There is limited empirical evidence about educational interventions for students experiencing homelessness, who experience distinct disadvantages compared to their low-income peers. We explore how two school staffing interventions in New York City shaped the attendance outcomes of students experiencing homelessness using administrative records…

This paper reports the results of a large, school-level randomized controlled trial evaluating a set of three informational interventions for young people choosing high schools in 473 middle schools, serving over 115,000 8th graders. The interventions differed in their level of customization to the student and their mode of delivery (paper or…

There is a need for rigorous experimental research on restorative practices in schools as a means to reduce exclusionary discipline and the disproportionate sanctioning of Black students, male students, and students with disabilities. The current study addressed this need in its evaluation of Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility's…

This article explores issues that had to be confronted over a three-year period in terms of two New York State funded grants for which I was the evaluator. Major, critical challenges are presented, described, and discussed. Specifically, the paper addresses issues related to lack of planning at the grant design stage that resulted in challenges…

The increasing number of children who struggle with reading and writing has become a significant challenge for the nation's public schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the relationship between which intervention a student gets and ELA scores of the online reading program i-Ready compared to the Word Generation program in…

In this report, the authors present the results of a long-term tracking study that follows 1,177 students who applied to enter 1 of 13 oversubscribed Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) middle schools through a 5th or 6th grade admissions lottery in 2008 or 2009. Those students are now old enough to have attended college for at least two years. This…

A growing number of autistic students enter the school system, many with the capabilities of doing grade-level work. For these students, there seems to be a lack of focus on executive functioning, self-regulation, daily living skills (DLS), and self-determination. The Independence Curriculum (IC) is a set of units addressing identified areas of…

This intervention report presents findings from a systematic review of the "Harlem Children's Zone (HCZ) Promise Academy Charter Schools" conducted using the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Procedures and Standards Handbook (version 3.0) and the Charter Schools review protocol (version 3.0). No studies of the "HCZ Promise Academy…

This article describes a study of two male clinicians' implementation of a 10-week, school-based integrated cognitive-behavioral group counseling intervention with psychodynamic process elements at a school in the Bronx, NY for inner-city middle school boys who have experienced complex trauma. The authors define complex trauma and describe the…

Communities in Schools is one of the nation's oldest and largest providers of integrated student supports, also known as "wraparound services." Started in New York City in the 1970s, the agency now works with more than 2,300 schools in 25 states and the District of Columbia. The model is straightforward: Communities in Schools recruits,…

New York City's public specialized high schools have a long history of offering a rigorous, college preparatory education to the city's most academically talented students. Though immensely popular and highly selective, their policy of admitting students using a single entrance exam has raised questions about diversity and equity in access. In…

Research evidence suggests that summer breaks contribute to income-based achievement and opportunity gaps for children and youth. However, summertime can also be used to provide programs that support an array of goals for children and youth, including improved academic achievement, physical health, mental health, social and emotional well-being,…

The New York State Education Department, in partnership with the New York City Department of Education, developed a "Striving Readers project" to address the literacy needs of early adolescent struggling readers in middle school. The goal of the project was to implement and examine the impact of a one-year comprehensive supplemental…

In October 2009, The New York State Education Department (NYSED), in partnership with the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), was granted funding as part of the "Striving Readers Project" to address the literacy needs of adolescent struggling readers early in middle school. The goal of the project was to implement and examine…

U.S. social programs, set up to address important problems, often fall short by funding specific models/strategies ("interventions") that are not effective. When evaluated in scientifically-rigorous studies, social interventions in K-12 education, job training, crime prevention, and other areas are frequently found ineffective or…