In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Project SPARC conducted research to better understand the barriers experienced by parenting students participating in CalWORKs, California's cash assistance program for families with children. This brief highlights findings from the research on who parenting students are and their experiences…

The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) American Apprenticeship Initiative (AAI) supported 46 grantees across the country to expand registered apprenticeship into new sectors, such as healthcare, and to populations historically underrepresented in apprenticeships. DOL commissioned an evaluation of the AAI grants to build evidence about the…

Freedom School Partners is a six-week summer program that has served the Charlotte, NC area since 2004. The purpose of this report is to present the external evaluation and findings of the six-week program in the summer of 2022. This evaluation is a joint effort between the Centers for Adolescent Literacies (CAL) and the Center for Educational…

Access to college has increased substantially over the last 50 years, but student success--defined as the combination of academic achievement and degree or certificate completion--has largely remained stagnant. The gap between access and success is particularly noteworthy for male Black and Hispanic students, whose college completion rates lag…

To mark the ten year anniversary since the introduction of the free schools programme, New Schools Network (NSN) commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to conduct an independent data-led investigation into what impact free schools have had since their introduction in 2010. The research examines the impact that free…

The Mathematics, 3D Printing, and Computational Thinking Through Work-Based Learning (MPACT) program relies on teacher professional development, specialized curriculum and materials, and STEM industry mentors to provide grades 4-7 students with project-based experiences implemented across three learning modules. This technical report presents…

The Mathematics, 3D Printing, and Computational Thinking Through Work-Based Learning (MPACT) program combines teacher professional development, specialized curriculum and materials and STEM industry mentors to provide grade 4-7 students with project-based experiences implemented across three learning modules. This technical report presents…

This report outlines the results of an evaluation of the Freedom School Partners' Children Defense Fund Freedom Schools© program in Charlotte, North Carolina, that took place during the summer of 2019. The evaluation was a collaboration between the Center for Adolescent Literacies (CAL) and the Center for Educational Measurement and Evaluation…

In 2017, the government launched Career Learning Pilots in order to test the design and provision of various training approaches for working adults with low to intermediate skills. As part of this initiative, the Department for Education provided approximately £11.3 million in funding to pilot projects that offered flexible and accessible ways of…

Head Start is an essential part of the programs and funding streams that provide early care and education (ECE) services to young children in the U.S. Head Start focuses on supporting children and families with low incomes, but also contributes to the broader effort to expand access to high quality ECE for all young children. Programs and…

This report outlines the results of an evaluation of the Freedom Schools project as it was implemented in Charlotte, North Carolina, during the summer of 2017. The evaluation study was a collaborative project between the Center for Adolescent Literacies (CFAL) and the Center for Educational Measurement and Evaluation (CEME). Both centers are…

This brief describes an evaluation of the "Online Pathway to Graduation" (OPTG) program in Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools (MCPS) during the 2012-2013 school year. The OPTG program provides students who participate in an alternative learning opportunity to earn course credits and graduate from high school. The purposes of the…

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines not just what students know in science, reading and mathematics, but what they can do with what they know. Results from PISA show educators and policy makers the quality and equity of learning outcomes achieved elsewhere, and allow them to learn from the policies and practices…

This evaluation study examined the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of the statewide master plan for professional development (PD Master Plan) by investigating seven questions. With regard to effectiveness, (1) What was the level of implementation for the PD Master Plan, overall and by individual providers? (2) What were the impediments, if…

The longitudinal study of the 2005-06 preschool in Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) found short-term gains during the preschool year, but limited impact by kindergarten and no average impact by the end of 3rd grade on achievement, retention rates, special education placements, or attendance. Small sample sizes limit conclusions that can be…