The Maryland Tech Consortium is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education under its Technology Innovation Challenge Grant (TICG) program. As with many federal programs, TICG grantees must employ a third-party evaluator to assess progress and determine results. Over the past 2 years, the Department has placed increasing emphasis on the need for thorough and high-quality evaluations that adhere to the principles of scientifically-based research.