launch of the 2008 Out-of-School Time Certificate Program offered online by Johns Hopkins University. Taught the Program Evaluation course in fall 2009.

Lansing, Mi

Oversaw the evaluation of the Michigan Coalition of Essential Schools’ Comprehensive School Reform grants in 26 schools across Michigan by designing and conducting school administrator interviews, teacher focus groups, school reform coach interviews, surveys, and classroom observations. Facilitated School, Family, and Community Partnerships training in six schools.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Educational Policy

Bachelor Of Arts, English And Psychology