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ERIC Number: ED631346
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jul
Pages: 33
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Improving Academic Success and Retention of Participants in Year Up's Professional Training Corps. Actionable Evidence Initiative Case Study
Britt, Jessica; Fein, David; Maynard, Rebecca; Warfield, Garrett
Grantee Submission
This case study describes a small randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing alternative strategies for monitoring and supporting academic achievement in Year Up's Professional Training Corps (PTC) program. Year Up is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preparing economically disadvantaged young adults for well-paying jobs with advancement potential. As part of the study, Year Up and its research partners designed and tested strategies for more quickly identifying and supporting participants struggling with their college coursework. To ensure the credibility of the study findings, the team randomly assigned participants either to a coach who would use the new monitoring and support strategies or to a coach who would follow existing practices, which did not place much emphasis on academics. Over two cycles of testing, the study found strong evidence that the alternative strategies tested substantially improved success in courses and, thus, advancement to internships. Three factors contributed to the resulting evidence being actionable: (1) it focused on low- to no-cost, field-initiated practice changes that could be implemented widely; (2) site staff could tailor strategies to local needs and opportunities; and (3) the research team encouraged local staff to modify the strategies being tested between enrollment cohorts. [This case study was commissioned by the Actionable Evidence Initiative and led by Project Evident. Funding from the GreenLight Fund also supported this work.]
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; National Center for Education Research (NCER) (ED/IES); Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), Social Innovation Fund (SIF); Arnold Ventures
Authoring Institution: N/A
IES Funded: Yes
Grant or Contract Numbers: R305A150214