Comprehensive School Reform

Brief

Dual Enrollment Impacts from the Evaluation of New York City’s P-TECH 9-14 Schools

April, 2022

The New York City P-TECH 9-14 model offers accelerated high school course work, early college, and work-based learning experiences. P-TECH students are 30 percentage points more likely to take college courses in high school than comparison group students. They also earn 6.4 more college credits by the end for their fourth year.

Report

Interim Implementation and Impact Findings from New York City’s P-TECH 9-14 Schools

May, 2020

This report evaluates a program focused on preparing students for college and career. Based on partnerships among high schools, community colleges, and employers, the program offers accelerated high school course work, early college, and work-based learning experiences. The findings suggest that students are meeting the benchmarks they need to succeed.

Issue Focus

Past Successes, Enduring Challenges, and Future Considerations

January, 2020
Madeline Price, William Corrin

Focusing on NYC’s small high schools of choice, this reflection on MDRC’s recent high school reform research considers responses to five challenges: creating personalized, orderly learning environments; assisting students with poor academic skills; improving instructional content and practice; preparing students for the future; and stimulating change in overstressed high schools.

Brief

Boot Camp at Tarrant County College

November, 2019
Oscar Cerna

This study examined a “Boot Camp” program designed to reinforce basic mathematics functions for college students with limited math, reading, and writing skills, to prepare them for developmental-level courses. Three features made the program unique: computer-assisted, self-paced learning; a focus on individual learner progress; and in-class help from College-Readiness Advisors.

Brief

What Do We Know and What Are We Learning?

July, 2019

There is growing evidence that alignment between preschool and elementary school can help sustain the learning gains that children make in preschool. A new policy brief examines two large-scale, multiyear projects seeking to build rigorous evidence about the promise of aligning instruction from preschool through third grade.

Report

Findings from a Study of the Career Readiness Internship Program

June, 2019
Elizabeth Zachry Rutschow, Jessica Taketa

Work-based learning opportunities vary widely across colleges and are rarely evaluated. Through the Career Readiness Internship (CRI) program, 33 colleges provided large numbers of low-income students with valuable career-focused internship experiences, and employers generally viewed the program positively. Nevertheless, CRI was difficult to maintain after its grant period ended.

Report

Integrating Workforce and College-Readiness Training into California’s Adult Basic Skills Programs

July, 2019
Elizabeth Zachry Rutschow, Katie Beal, Chase Johnson

New models for adult education that integrate basic skills education with workforce and college-readiness training are catching on across the country. In this report, MDRC examines the development of these programs in California and suggests ways to expand these integrated models in adult basic skills programs across the state.

Infographic
December, 2018

In NYC P-TECH Grades 9-14 schools, students take an integrated sequence of high school and college courses with the goal of completing both high school and college, while simultaneously being exposed to hands-on work experiences. This infographic describes the model and introduces MDRC’s evaluation of it.

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