About the Evaluator
Prior to establishing the Shaffer Evaluation Group, Dr. Shaffer served as the Evaluation Manager for NASA’s Office of Education and Vice President of the Educational Policy Institute. She has led educational program evaluations ranging from national evaluation studies conducted for federal agencies, including the Library of Congress and the President’s Committee for the Arts and the Humanities, to smaller-scale research and evaluation studies for state educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and school districts. She served on STEM evaluation federal interagency working groups in K-12 education convened by the Obama White House administration and the Interagency Council on Evaluation Policy. Dr. Shaffer earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning & Leadership from the College of William & Mary and an M.A. in Curriculum Studies from the University of Toronto.
Evaluation Background
I specialize in...
- Qualitative methods
- Mixed methods
- Culturally responsive evaluation
- Developmental evaluation
- Most significant change
- Participatory evaluation approaches
- Utilization-focused evaluation
I have worked with projects in the areas of:
- NSF projects other than ATE (e.g., IUSE, S-STEM, AISL, HSI, ADVANCE)
- Projects at two-year colleges
- STEM education projects supported by funder other than NSF
Training and Certifications
- Graduate coursework in evaluation
- Professional development workshops, webinars, or online courses on evaluation
Outside of Work, I enjoy...
…kayaking, hiking, and exploring mountain towns and historic communities.
A Successful Evaluation...
…is one that produces credible, actionable evidence aligned to program goals, supports real-time improvement, meets funder requirements, and builds stakeholder capacity to use data for sustained decision-making and impact.
My Working Style...
…is structured, analytical, and collaborative, with a focus on clear frameworks, measurable outcomes, and practical deliverables. I prioritize responsiveness, transparency, and alignment with client goals.
EvaluATE is supported by the National Science Foundation under grant number 2332143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed on this site are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.