Classification System

Blueprints Rating System for Non-Certified Programs

Not Dissemination Ready: Program has met the evaluation quality standards for a Promising program, as determined by the Blueprints Advisory Board, but is not ready for dissemination.

Inconclusive Evidence: Studies of the program have issues related to measurement or analysis, such as missing information on attrition, no tests of baseline equivalence, and/or only testing a very small or specialized sample. This rating is also given to programs for which there are no RCT evaluations of the program and only one quality QED evaluation (Blueprints requires two).

Insufficient Evidence: Studies of the program have substantial issues related to the evaluation design, measurement or analysis, such as limited or no matching of the control group to the treatment group, no intent-to-treat analysis, incorrect level of analysis, and/or no independently measured behavioral outcomes. Studies of a program rated as insufficient may have one or more of these methodological weakness, and may also demonstrate no effects on behavioral outcomes.

Ineffective: Studies of the program meet all Blueprints evaluation criteria (i.e., 1 high-quality RCT or 2 high-quality QEDs) but find null effects on Blueprints behavioral outcomes.

Harmful: Studies of the program meet all Blueprints evaluation criteria but find significant harmful effects on a Blueprints behavioral outcome.