Evidence First

Researchers and practitioners are shaping the future of education and social policy by putting data and research evidence at the center of their decisions.    In this episode, Leigh Parise talks with John B. King, Jr., chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), which is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the country. King previously served as the secretary o...

As the global economy has grown increasingly competitive, interest in career and technical education (CTE) has experienced a resurgence among policymakers and educators   as a way to   ensure that more students leave school prepared for well-paying jobs.     Innovative new programs at both the secondary and postsecondary education levels seek to give students technical training for specific career...

Using data and research evidence can help nonprofit and community-based organizations develop new programs, support existing ones, and advocate for more effective government investments.   In this episode, Leigh Parise talks with Milton J. Little Jr., President and CEO of the United Way of Greater Atlanta – one of the nation's largest United Ways, serving 13 counties in the Atlanta metro area. Lit...

In Memphis, one in three people live near or below the poverty line. Memphis Works for Everyone ( MemWorks ), a partnership between MDRC and  Slingshot Memphis , seeks to strengthen pathways to living-wage jobs for Memphis workers. MemWorks is using research and data to determine what local programs, policies, and interventions will help more workers improve their economic mobility. In this episod...

In this year-in-review episode, Leigh Parise revisits conversations from 2025 about the power of evidence and collaboration to drive change: how data can inform decisions, how partnerships can break down barriers, and how innovative strategies can open doors for learners and workers alike.

Graduation rates at community colleges have remained low, especially for students with low incomes. One effort to help students graduate and succeed in the workforce is MDRC's  Scaling Up College Completion Efforts for Student Success  (SUCCESS), a comprehensive student support program supported by 15 years of MDRC's postsecondary research. Through its  Expanding SUCCESS Initiative , MDRC is partn...

Transferring credits from a community college to a four-year institution remains a crucial strategy to boosting bachelor's degree attainment and improving outcomes for graduates. But transfer students often face significant challenges to having their credits accepted and, more importantly, applied to degree requirements at four-year institutions. Faculty members in teaching, research, and administ...

In a competitive labor market, students graduating from high school need skills that can translate into meaningful careers. PREP KC is a leading K-12 education intermediary in the Kansas City region, bringing educators and industry professionals together to give students real-world learning opportunities and prepare them for in-demand careers.   Responding to increasing demand for data literacy ac...

Children's early math skills are a strong predictor of later outcomes, like high school and college graduation rates, underscoring the long-term benefits of focusing on early math education.    States across the country have increasingly focused on early literacy, enacting laws that require screening for reading difficulties, and aligning classroom instruction with the science of reading. This mom...

Since MDRC's founding more than 50 years ago, evidence-building and data-driven technical assistance (TA) have been a crucial part of its work. MDRC is now launching a comprehensive and innovative approach to TA, to ensure that effective service strategies reach more people and improve lives. MDRC's approach to technical assistance leverages the organization's years of on-the-ground experience to...

Sectoral training programs have emerged as a promising driver of economic mobility for people with low incomes. These programs prepare people for quality jobs in specific industries where there's strong employer demand and an opportunity for career advancement. Studies find that sectoral programs can meaningfully improve participants' earnings, yet not all programs have the support they need to ap...

Postsecondary education is a crucial factor in achieving economic mobility. However, graduation rates at community colleges remain low , particularly for students from low-income famil ies .    One effort to help students graduate and succeed in the workforc e is MDRC's Scaling Up College Completion Efforts for Student Success (SUCCESS ) , a comprehensive student support program supported by 15 ye...

Sector-based training programs prepare people for jobs in specific industries where there is strong local demand and an opportunity for career advancement. Several models for technology jobs have been found to be effective in improving long-term earnings for workers with low incomes. But for many people, the programs are too expensive and too far from home.   With support from the $100-million Goo...

Every year, courts across the United States impose millions of dollars in fines, fees, and restitution charges on people for traffic violations, misdemeanors, and felonies. In theory, these assessments are intended to punish and deter unlawful behavior, compensate victims for financial losses, and raise money for the justice system. However, they don't often accomplish those goals; instead, resear...

Both college-going and college completion rates are far lower in rural areas than in other geographical settings. To learn what works to help rural students enroll in and complete college, MDRC, supported by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), has launch ed the National Rural Higher Education Research Center. The c enter will work with college systems to conduct eight research studies in tw...

Many s tates and school districts are eager to ex p and high-dosage tutoring programs , a proven way to accelerate student learning by providing personalized instruction in small group settings several times a week . But there are challenges to getting these programs successfully off the ground, like recruiting tutors in a tight labor market, fitting sessions into already packed school days, and e...

Developmental education, also known as remedial education, refers to courses that some entering college students will have to take if they are deemed unprepared for college-level courses. However, studies have shown that developmental education can actually hinder students' progress in college. Additionally, students of color, adults, first-generation students, and those from low-income background...

Sector-focused employment programs aim to improve the economic mobility of people with low incomes by training them for quality jobs in sectors that have strong local demand and opportunities for advancement. By partnering with local employers, these programs provide them with a skilled and able workforce.     As part of MDRC's 50th anniversary celebration, this episode of Evidence First features...

As the cost of higher education climbs, skills-based hiring has gained traction. It's a labor market trend in which employers hire based on applicants' skills, with the understanding that degrees are not the only way to acquire competencies.   In a follow-up to an earlier episode on skills-based hiring , Rachel Rosen , who leads MDRC's Center for Effective Career and Technical Education, speaks wi...

Most pre-K classrooms use a whole-child approach to educational curricula, which focuses on the broad development of children's academic skills. By contrast, domain-specific curricula focus more on specific areas of learning, such as math, literacy, or science. MDRC has partnered with the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) to implement a new domain-specific curriculum in its schools. In th...

As the cost of higher education climbs, skills-based hiring has gained traction. It's a labor market trend in which employers hire based on applicants' skills, with the understanding that degrees are not the only way to acquire competencies.   Skills-based hiring has the potential to increase equity in the hiring process, providing avenues to socio-economic mobility for historically marginalized p...

Many schools are expanding tutoring services and personalized instruction to address learning loss caused by the pandemic. This episode features Reading Partners, a successful national nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring to students who struggle with reading in under-resourced elementary schools. MDRC has been working with Reading Partners for nearly 15 yea...

Montana 10 is a scholarship program offered by the Montana University System that offers wraparound academic, social, and financial supports to students from rural areas, first-generation college students, and Native American students. MDRC is partnering with the Montana University System on an evaluation of Montana 10.. In this episode, Leigh Parise speaks with Crystine Miller, Director of Studen...

In 2014, three Ohio colleges set out to adapt a student support model pioneered by the City University of New York called Accelerated Study in Associate Programs, or ASAP. The program  requires students to attend college full time and provides them with support services for three years, including enhanced advising, financial aid, and career counseling. MDRC'S evaluation of the ASAP Ohio program ha...

Nondegree credentials are typically certificates or licenses earned in a short period of time that confer some kind of professional or industry-recognized skill. They're not new to the world of higher education, but they have received a lot of attention in the last few years as a "faster " way to connect students to employment in comparison to earning a traditional college degree.    Leigh Parise...