Clients and Testimonials
“The South Carolina State Department of Education (SCDOE) contracted with MGT of America and Tidwell & Associates to evaluate our state’s technical assistance program for low-performing schools. We have found that this comprehensive evaluation was well worth the expenditure of funds.
Your methodology for the evaluation was sound and included interviews at the state, district, and school levels as well as comprehensive site visits to low-performing schools. My staff and I feel that the work performed by MGT in collaboration with Tidwell & Associates, Inc. is thorough and of excellent quality. Thank you for providing us with the type of evaluation that will benefit our efforts in improving student achievement.”
Inez M. Tenenbaum, Former State Superintendent of Education, SC
“Ritchie’s professionalism, dedication and sensitivity to critical issues helped us develop new standards of excellence for serving all South Carolinians, but particularly children and victims of crime. His consulting skills would be an asset for any agency.”
Governor Richard Riley, Governor of South Carolina, 1979-1987
“I would like to offer my highest recommendation for Ritchie Tidwell and his consultants of Tidwell & Associates, Inc. Mr. Tidwell and Ms. Wanda Pearson have provided a professional, timely, and cost-effective consultative service that is critical to the success of our project. In closing, the staff at Tidwell & Associates, Inc. is very easy to work with and very conscientious.
The HCS SSHS project staff has enjoyed working with them and has been extremely pleased with the quality of services Mr. Tidwell and Ms. Pearson have been able to provide.”
Mary Kate Powell, Former SSHS Project Director, Horry County Schools, SC
“Tidwell & Associates has an extensive knowledge of the grant writing and management process, and this knowledge and experience has been invaluable in assisting our project, our school district, and our county. I cannot support them highly enough, and give them my unqualified recommendation.”
Kevin Rhodes, Former Project Director, Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative, Kershaw County School District, SC
“The expertise of Mr. Tidwell and everyone involved with the firm was outstanding. I would recommend Tidwell & Associates in the highest possible way. This firm is head and shoulders above any similar organization with which I have worked in the past.”
Frank E. Morgan, Ed.D., Former Superintendent, Kershaw County School District, SC
“Mr. Tidwell understands the importance of positive relationships in the success of any project and dedicates the necessary time and attention to all aspects of his work. His evaluation team is outstanding as evident by the meticulous tracking of data and reporting on a $3.5 million project which resulted in our agency securing state funds for sustainability.
We depend heavily on Mr. Tidwell for recommendations for program improvement, and they have increased our access and retention of clients along with increased revenue. The strongest recommendation is given to Mr. Tidwell for his grant-writing and grant-evaluation services.”
Mara Jones, Director, The Alpha Center, Camden, South Carolina
“Nina and Ritchie have not only worked with me as the Project Director to ensure successful outcomes but have also worked with our Federal Project Officer and Technical Assistance Specialist. Their positive working relationship with the federal project staff, coupled with their knowledge of evaluation, has enabled them to provide high quality evaluation services.
Throughout the two years of the grant, the lead evaluator, Nina Barrios, has collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from all activities conducted through the initiative. On a continuous basis, Ritchie and Nina offer the partners and staff members input on the possible changes that may need to talk place for the program to achieve the expected outcomes. It has been a pleasure to work with the staff at Tidwell & Associates.”
Rebecca Sharpe, Former Project Director, Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Lafayette District Schools, FL
“They have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the unique opportunities and challenges that characterize rural school districts and have worked effectively with our diverse team to provide a quality evaluation, which has informed staffing and budgeting decisions at the school and district levels.
We enjoy working with the highly personable, conscientious, and competent professionalism of Tidwell & Associates, Inc. and we are extremely pleased with the quality of services they provide.”
Sandra Calliham, Former Superintendent, McCormick County School District, SC
"It has become apparent to me that this particular grant initiative (Safe Schools, Healthy Students) has much more federal involvement than other grant programs, and Mr. Tidwell’s knowledge, experience, and guidance has benefitted us time and time again. It is important to us that our evaluators are not only well skilled, but are easy to work with and be respected by our district staff and partners. We have found this to be true with Mr. Tidwell and his team. It is clear that they possess the quantitative and qualitative skills for conducting a quality evaluation.”
Dianne Lovett, Senior Director, Academic Services, Orange County School District, FL
“Ritchie Tidwell and his staff have been providing grant writing and evaluation services for our Agency for the past 20 years. During the evaluation phase of our grants, Mr. Tidwell and his staff were able to develop an excellent relationship with all of our partners to develop specific protocols for obtaining raw data and maintaining client/student confidentiality when preparing written evaluations.
In doing so and tracking targeted academic and behavioral outcomes during the evaluations, our grants were successful and enabled us to continue funding beyond the grant life.”
Michael Dennis, Director, Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCCADA), Orangeburg, SC
“As the local evaluators, they have provided briefings for district and school level administrators as well as committees and partner agencies. Due in large part to his experience with other Safe Schools/Healthy Students projects and involvement at the state level of partner agencies, Mr. Tidwell has offered valuable suggestions for troubleshooting and sustainability opportunities.
Tidwell & Associates, Inc. has collected and analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from all activities performed at the district and school level sites. They have worked effectively with diverse groups of people and take the initiative to meet with staff individually to enhance the evaluation of our project.”
Paula Grant, Former Project Director, Safe Schools/Healthy Students, Marion School District Two, SC