Research for Action has studied statewide Promise programs since 2017, with in-depth analysis in four states--Delaware, Nevada, Oregon, and Tennessee. Our research in these states includes an extensive review of legislative and policy documents; 146 interviews with policymakers, institutional leaders, and high school staff; site visits to 8…

The Head Start Act mandates that each Head Start grantee receive a monitoring review at least once every 3 years; each newly designated grantee be reviewed after the completion of its first year (and then at least once every 3 years thereafter); and all grantees that "fail to meet the standards" receive Follow-up reviews. Reviewers…

A research synthesis points to the "added-value"--benefits to social and emotional development, as well as learning outcomes--for students of color taught by teachers of color. Given ongoing education debates, policymakers can use this evidence base to craft legislation aimed at increasing the ethnoracial diversity of the U.S. educator…

The role of competitive funds as a source of funding for academic research has increased in many countries. For the individual researcher, the receipt of a grant can influence both scientific production and career paths. This paper focuses on the importance of the receipt of a research grant for researchers' academic career paths utilizing a…

Funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the Institute on Aging and Social Work played an integral role in the professional development of select faculty members engaged in gerontological research in schools or departments of social work. It offered faculty participants the opportunities to enhance knowledge of research methods, develop a…

Child care subsidies help make quality child care affordable for low-income parents, allowing them to attend work or school to support their families while ensuring their children's healthy development. The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary source of federal funding for child care subsidies for low-income working…

The nation's Land-Grant University Cooperative Extension System (LGU-CES) is committed to ensuring that low-income populations have a safe, affordable, and healthy food supply. Two low-income nutrition education programs that are core to this commitment are the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Supplemental Nutrition…

Valley Park Middle School (VPMS) in Valley Park, MO, has the unique designation of being a not-so-secret gem in St. Louis County. The middle school shares its campus with the elementary and high school, creating opportunities to collaborate and work together to build a school district that not only shines academically, but also focuses on…

State-level performance-based funding (PBF) policies are an increasingly common way to allocate funds to public colleges and universities. While a growing body of research has examined whether these policies are effective in improving student outcomes, little is known about how colleges respond to PBF policies. In this paper, we examine whether…

In this brief article, John Wertman describes the evolution of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, the role the American Association of Geographers (AAG) played over the last decade in getting it passed, and the impact the Act has on funding for K-12 geography education. The legislation, while not perfect, includes promising new…

We have established a community of practice focussed on student learning in first-year science. It is recognised that transition, whether from school to university or other possible transitions, is an issue that is a concern for the entire sector, and this is acknowledged both at Faculty and University level. One of the factors to which we…

Accumulated evidence from dozens of cash transfer (CT) programs across the world suggests that there are few interventions that can match the range of impacts and cost-effectiveness of a small, predictable monetary transfer to poor families in developing countries. However, individual published impact assessments typically focus on only one…

In the fall of 2009, the Boston Foundation announced a new strategic framework, "Thriving People, Vibrant Places", to guide much of its work for the next five years. The framework had its roots in a larger strategic direction first taken by the Foundation's Board of Directors in 2001. At that time, the Board believed the Boston…

Public universities typically charge students less than the full cost of education, using funds from state and local government and other sources to cover the difference. This indirect subsidy is one of the largest forms of aid in America's higher education system but is less understood in the policy community than grants and loans, which are…

Retention rates of first generation college student (FGCS) became a growing concern for leaders of educational institutions in the U.S. FGCS were several times more likely to exit college without a degree as compared to their traditional counterparts. The Model of Institutional Departure offered a general framework of college student retention.…