Initiative for Urban Research

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Past IUR Research Projects

2010-2014

Belleville Khoury League Survey (2014)

• Survey of participation in the Belleville Khoury League titled “Parent Attitudes Towards Youth Participation in Organized Sports in Urban Areas.”

Summer Youth Program Survey (2014)

• Survey and evaluation of the East St. Louis Summer Youth Program, conducted for the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation and the East St. Louis Community Development Fund.

• A demonstration study into the possible effects of alternative land tax scenarios on the city of East St. Louis. Funding sought for further phases: July 2014 application to the Sloan Foundation.

St. Louis Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (2011-2013)

• Technical planning & evaluation team for major grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to the East-West Gateway Council of Governments. Applied Research Collaborative project, with Public Policy Research Center (PPRC) at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and the Center for Sustainability at Saint Louis University.

Great Rivers Greenway (2012-2013)

• The Economic Impact of the St. Vincent Greenway, with PPRC-UMSL and Policy Analytics Group, MO.

Head Start St. Clair County, IL (2001-2013)

• Various studies to assist with federal reporting requirements including prevailing wage level studies and parent/guardian “Customer” satisfaction survey and environmental scan.

Team 10 Collinsville, Illinois Drug-Free Youth Communities (2011)

• Program evaluation of school district drug intervention strategies. Design and implementation of surveys and assistance with data analysis (with Dr. Richard Bush).

• Library patron survey to assist with L&C’s strategic planning initiative.

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2000-2009

Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) Chicago Early Childhood Teacher Pipeline Survey (2009)

• The IUR provided staff assistance to IERC with a data analysis project involving one of their routine surveys.

SIUE Metro-East Lead Initiative (2001-2008)

• IUR partnered with St. Clair County Health Department, St. Mary’s Hospital, and School District 189 to collect data from children living in East St. Louis to investigate the potential links between educational achievement and high blood lead levels. The project also transitioned into the work of Urban Research Scholars Dr. Richard Brugam and Dr. Lucy Kohn. This project has the potential to be re-activated with fresh SIUE partners and alternative funding.

Madison County, IL Child Advocacy Center (2007)

• Agency analysis, assessment, data collection and assistance with the creation of a strategic plan.

Children 1st Foundation (2006)

• Surveys to provide Parenting Education Program evaluation data for the staff and board.

Community Wellness Partnership (2006)

• Program evaluation for HIV/AIDS service agency.

Edwardsville Public Library (2006)

• Community opinion survey and Focus Group for Centennial Strategic Planning initiative.

SIUE School of Pharmacy (2006)

• Needs assessment survey and data analysis to assist SIUE Chancellor with the creation of the school.

Library Use Economic Benefits Study (2005-6)

• Dr. Donald Elliot’s (Department of Economics & Finance) research project resulted in the publication: “Measuring Your Library’s Value: How to Do a Cost-benefit Analysis for Your Public Library”, Elliott, Holt, Edmonds Holt, and Hayden, ALA, 2007.

Early Childhood Center-SIUE Needs Assessment Study (2005)

• Community opinion survey to assist the Center in its long term planning efforts and resource allocation.

Edwardsville Public Library (2005)

• Community opinion survey.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation Evaluation (2004-2005)

• IUR performed an evaluation of the operations of the JJK Foundation for the W. F. Kellogg Foundation. Included an assessment of the Foundation’s Sports Philanthropy Initiative. Part of a wider commitment for the IUR to become the go-to center for those involved with the evaluation of children’s programming in Metro-East.

Ford Foundation/Council of Graduate Schools – Funding for New Graduate Degree Programs (2004)

• Data collection/survey project for the Graduate Dean exploring the possibility of creating a program in (i) Criminal Justice and (ii) Professional/Technical Writing.

St Louis 2004 Report Card – Poll Work Group Sub-Committee (2004)

• Multi-agency partner work group developed survey instruments for the entire Federally-funded Report Card project.

Workforce Information System On-Line Survey (2000-4)

• With UMSL-PPRC; Data collection from large regional employers in semi-annual (spring and fall) survey – tracking job openings in the St. Louis Metropolitan Region. Project expired when funding withdrawn by the State of Missouri.

City of Ballwin, MO Survey (2003)

• Community Opinion Survey. 500-sample computer-based telephone survey.

Southern Illinois Higher Education Consortium (SIHEC) Survey and Report (2002)

• “The Training and Educational Needs Survey” Survey of regional employers to provide an assessment of training needs in the Metro-East area. (Dr. David Ault)

• Various public opinion and stakeholder surveys to assist with strategic planning and community and agency needs assessments. Environmental Scan (research and analysis of data). Analysis of Giving Patterns. Questionnaire development, survey process, analysis of data.

Various Focus Groups involving agency stakeholder populations, e.g.: Non-Traditional Hours ChildCare Study (2001)

St. Louis Empowerment Zone Evaluation (2000-2001)

• With UMSL-PPRC; Evaluation of the St. Louis Federal Empowerment Zone.

City of O’Fallon, IL Wage and Classification Study Update (1990’s and 2001)

• Project Director. Facilitated employee briefing meeting, orchestrated and performed employee desk audits. Researched pay data factors. Produced and edited job descriptions, developed point-factor measures, developed municipal pay-scale, facilitated employee and aldermanic briefing sessions. Produced and presented report and recommendations.

City of O’Fallon, IL: Wage and Classification Study and Performance Appraisal (1997-2001)

• Wage classification study and pay-for-performance and “step-and-grade” measures.

SIUE Image Survey (1990’s-early 2000’s)

• Participation in faculty-wide steering group to lead a quadrennial assessment of SIUE’s image as seen by a variety of external and internal stakeholders.

• Extensive survey of wages and salaries paid to all types of early childcare workers in Southern Illinois. Report used in advocacy at the federal level to the long term benefit of all involved.

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1994-1999

City of Frontenac, MO: Strategic Planning Survey/Report (1999)

• Devised job descriptions for municipal employees, facilitated employee briefing sessions.

Jersey Community Hospital, Jerseyville, IL: Proposed Ob-Gyn Unit. Survey, Focus Groups and Report (1999)

City of O’Fallon, IL: Park Board Strategic Planning Initiative (1998)

• One of many SWOT analyses performed for municipal and non-profit agencies.

Community Finance Corp. (1998)

• Step and-Grade Study and Performance Appraisal System. Developed pay system for Bank employees in newly merged/acquired holding company.

• Data collection exercise in a State-wide data collection project involving all State Universities as partners. Administered employer survey to collect data for a major strategic planning initiative to assess economic development needs and critical issues across the whole southern Illinois (40-county) region.

Jersey Community Hospital, Jerseyville, IL: Proposed Fitness & Wellness Center. Survey, Focus Groups and Report (1998)

City of Fenton, MO: Wage Classification and Performance Appraisal (1995-1998)

• Wage study for the City including job descriptions, salary survey and the development of a performance appraisal system.

City of O’Fallon, IL: Quality of Life Survey and Strategic Planning Facilitation (1997)

• Community Opinion Survey used in conjunction with Community Planning Effort.

Wagner Complex Citizen Survey (1997)

• Survey to assess citizen and stakeholder needs and desires for a new Edwardsville Mixed-Use Arts Complex.

City of Frontenac: MO Wage and Classification Study and Performance Appraisal (1996)

• Wage classification study including job descriptions and salary survey of like-municipalities.

City of O’Fallon, IL: Public Works Operational Study (1996)

• (Dr. L. G. Bender). Assessment of managerial capacity project involving bringing in two independent subject-matter-experts to carry out a thorough study of the entire P.W. operation at the Mayor’s request.

Ladue News Readership and Buying Habits Survey (1996)

• Reader survey to assess perceptions and buying habits, included focus groups and interviews with advertisers.

McHenry County, IL Growth and Development Citizen Survey (1996)

• Stakeholder opinion survey to assess support levels for various real and hypothetical capital investment projects.

Focus Group (of College Bound Students) for Academic Marketing Services-SIUE (1996-1997)

• Workshops with High School Juniors resulted in a complete change of SIUE’s branding.

Bank of Edwardsville Survey (1995)

• Community opinion survey into banking habits and preferences.

Granite City Library District Wage Study (1995)

• Wage study including job descriptions for all library personnel.

Pinckneyville Wage Study (1994)

• Wage classification study for the City of Pinkneyville

Union Electric Survey Project (1994)

• Multi-Constituency/Stakeholder Community Opinion Survey for Ameren MO’s predecessor.

Public Housing Drug-Elimination Programs (1990’s)

• Evaluations performed regarding the effectiveness of various programs 1990-2010. City of Madison, WI; St. Clair County, IL Housing Authority; East St. Louis Housing Authority.

Eden Village Retirement Community and Eden Church, Edwardsville, IL (1990’s)

• Numerous Needs Assessment/data gathering projects including community opinion surveys, focus groups, interviews and environmental scans.

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