Diane Gruber
Research Associate
B.A. Wellesley College, M.A. Boston College
Diane Gruber is an experienced Research Associate specializing in Child and Youth development. Diane holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Boston College Lynch School of Education, a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology/Education from Wellesley College, and is a licensed counselor in Massachusetts. Diane’s experience in out-of-school time research and evaluation began in 2002, when she worked at NIOST as a student. She became a member of the NIOST staff in 2007.
Diane is part of the research team at NIOST that is currently evaluating the impact of before-school physical activity programs (BOKS) on children’s learning and non-learning outcomes. She is also a member of the team evaluating the Boston and Beyond Summer Learning Project, an integrative summer program that unites Boston Public Schools with community-based organizations to promote improved learning and non-learning outcomes among urban youth, and Boston Partnership project exploring the impact of ELT partnerships in Boston area schools. Additionally, she is a member of the research team working on the APT Validity Study II, funded by the William T. Grant Foundation developing video-based training and online feedback system that prepares experienced users of the APT (Assessment of Program Practices Tool) to meet rigorous standards of accuracy for higher stakes purposes.
Completed projects include an RWJF Commissioned Analysis on the implementation of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Standards in a national set of OST programs; evaluating BE SAFE, a youth prevention initiative aiming to increase afterschool program staff and youth knowledge regarding sexual and mental health, substance abuse, and violence and collaborating with BARCC to develop a tool to help out-of-school time providers identify areas needed in program improvements; evaluating Out of Harm’s Way, a Boston-based initiative attempting to eliminate violence as a barrier to learning and healthy development in middle school students; After School Gets Moving, a national randomized control trial, studying the impact of a professional development resource for out-of-school time program staff on children’s pedometer step counts; and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 21st Century Summer Learning Project; and she worked with a team that investigated OST program practices that support immigrant and refugee children and families. Diane has co-authored articles for publications intended for practitioner audiences (School-Aged Notes) and for the Boston Youth Commission.
