P-12 Education

Over the past 25 years, MDRC has built a strong reputation as a respected, trustworthy source of information about what works to improve students prospects for academic success in elementary, middle, and high school and about what it takes to put effective interventions into place.

Issue Focus Area

Preschool Elementary and Middle School High School After-School/Out-of-School Time Transition to Postsecondary

Highlights

Issue Focus

Postsecondary Career and Technical Education: A Training Ground for a Greener Future

Recent federal policy supports creating middle-class jobs in the “green economy.” To better understand how community colleges can build programs that provide reliable growth trajectories for students in this field, MDRC talked with two practitioners about the North Carolina Community College System’s 10-year-old “Code Green” initiative.

Overview »

Brief

Supporting the Implementation of High-Quality Early Childhood Curricula in Preschool Programs

More children spend time in preschool now than a decade ago, but not all of them get educational programs of the same quality. This brief explores how to put new classroom curricula in place across multiple schools to bolster classroom quality, instructional practices, and children’s skills.

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Full

Brief

Rethinking Classroom Quality

What We Know and What We Are Learning

MDRC is leading several studies that measure the quality of early childhood education classrooms in innovative ways. This policy brief focuses on instructional quality, highlighting promising practices that seek to promote school readiness and sustained academic success among low-income children.

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Strategic Adolescent Reading Intervention (STARI) Evaluation Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools	INSIGHTS: Examining Effects of Social-Emotional Learning in Early Education on Outcomes Through High School and Beyond Population: Children and Schools Locations: New York	Measures for Early Success Focus Area: Preschool Population: Children and Schools
Personalized Learning Initiative Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Tutoring	Green Jobs Case Study Focus Area: Job Retention and Advancement Population: Young Adults Intervention: Career & Technical Education Locations: New York	An Experienced School Support Organization at Scale: A Study of The Urban Assembly Network Focus Area: High School Institutional Reform Transition to Postsecondary Population: Children and Schools Locations: New York
ReSolve Math Study Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Curricular/Instructional Reforms	Research-Practice Partnership with Acelero Learning, Inc. Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Population: Families	Educational Equity: Solutions Through Social and Emotional Well-Being Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms
XQ Schools Study Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools	California State University’s Proposed Quantitative Reasoning Admissions Requirement Focus Area: Transition to Postsecondary Population: Young Adults Locations: California	Building and Sustaining the Early Care and Education Workforce (BASE) Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Job Retention and Advancement Population: Children and Schools Populations with Low Incomes Families
CTE Advise: Advising Tools in Secondary Education Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Youth Employment Job Retention and Advancement Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, Job Training, Employment Services, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs	Variations in Implementation of Quality Interventions (VIQI): Examining the Quality-Child Outcomes Relationship in Child Care and Early Education Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Population: Children and Schools Families	City Year Evaluation Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Student Services, Classroom Services, Case Management, Counseling/Advising Locations: California, Florida, New York, Texas
Applied Behavioral Coalition (ABC) Focus Area: Child Care and Early Education High School Two-Generation Programs Corrections and Reentry Health Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Children and Schools Intervention: Transitional Jobs/Subsidized Employment, Case Management, Career & Technical Education, Behavioral Interventions, Employment Services	Jumpstart’s Foster Grandparent Program Evaluation Focus Area: Preschool Population: Children and Schools Intervention: School Readiness, Classroom Services Locations: California	Head Start Connects Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Work Support and Asset Building Population: Children and Schools Families Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Case Management
MDRC Center for Effective Career and Technical Education Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Youth Employment Job Retention and Advancement Population: Young Adults Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Intervention: Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, Job Training, Employment Services, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs	New York City’s Lab for Equity and Engagement in School Enrollment (the E3 Lab) Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Behavioral Interventions Locations: New York	United2Read Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: California, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania
Analysis of the Growth Mindset Study Data Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Behavioral Interventions	MDRC Center for Data Insights: Improving Programs and Systems with Actionable Data Science Population: Populations with Barriers to Employment Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Young Adults Families	What Matters Most for Teachers and Young Children Focus Area: Preschool Population: Children and Schools Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services Locations: New York
Philly Reading Coaches Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School After-School/Out-of-School Time Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Reading Instruction, Tutoring Locations: Pennsylvania	Family Rewards 2.0 Focus Area: Financial Incentives Two-Generation Programs High School Elementary and Middle School Population: Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Families Intervention: Financial Incentives Locations: New York, Tennessee	P-TECH 9-14 Evaluation Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Instruction and Curricula Institutional Reform Youth Employment Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Classroom Services, Comprehensive School Reform, Career & Technical Education, Curricular/Instructional Reforms, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs, Accelerated Programs Locations: New York
Next Generation California Partnership Academies Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Small Schools, Learning Communities, Career & Technical Education Locations: California	CareerWise Colorado Study Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Career & Technical Education Locations: Colorado	YouthForce NOLA Study Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Charter Schools, Career & Technical Education Locations: Louisiana
Drive to Write Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: New York	Testing Communications with Parents to Boost High School Students’ Attendance Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Locations: New York	Evaluation of Teach for America’s Redesigned Summer Training Institute Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training Locations: Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas
The Expanding Children’s Early Learning (ExCEL) Network Focus Area: Preschool Elementary and Middle School Child Care and Early Education Population: Children and Schools Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Massachusetts	Evaluation of Academic Language Interventions Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Reading Instruction, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms	Higher Achievement Evaluation Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School After-School/Out-of-School Time Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Tutoring, Mentoring, Classroom Services, Counseling/Advising
Success Academy Charter Schools Evaluation Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Charter Schools, Comprehensive School Reform, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: New York	The High 5s Project Focus Area: Preschool Elementary and Middle School Child Care and Early Education Population: Children and Schools Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms	Estimating Power for Multiple Hypothesis Tests Focus Area: Preschool Elementary and Middle School High School Population: Children and Schools
Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Focus Area: Youth Employment After-School/Out-of-School Time Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Student Services, Job Training, Employment Services Locations: New York	Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Behavior: Helping School Staff Support Appropriate Student Behavior Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services	Scaling Up the Success for All Middle School Math Program Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Curricular/Instructional Reforms
Innovative Professional Development (iPD) Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Oklahoma	The SEED Foundation Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School High School Institutional Reform Transition to Postsecondary Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Classroom Services, Residential Youth Programs, School Readiness, Student Services Locations: Dist. of Columbia, Maryland	Making Pre-K Count Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Population: Children and Schools Families Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services Locations: New York
AVID College Readiness System Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School High School Transition to Postsecondary Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Florida	Communities In Schools Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Student Services, Case Management, Counseling/Advising Locations: North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas	New York City Small Schools of Choice Evaluation Focus Area: High School Institutional Reform Transition to Postsecondary Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Small Schools, Career & Technical Education Locations: New York
Social Innovation Fund Project with the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation Focus Area: High School Young People Who Leave High School Before Graduation Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Population: Children and Schools Young Adults Intervention: Residential Youth Programs, Reading Instruction, Student Services, Transitional Jobs/Subsidized Employment, Classroom Services, Counseling/Advising, Job Training, Curricular/Instructional Reforms	Diplomas Now Focus Area: High School Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Student Services, Classroom Services, Comprehensive School Reform, Case Management, Counseling/Advising, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: California, Dist. of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas	Evaluation of Ninth Grade Academies Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Comprehensive School Reform, Counseling/Advising, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Florida
The College Match Program Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Counseling/Advising Locations: Illinois, New York	Opportunity NYC Demonstrations Focus Area: Financial Incentives Two-Generation Programs High School Elementary and Middle School Population: Populations with Low Incomes Children and Schools Families Intervention: Financial Incentives Locations: New York	Head Start CARES Project Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Two-Generation Programs Population: Children and Schools Families Intervention: School Readiness, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas
Response to Intervention (RtI) Programs for Struggling Elementary Readers Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Classroom Services, Curricular/Instructional Reforms, Reading Instruction

Great Lakes College and Careers Pathways Partnership Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Instruction and Curricula Youth Employment Population: Children and Schools Young Adults Intervention: Classroom Services, Career & Technical Education, Job Training, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin	The Success for All Reading and Whole-School Reform Model: An Evaluation of the Investing in Innovation Replication Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Reading Instruction, Curricular/Instructional Reforms	Texas Developmental Summer Bridge Study Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Developmental Education Student Services Population: Children and Schools Young Adults Intervention: Student Services, Counseling/Advising, Financial Incentives, Financial Aid, Curricular/Instructional Reforms, Developmental Education, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs, Accelerated Programs Locations: Texas
Evaluation of the Content Literacy Continuum Focus Area: High School Instruction and Curricula Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Curricular/Instructional Reforms, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Reading Instruction Locations: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin	The Getting Ready for Success Pilot Program Focus Area: High School Transition to Postsecondary Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Counseling/Advising, Financial Incentives, Financial Aid, Developmental Education, Dual-Enrollment/Bridge Programs Locations: Washington	Professional Development in Math Study Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Curricular/Instructional Reforms, Professional Development/ Teacher Training
High School Reform Conference Series Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Comprehensive School Reform	Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading (FAST-R) Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Reading Instruction, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Massachusetts	Talent Development Focus Area: High School Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Career & Technical Education, Classroom Services, Comprehensive School Reform, Curricular/Instructional Reforms, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Reading Instruction Locations: Pennsylvania
Foundations for Success Focus Area: Institutional Reform Population: Children and Schools Locations: California, New York, North Carolina, Texas	Bay Area School Reform Collaborative Focus Area: Institutional Reform Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training Locations: California	Scaling Up First Things First Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Comprehensive School Reform, Counseling/Advising, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas
Extended-Service Schools Focus Area: After-School/Out-of-School Time Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Locations: Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Rhode Island	The Reading First Impact Study Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Reading Instruction	Evaluation of Academic Instruction in After-School Programs Focus Area: After-School/Out-of-School Time Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Reading Instruction Locations: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin
Professional Development in Reading Study Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Reading Instruction Locations: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio	Project Transition Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Comprehensive School Reform, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: Kansas, Wisconsin	School-to-Work Transition Project Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Career & Technical Education, Counseling/Advising, Job Training Locations: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin
The Enhanced Reading Opportunities Study Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Curricular/Instructional Reforms, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Reading Instruction Locations: Georgia, Maryland, Nebraska, New York, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia	Instructional Leadership Study Focus Area: Institutional Reform Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training Locations: Minnesota, New York, Texas	Foundations of Learning Project Focus Area: Preschool Child Care and Early Education Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Classroom Services Locations: Illinois, New Jersey
Career Academies: Exploring College and Career Options (ECCO) Focus Area: High School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Small Schools, Career & Technical Education Locations: California, Florida, Georgia	Accelerated Schools Focus Area: Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Accelerated Programs, Curricular/Instructional Reforms Locations: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Missouri, New York, South Carolina	Project GRAD Focus Area: High School Elementary and Middle School Population: Children and Schools Intervention: Comprehensive School Reform, Counseling/Advising, Financial Aid, Financial Incentives, Professional Development/ Teacher Training, Reading Instruction Locations: Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas

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P-12 Education

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