Areas of Expertise

DIR has long-term, in-depth, and up-to-date expertise in the areas of children and youth, communities and organizations; consumers, markets and demographics; education; health and human services; and labor and economics.

A group of elementary school kids sitting on school steps

Health and Human Services

DIR’s researchers are experienced in statistical studies of children and youths. We have conducted assessments of school readiness programs for children in preschool and K–12; comprehensive evaluations of labor-market outcomes for youths; and multi-year studies of school-to-work programs for at-risk and out-of-school youths. DIR uses a variety of data collection methods to assess the quality of federally funded programs and identify the effectiveness of interventions and initiatives that target youths. For specific examples of our work with children and youths.Visit our Project Archive

Communities and Organizations

We study the climates of organizations by surveying their diversity and culture. We collect statistical and demographic data on minority and small businesses, and evaluate the performance of community facilities. DIR has conducted several community-level needs assessments. Visit our Project Archive

Business people discussing the charts and graphs showing the results of their successful teamwork, multi ethnic business

Consumers, Markets and Demographics

DIR provides services related to consumers, markets and demographics. We conduct customer-satisfaction surveys, needs assessments, and demographic and market analyses. We focus these studies on energy and health services in the Houston area market. Visit our Project Archive

A multi-ethnic group of high school age students are sitting together in class and are working on an assignment at their desk.

Education

We have conducted educational research and evaluation at all levels of education—from prekindergarten through higher education—and with diverse student populations, such as economically disadvantaged students, students with limited English proficiency, and students with disabilities. Our projects include a range of educational institutions and providers—including schools, school districts, colleges and universities, regional and state education agencies, and federal support centers—and span a variety of activities and topics, including collecting data and performing analyses for studies of early childhood language development, postsecondary access, career and technical development, social and character development, teacher preparation, tiered behavior interventions, and school improvement and reform. Visit our Project Archive

Primary school kids eat lunch in school cafeteria, close up

Health and Human Services

DIR’s experience in health and human services includes an evaluation of a program for unwed parents, studies of program models for teen pregnancy prevention, a survey about a cancer awareness program, a study on certification for school lunches, an evaluation of an alternative process for food stamp certification, and an assessment of Medicaid transportation services.
Our national research projects include a study of post baccalaureate participants, an analysis of student achievement, an evaluation of postsecondary preparation, and analytic technical assistance to the U.S. Department of Education’s Regional Education Laboratory (REL) system. We have evaluated school-to-work grants and programs funded by Title III. DIR has performed educational evaluations that incorporate random assignment and quasi-experimental designs. Our staff are experienced in child assessments and classroom observations. Visit our Project Archive

A mature African American man showing students how to repair a gasoline engine. He is teaching a class in a vocational school, for learning the auto mechanic trade. Two of the students, a young man with red hair and a young woman are holding digital tablets. The Hispanic student is helping with the engine.

Labor and Economics

We have provided support to government programs such as Job Corps and have comprehensively reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated such programs. We also provide technical assistance and training for workforce development programs while tracking their continued services to program participants. We provide technical assistance such as database development for workforce programs. DIR staff have assessed and measured the economic impact of alternative investments in communities throughout the United States. Visit our Project Archive

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