Career & Technical Education

WorkAdvance

Frieda Molina, Barbara S. Goldman, Richard Hendra, Betsy L. Tessler, Keith Olejniczak, Kelsey Schaberg, Hannah Dalporto, Alexandra Pennington

Past evaluations have provided solid evidence regarding what works to help low-income individuals become employed. However, these studies have also found that many people who found jobs were not better off financially, in part because these jobs were unstable, low paying, and provided few advancement opportunities. More recent randomized controlled evaluations of both...

View Project »
Brief

Reconnecting Disconnected Young Adults

The Early Experience of Project Rise

October, 2013
Michael Bangser

Project Rise seeks to reconnect “disconnected” young people — those out of work and lacking a high school degree — with education, work, and social support. This policy brief provides an overview of Project Rise and its evaluation, descriptions of its participants, and lessons drawn from its early operating experiences.

Overview »
Full
Report

Sustained Progress

New Findings About the Effectiveness and Operation of Small Public High Schools of Choice in New York City

August, 2013
Howard Bloom, Rebecca Unterman

New data from a rigorous study confirm that New York City’s small public high schools, which have nonselective admissions and serve many disadvantaged students, have substantially improved rates of graduation with Regents diplomas. This report also describes what principals and teachers at these schools believe accounts for their success.

Overview »
Full
Brief

WorkAdvance

Testing a New Approach to Increase Employment Advancement for Low-Skilled Adults

June, 2013
Betsy L. Tessler

This policy brief discusses a new skills-building model designed to help low-income adults prepare for, enter, and succeed in quality jobs, in high-demand fields with opportunities for career growth. WorkAdvance uses strategies found in sector-based employment programs, combined with career coaching after participants are placed into jobs.

Overview »
Full
Brief

Enhancing GED Instruction to Prepare Students for College and Careers

Early Success in LaGuardia Community College’s Bridge to Health and Business Program

May, 2013
Vanessa Martin, Joseph Broadus

One year after enrolling, students in LaGuardia’s GED Bridge program were more than twice as likely to have passed the GED exam and three times as likely to have enrolled in college as students in a more traditional GED preparation class.

Overview »
Full

Project Rise

Edith Yang, Michelle S. Manno, Alexandra Bernardi, Hannah Dalporto

In the United States, over six million young people are “disconnected” — neither in school nor working. Over a million of these disconnected young adults are between the ages of 18 and 24 years but lack either a high school diploma or equivalency certificate. These young adults’ limited education and work experience severely reduce their prospects for becoming...

View Project »
Brief

Improving College Readiness in the Age of the Common Core

March, 2013

Too many students enter college underprepared, drop out, and never earn a credential that would give them access to stable, well-paid jobs. Part of our “Looking Forward” series, this policy memo describes some promising college readiness programs that can provide students with the skills they need to successfully complete college, but cautions that more evidence is needed.

Overview »
Full
Brief

Reforming Underperforming High Schools

March, 2013

Urban high schools are in trouble — high dropout rates, low student achievement, and graduates who are unprepared for the world of work are just some of the disappointing indicators. However, this policy memo, part of our “Looking Forward” series, explains how recent research has uncovered a number of approaches to improving student outcomes and reforming underperforming schools.

Overview »
Full
Brief

Building Better Programs for Disconnected Youth

February, 2013

Almost 7 million 16- to 24-year-olds are neither working nor in school. Part of our “Looking Forward” series, this policy memo argues that, while the research evidence on youth programs is mixed, there are some promising findings — and a resurgence in political interest — on which to build.

 

Overview »
Full

Pages