Program Evaluation Staff

The MI Evaluation Services team brings a wealth of knowledge, skills, and expertise to the area of program evaluation. Our staff is well versed in the design and implementation of comprehensive research and evaluation studies using a variety of research methodologies.

Thomas Kelsh, Vice President of Evaluation Services
Marilyn Musumeci, Director, Research, Evaluation, and Measurement
Shelly Menendez, Director, Pre-K-16 School Improvement
Sara Silver, Director, Youth Development and Special Education
Tina Goodwin-Segal, Director, Health and Health Education
Mary Larkin, Director, Technical Assistance and Dissemination
Kelly Valmore, Manager, State and School District Professional Development
Carla Corina, Manager, Adult Education
Marlene Herbst, Manager, Data Processing and Analysis
Anthony Cinquina, Manager, Technology Solutions

Thomas Kelsh, Vice President of Evaluation Services

Thomas Kelsh is one of the nation’s most respected authorities in education evaluation and research, and has directed many studies of national significance. He is a certified school and district administrator and formerly served as the lead researcher for the New York State Education Department Office of Higher Education. As the Principal Investigator for numerous federal, state, and local projects, Tom has authored a wide range of research reports and policy analyses.

Expertise

Pre-K-20 Education

Statewide Systems of Technical Assistance and Support For Title I Low-Performing Districts and Schools
Preschool Special Education Program Quality and Child Performance Indicators
Special Education Preservice Research
Career and Technical Education Policy Analyses
Adult Literacy Program Evaluation
Early Reading First and Reading First Program Evaluation and Technical Assistance
Youth At-Risk Prevention and Intervention Evaluation
Data-Driven Decision-Making Technical Assistance and Training

Research and Evaluation

Quantitative and Qualitative Instrument Design and Analysis
Program Self-Assessment Systems for Continuous Improvement
Analysis of National, State, and Local Data

Education

Ed.D. (1988), Curriculum & Instruction, State University of New York at Albany
M.S. (1983), Educational Psychology, State University of New York at Albany
B.S. (1979), Educational Psychology, Bloomsburg University

Marilyn Musumeci, Director, Research, Evaluation, and Measurement

Marilyn Musumeci has been conducting program evaluation studies for more than 30 years. She specializes in research design, measurement, survey design and analysis, and organizational change. Marilyn has extensive experience directing process and impact evaluations and has worked with the U.S. Department of Education to establish guidelines for the evaluation/validation of special education, adult education, and career education programs.

Expertise

Pre-K-20 Education

School Reform
Preschool Special Education
Career and Technical Education
Adult Education
State and National Technical Assistance Systems Design

Research and Evaluation

Quantitative Methodology
Survey Development and Analysis
Performance Indicators and Self-Assessment Tools
Analysis of National, State, and Local Data
Reader-Friendly Reports and Research Briefs

Education

Ph.D. (1975), Psychology, Fordham University
M.A. (1971), Psychology, Fordham University
B.S. (1969), Psychology, Thomas More College

Shelly Menendez, Director, Pre-K-16 School Improvement

Shelly Menendez has considerable experience in evaluation research, having directed projects at the local, state and national levels. Her work focuses on elementary, middle school, and high school education, particularly reading and mathematics literacy, school reform, and afterschool programs. Most recently, Shelly managed studies for the U.S. Department of Education and the Maryland, Illinois, New York, and Massachusetts Departments of Education.

Expertise

K-12 Education

Comprehensive District/School Reform Studies
Research-Based Reading Instruction, Curriculum and Assessment, Evaluation, and Dissemination
Data-Driven Decision-Making Assessment and Support
Professional Development and School Support Analyses
Afterschool and Academic Support Program Evaluation

Research and Evaluation

Qualitative and Quantitative Methodologies and Analyses
Factorial Analyses Linking Implementation to Outcomes
Best Practices Identification
Multi-Level Analyses
Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Statistical Analyses
Instrumentation
Reader-Friendly Reporting

Education

Ph.D. (2001), Developmental Psychology, Fordham University
M.A. (1997), Psychology, Fordham University
B.A. (1995), Psychology, Keuka College

Sara Silver, Director, Youth Development and Special Education

Sara Silver is a seasoned researcher who brings a unique blend of academic and practitioner skills to the evaluation field. At MI, she directs studies in a broad array of content areas. Sara has published articles in peer review journals on the topics of transition services and special and vocational education.

Expertise

Secondary and Postsecondary Education

School-to-College Preparation Program Trend Analyses
Career and Technical Education Policy Analyses
Middle School Reform Consultation and Evaluation
Dropout Prevention Program Evaluation
Special Education Personnel Preparation Research
Adult Health Literacy Program Evaluation
Professional Development Evaluation
Data-Driven Decision-Making Training and Technical Assistance

Research and Evaluation

Quantitative and Qualitative Instrument Design
Longitudinal Analyses of State and Local Data
Best Practices Identification and Dissemination
Reader-Friendly Reports: Evaluation Briefs, Comprehensive Reports
Evaluation Training Workshops and Technical Assistance

Education

Ph.D. (1983), Cognitive Psychology and Special Education, Kent State University
M.Ed. (1979), Special Education, Kent State University
M.A. (1978), Psychology, University of Kerala, India

Tina Goodwin-Segal, Director, Health and Health Education

Tina Goodwin-Segal has both academic and research experience in the fields of allied health and education. For the past 15 years she has conducted evaluation studies on varied topics including technology integration in education and health care settings, international civics education, and Pre-K-12 professional development. Prior to joining MI, Tina taught research design and evidence-based practice in an allied health graduate program.

Expertise

K-20 Education

Safe Schools/Healthy Students Program Evaluation
Civics Education Evaluation and Technical Assistance
International Education Evaluation
Professional Development Design and Evaluation
Preschool Special Education Quality Indicators and Program Evaluation
Parent Involvement Studies: Local and Statewide
Data-Driven Decision-Making Technical Assistance and Training
Best Practices Identification and Dissemination

Research and Evaluation

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research Design
Logic Models for Program Planning and Implementation
Qualitative and Quantitative Instrument Design
Federal Accountability Reporting

Education

Ph.D. (1997), Curriculum and Instruction, State University of New York at Albany
M.S. (1989), Curriculum and Instruction, State University of New York at Albany
B.S. (1974), Physical Therapy, Indiana University Medical Center

Mary Larkin, Director, Technical Assistance and Dissemination

Mary Larkin is a highly experienced school administrator with a broad background in staff development, curriculum and instruction, and special education. This grounding in practice forms the core of her expertise in providing targeted, technical assistance that meets the needs of educators statewide as Director of the Sharing Success Technical Assistance Center.

Expertise

K-20 Education

Rapid Response Information Systems: Design and Management
Best Practice Identification and Dissemination Systems: Design and Management
Synthesis/Dissemination of Current Research: through eNewsletters and Other Reader-Friendly Products
Organizational Needs Assessment
Benchmarking Analysis
Conference and Meeting Planning and Facilitation
Online Field-Based Survey Research and Dissemination

Education

P.D. (1984), Administration and Supervision, Iona College
M.S. (1974), Special Education, College of New Rochelle
B.A. (1969), History and Political Science, College of New Rochelle

Kelly Valmore, Manager, State and School District Professional Development

Kelly Valmore manages a number of statewide and local evaluation projects in the areas of school reform, professional development, and technical assistance. She has extensive experience studying teacher center programs and regional and statewide systems of school support. Currently, Kelly provides evaluation consultation to the Partnership for Innovation in Charter School Compensation, a federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant program.

Expertise

K-20 Education

Professional Development Studies in Literacy, Mathematics, History, and Technology
Professional Development Quality Indicator Development
Evaluation of Technical Assistance Provided to Turnaround Schools
Performance Based Incentive Systems Evaluation
Data-Driven Decision-Making Technical Assistance and Training

Research and Evaluation

Qualitative Case Study Methodologies
Web-Based Documentation Systems Development and Management
Qualitative and Quantitative Instrument Design
Self-Assessment Systems for Professional Developers

Education

M.A. (1997), Community Psychology, Sage Graduate School
B.A. (1991), Psychology, State University of New York at Potsdam

Carla Corina, Manager, Adult Education

Carla Corina has more than ten years experience directing local, statewide, and multi-state evaluations in varied content areas. She works closely with state agencies, private organizations, and local school districts to design and conduct formative and summative studies for program improvement and expansion. Carla specializes in the evaluation of community-based adult education programs, technology integration, and financial literacy.

Expertise

K-20 Education

Adult Education Assessment and Technical Assistance
Technology Integration: K-12 and Adult
Financial Literacy Evaluation: K-12 and Adult
Professional Development Evaluation

Research and Evaluation

Longitudinal Research Design and Analysis
Large-Scale Survey Research
Financial Literacy Test Construction
Quantitative and Qualitative Instrument Design
Federal Accountability Reporting
Reader-Friendly Reporting

Education

M.S. (2005), Educational Psychology and Methodology, State University of New York at Albany
B.A. (1990), English/Psychology, State University of New York at Albany

Marlene Herbst, Manager, Data Processing and Analysis

Marlene Herbst oversees the management of all data to and from MI Evaluation Services offices, including paper and online survey data, data extracted from state and national databases, and qualitative data. Using academic and corporate statistical training, Marlene conducts descriptive and multivariate analyses, often advising the professional staff about the most appropriate analytic technique for answering the research questions.

Expertise

Data Management and Analysis

In-House Databases: Design, Management, and Validation
Detailed Quality Control Standards and Procedures: Design and Implementation
Survey Review to Ensure Data Analysis Viability
Statistical Analytic Tasks for Various Size Data Sets: Summary Statistics, Inferential Analyses, Other Database Manipulation
Composite Scale Development and Analysis
Management, Mentoring, and Coordination of In-House and External Data Analysts and Data Entry Personnel

Education

M.B.A. (1983), Financial Management, Pace University
M.A. (1968), Teaching of Social Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University
A.B. (1964), Economics/English, Vassar College

Anthony Cinquina, Manager, Technology Solutions

Anthony Cinquina has served as a technology specialist and analyst for MI since 1992. He oversees network services, hardware, and software for the Evaluation Services division. Anthony’s expertise is in developing and implementing technology solutions, including web-based applications that facilitate the collection, analysis, and reporting of large-scale data from multiple sources.

Expertise

Network Management and Website Construction

Computer Software Solutions: Design, Development, and Implementation
Custom Databases for Data Entry, Querying, and Reporting
Statistical Analytic Tasks on Small and Large Data Sets
Online Survey Development and Reporting
Extraction and Manipulation of Data from National and Statewide Databases
Strategies for Improving the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Existing Applications
Reader-Friendly Reports and Communication Tools
Technical Leadership to Project Managers
Web-Based Documentation Systems Development and Management

Education

B.S. (1992), Computer Information Systems, Bernard Baruch College