About Us
Stephanie Baird Wilkerson, Ph.D.
President
Dr. Wilkerson has more than fourteen years of experience working
on a broad range of program evaluations at national, state, and local
levels. She has expertise in quantitative and qualitative methodologies,
research methods, and analyses; program evaluation; program planning and
development; logic model development; and instrument construction. Formerly
a Principal Evaluator for Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning
(McREL) in Denver, Dr. Wilkerson has experience designing and managing
randomized field trials across multiple sites in the areas of science
and reading. These studies in particular incorporate the quality standards
set forth by the U.S. Department of Education's What Works Clearinghouse
for education research. She holds a Ph.D. in educational evaluation from
the University of Virginia.
Dr. Wilkerson founded Magnolia Consulting, LLC, in 2002 to provide program evaluation services that are comprehensive, dependable, and useful. She has developed a thorough understanding and respect for the K-12 education environment through her extensive work with administrators, teachers, and students in conducting formative and summative evaluations using various data collection methods. Using collaborative and creative approaches, she equips clients with the tools and knowledge necessary to improve, implement, and sustain change initiatives.
Tracy Herman, M.A.
Evaluation Associate
Tracy
Herman has over five years of experience in the field of research and
program evaluation. She has expertise in project coordination, instrument
development, database development, data collection, analysis, and reporting
as well as in providing technical assistance in evaluation to nonprofit
organizations. Her methodological skills include designing and conducting
interviews, observations, document syntheses, and surveys. She has vast
experience in quantitative and qualitative data analysis and in reporting
findings using different formats to meet the needs of various audiences.
Tracy has specific content expertise in the areas of adult and youth mental
health services, community volunteerism, clinical and health psychology,
cultural diversity, and service marketing. In addition to her M.A. in
Applied Health Psychology from Northern Arizona University, Tracy has
enhanced her evaluation skills through her participation in the highly
regarded Rochester Effectiveness Partnership, an intensive and rigorous,
18-month training on participatory evaluation in New York State.
Magnolia Consulting Partners:
ASPEN Associates: A Social Policy and Evaluation Network based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. ASPEN Associates is a coordinated network of 35 experienced independent and university-based consultants, and affiliated research centers working together to provide a full range of products and services to support research and development in education and social services.
