Texas Change in Mind Evaluation

Problem

Texas organizations needed support to embed brain science and racial equity into their organizations and community networks.

Social Current launched the Texas Change in Mind initiative to help organizations across Texas integrate brain science and racial equity into their programs, policies, and systems. The initiative responded to growing evidence that early adversity and trauma impact lifelong health and development—and that community-based organizations can play a critical role in mitigating these effects. Social Current sought to build a statewide learning collaborative that would equip organizations with the tools, knowledge, and support to drive transformational change in their communities.

Solution

NORC conducted a developmental evaluation of the Change in Mind Learning Collaborative.

NORC designed and implemented a comprehensive developmental evaluation to assess the Change in Mind initiative’s impact across six pillars: brain science, organizational alignment, community systems, racial equity, messaging, and evaluation and learning. The evaluation included organizational assessments, coaching calls, convening feedback, and pre/post surveys to measure changes in knowledge, practices, and outcomes. NORC also supported the initiative’s theory of change development and provided technical assistance to participating sites.

The evaluation captured data from ten participating organizations and three comparison sites, representing a diverse array of service sectors and geographic regions. NORC’s approach emphasized equity, collaboration, and continuous learning, aligning with the initiative’s goals. The team also conducted site-specific network analyses and supported the implementation of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) to assess changes in organizational equity culture.

NORC also conducted an impact evaluation of two programs from the initial Change in Mind cohort, an executive functioning preschool pilot curriculum and a mental health service collaborative, and found two strong programs with motivated leadership and a focused goal.

Result

The evaluation showed progress in organizational alignment and equity practices.

NORC’s evaluation found improvements in staff knowledge and practices related to brain science, trauma-informed care, and racial equity. Participating organizations reported increased alignment between their internal structures and brain science principles, including improvements in workforce development, leadership communication, and safe environments. The IDI assessments showed that several organizations progressed from exploratory to embedded phases of equity integration.

The findings informed the development of sustainability plans and helped sites refine their theories of change. The evaluation also highlighted the importance of coaching, peer learning, and tailored support in driving systems-level change. These insights will guide future efforts to scale brain science-informed practices across Texas and beyond.