All MDRC Publications

Learning Communities for Students in Developmental English: Impact Studies at Merced College and The Community College of Baltimore County

Two colleges implemented semester-long learning communities linking developmental English with a range of other courses. At Merced, learning communities students earned more developmental English credits and passed more English courses than a control group. At CCBC, there were no meaningful impacts on students credit attempts or progress. Neither colleges program had an impact on persistence or on cumulative credits earned.

More Than a Job: Final Results from the Evaluation of the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) Transitional Jobs Program

Ex-prisoners who had access to CEOs transitional jobs program were less likely to be convicted of a crime and reincarcerated. The effects were particularly large for those ex-prisoners who enrolled in the program shortly after release. The recidivism reductions mean that the program is cost-effective generating more in savings than it cost.

Sustained Positive Effects on Graduation Rates Produced by New York Citys Small Public High Schools of Choice:

A rigorous study that takes advantage of lottery-like features in New York Citys high school admissions process demonstrates that new small public high schools that are open to students of all academic backgrounds have substantial impacts on rates of graduation with Regents diplomas for every disadvantaged subgroup of students that was examined.

Alternative Employment Strategies for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients: Final Results from a Test of Transitional Jobs and Preemployment Services in Philadelphia

An evaluation of two different welfare-to-work strategies for long-term welfare recipients finds that: (1) transitional jobs substantially increased employment in the short term, but these effects faded after one year, and (2) it is difficult to engage welfare recipients in extensive preemployment services long enough to improve their employability.

Working toward Wellness: Telephone Care Management for Medicaid Recipients with Depression, Thirty-Six Months After Random Assignment

A telephonic care management program increased the use of mental health services by Medicaid recipients with depression while the program was running, but it did not help individuals sustain treatment after the intervention ended. The program did not reduce depression on average, nor did it have any effect on employment outcomes.

Issue Focus: Frequently Asked Questions About MDRCs Study of New Small High Schools in New York City

On January 25, MDRC released the latest findings from its ongoing study of new, small, academically nonselective high schools in New York City, which showed substantial impacts on rates of graduation for disadvantaged students. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions weve heard about the study.

Issue Focus: Top 10 Most Popular MDRC Publications in 2011

In 2011, MDRC published nearly 40 publications on programs affecting low-income Americans in all realms of education and social policy: education from preschool to postsecondary, workforce development, family relationships, youth development, welfare programs, early childhood, health and disability, and more.

Issue Focus: A Safety Net Built Around Work When There Is No Work

In a commentary published in The Hills Congress Blog, MDRC President Gordon Berlin argues that we need to create a more flexible welfare program that continues to reward work when jobs are plentiful, provides support to poor families when jobs disappear, and begins to address the even more consequential problem of stagnant wages at the low end of the labor market.

Issue Focus: Behind the Study: Voices from MDRCs Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration in New Mexico

Being part of VISTA was a stress-reliever it made me feel better about studying, about going to class, and about doing things outside of class that I need to do.

A performance-based scholarship recipient at the University of New Mexico

Issue Focus: The College Match Program: An Innovative College Advising Strategy for Low-Income and Minority Students

Evidence suggests that students are most likely to succeed when they attend the most academically demanding institution that will admit them. Unfortunately, too many low-income high school students choose a college for which they're overqualified. In Chicago, a new pilot program helps students and their families navigate the complicated college application process and make more informed decisions.

VIDEO: Investing in the Emotional and Behavioral Development of Preschoolers

Young children who can interact well with teachers and peers are more likely to succeed in preschool and beyond. This six-minute video, produced by The MacArthur Foundation, profiles MDRCs Foundations of Learning Project, a demonstration in Newark and Chicago that is testing an innovative program that combines teacher training with in-class clinical consultation to support childrens emotional and behavioral development in preschool.

VIDEO: Paying for Persistence: A Unique Scholarship Program to Increase Student Success at Community Colleges

In this seven-minute video, MDRC researcher Lashawn Richburg-Hayes summarizes promising findings about a performance-based scholarship that boosted academic achievement and retention rates at two New Orleans-area community colleges.

Fast Fact: Can Summer Bridge Programs Narrow the College Readiness Gap?

Fast Fact: Enhancing Developmental Education in Community College: Can It Improve Students Language and Math Skills?

Fast Fact: How Can We Help Ex-Prisoners Reenter the Labor Market?

Fast Fact: High-Needs Users Drive Majority of Medicaid Spending

Fast Fact: Reducing Behavior Problems Among Preschoolers