Founded in 1974, MDRC is committed to improving the lives of people with low incomes. We design promising new interventions, evaluate existing programs, and provide technical assistance to build better programs.
MDRC develops evidence about solutions to some of the nation’s most difficult problems. Explore our projects and variety of products, including publications, videos, podcast episodes, and resources for researchers and practitioners.
A Look at Three Sites in the Procedural Justice-Informed Alternatives to Contempt Demonstration
This report examines how three child support agencies experienced the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on employment, earnings, and unemployment insurance patterns.
This post describes an exercise for social services organizations that uses program attendance and engagement data analysis as part of a team-building effort—promoting equity by engaging diverse staff members in discussions about how to improve enrollment, service delivery, and participation outcomes.
In this commentary originally published by Route Fifty, Rick Hendra writes that artificial intelligence opens new opportunities for policymaking and service delivery, but it’s not magic.
The Changing Landscape—and Growing Impact—of Career and Technical Education
Since the early 1990s, MDRC has partnered with pioneers in career and technical education to help them assess the effectiveness of their programs and to improve their services to students.
How the MDRC Center for Data Insights Approaches Career and Technical Education Partnerships
The Center for Data Insights at MDRC partners with career and technical education organizations to augment their data analytics capacity, supporting the analysis that happens before, during, after, or separate from impact evaluations. These partnerships generally fall into one of three collaboration models: consultation, cocreation, and coaching.
In this commentary originally published in Spotlight on Poverty & Opportunity, Clint Key describes three ways funders and policymakers can better support the scaling of sector-based workforce training programs.
In this commentary originally published in the Deseret News, Dina Israel writes that the demand for fatherhood programs is growing, but more needs to be learned about how and why these programs work.
Cross-Jurisdiction Patterns, Pathways, and Perspectives from the Pretrial Justice Collaborative
This report presents findings from a multimethod study of racial and ethnic disparities in the pretrial processes of seven jurisdictions across the country.
This brief shares findings about cross-functional teams, which try to bring change to higher education by assembling departments that often work separately.
High-dosage tutoring (HDT)—or three tutoring sessions of 30 minutes or more a week—is an effective way to improve academic outcomes for K-12 students. Ellen Kim, program manager of Chicago Public Schools’ Tutor Corps, speaks about the successes and challenges of developing an HDT program.
How Innovations in Course Placement are Helping Community College Students Succeed
For a decade, MDRC and its collaborators have studied multiple measures assessments, an alternative to using tests to determine whether students can succeed in college-level courses.
This report describes two interventions informed by behavioral science to improve attendance at required activities among recipients of public assistance.
This report explores Addiction Recovery Care, a Kentucky-based program that combines residential treatment and employment services for individuals with substance use disorders.
Workforce Programs Combine Virtual and In-Person Strategies
This snapshot highlights three lessons that demonstrate how 10 workforce programs created opportunities for improving services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Photovoice Study on the Pretrial Experience in New Jersey
In this photovoice study, three people who were involved with New Jersey’s pretrial system as defendants explore their experiences and make recommendations for how the system can be improved.
This blog post describes eight processes and cultural shifts that the NYC Human Resources Administration and the Santa Cruz Human Services Department implemented to encourage innovation among staff members in response to the COVID-19 pandemic—and how each of the processes came to life.
Expanding Access and Reducing Barriers for Job Seekers
As part of the Building Evidence on Employment Strategies project, researchers conducted virtual interviews with staff members at 10 workforce programs to learn how they used technology to adapt their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. This blog post examines five adaptations they made.
Learning from the JP Morgan Chase & Co. Summer Youth Employment Program Evaluation
Summer youth employment programs (SYEPs) provide early work experiences to young people. This brief focuses on SYEPs’ efforts to recruit employer partners.
