Researchers agree that for children who attend early care and education programs, high-quality early learning experiences are critical for promoting academic, social-emotional, and executive function skills, particularly for children of color and children from families with low incomes. Rigorous research testing the effects of interventions to…

While the scope of a transition toward renewable energy, and away from fossil fuels, as well as other sustainable economic practices is daunting, the United States has recently begun to obtain policy momentum in the push to decouple economic activity from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper presents: (1) an overview of the scope of jobs…

A common narrative about women students of color in postsecondary education centers on the fact that they typically outperform men of color on measures such as college access, retention, and persistence. As a result, decision-makers might conclude that women of color do not need additional supports from institutions of higher education. Although…

Public support for and government investments in early childhood education (ECE) are at an all-time high. Research has identified early childhood as a critical period for brain development, work that has spurred interest in expanding ECE programs across the United States. But not all programs produce positive effects at the end of the preschool…

Research shows that high-quality pre-K can have lasting impacts on children's learning and development, with the largest effects clustered among children of color, multilin­gual learners, and children experiencing poverty. Yet policymakers, administrators, and teachers often wrestle with the complexities of providing these programs on a large…

While the scope of a transition toward renewable energy, and away from fossil fuels, as well as other sustainable economic practices is daunting, the United States has recently begun to obtain policy momentum in the push to decouple economic activity from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A suite of recent federal laws, as well as state and local…

Drawing on the science of learning and human development, educational leaders are seeking ways to integrate approaches that develop the whole child, elevating the child's social and emotional development and well-being so they are considered as important as academic development. They are also increasingly aware that to address disparities in…

This product is part of a series of practitioner briefs highlighting ways that education leaders can increase educational equity by building supportive learning environments that will meet all students' social and emotional needs. MDRC, The Alliance for Education Excellence, and The Education Trust recently released a brief that summarizes lessons…

School systems throughout the United States need collective healing. The COVID-19 pandemic sent a shock through the nation resulting in many families experiencing job loss, food insecurity, increased financial and emotional stress, and mental health issues for the first time, while exacerbating such issues for many other families who already…

High-quality pre-K sets children on a path for success in kindergarten and beyond. Yet most children in the United States do not attend high-quality programs, with particularly pronounced gaps in quality for children from families with low incomes, dual language learners, Black children, and Latino children. Ensuring equitable access to…

This practitioner brief is the first in a series highlighting concrete strategies that educational leaders can use to increase equity in education, by building supportive learning environments that meet all students' social and emotional needs. This introductory brief starts by laying out the aspects of a student's social and emotional well-being…

Executive skills are the cognitive abilities that make it possible for people to set goals, regulate impulses, and complete the steps necessary to achieve their objectives. Examples of these skills include time management, emotional control, and organization. Richard Guare and Peggy Dawson have developed a coaching strategy based on executive…

In a 2006 report, MDRC comparatively analyzed its evaluations of three comprehensive interventions -- Career Academies, First Things First, and Talent Development -- to identify strategies that address five critical challenges to reform: (1) creating a personalized and orderly learning environment; (2) assisting students who enter high school with…

Asthma is the leading chronic health condition among children in the United States and a major cause of childhood disability. It also disproportionately affects low-income and racial and ethnic minorities. Although a wide range of interventions have been implemented to improve asthma-related outcomes among socioeconomically disadvantaged and…

The Communities In Schools (CIS) Model of Integrated Student Supports aims to reduce dropout rates by providing students with integrated and tiered support services based on their levels of need. The model includes preventive services that are available to all students (Level 1 services) as well as intensive, targeted, and sustained services…