Youth Development
Representative Projects
New York State Education Department (NYSED):
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Policy Evaluation
MI conducted an evaluation of the statewide CTE approval policy under a contract with NYSED. State approval is designed to provide greater curricular flexibility for high school students who want to pursue CTE programs to meet graduation requirements. During the course of this study, MI evaluated over 350 approved programs examining planning processes, administration, personnel, curriculum/instruction, work-based learning, post-secondary articulation, and student outcomes. In addition, a sample of non-participant programs was studied to determine why these programs did not apply for state approval. In the final year of the evaluation, MI examined the academic rigor of CTE curricula, differences in the dropout rate between CTE students and other high school students, and the impact of CTE programs on students’ attitudes and achievement. Taken together, the findings informed NYSED of the benefits and obstacles encountered by CTE programs that sought state approval and provided future policy recommendations.
United States Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult
Education (OVAE):
State Profile Study
MI was contracted by OVAE to develop statistical profiles for all 50 states covering a series of educational indicators relevant to CTE. The indicators addressed four categories of information: Earning and Learning, High School Coursetaking, Student Outcomes, and Investing in the Future. Presented in an attractive four-color pamphlet, the profiles were distributed to congressional representatives during a series of national meetings. In preparing the profiles, MI accessed, retrieved, and interpreted data from a variety of national databases including the United States Department of Labor, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, The College Board’s AP examination records, the National Center for Education Statistics, and the United States Census Bureau. The indicators included the following: percentage of high school graduates earning credits in any form of CTE or in a single occupational area; percentage of CTE concentrators meeting core academic standards; average occupational credits earned by high school graduates; percentage of CTE concentrators attaining academic skill proficiency, and percentage of CTE concentrators attaining technical skills proficiency.
New York Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC):
GEAR UP Impact Evaluation
MI is working with HESC to conduct an impact evaluation of the statewide GEAR UP initiative. The intent of GEAR UP—Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs—is to increase the number of at-risk students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. To facilitate data management, MI developed an online database that allowed local project staff to enter and monitor individual student participation, demographic and school-level data. The database also permitted HESC and local project staff to run queries on key implementation and impact variables and to compare local performance against a statewide index. Tools to gauge the quality of program implementation included staff surveys, student and parent surveys, state partner interviews and in-depth site visits. Inferential and multivariate analyses were performed to examine differential program effects on the annual and longitudinal academic performance trends of project students. In addition to local data collection, MI coordinates the collection and analyses of site data for federal Annual Performance Reports (APR) and biennial reports.
LaGuardia Community College, Queens Urban Partnership and D’Youville
College:
GEAR UP Evaluation
MI conducted two local evaluations of GEAR UP one sponsored by LaGuardia Community College and the other by D’Youville College. Both initiatives provided academic and social/emotional support to 7th through 11th grade students through a variety of counseling, tutoring, and other services. The primary goal was to increase students’ chances of graduating from high school and continuing with postsecondary education. The LaGuardia evaluation was a six-year study that examined the implementation and impact of GEAR UP, focusing on the factors contributing to the program’s implementation and its impacts on student achievement, motivation, and future educational aspirations and plans. Qualitative and quantitative research methods, such as focus groups, interviews, observations, and analyses of grades, attendance, and test scores were used throughout the evaluation process. MI conducted a similar, though smaller scale study, for the D’Youville College GEAR UP.
The College Board:
CollegeEd Program Evaluation
CollegeEd, developed by The College Board, is a collaborative academic and career planning curriculum for students, teachers, and parents, designed to empower students with the skills and knowledge to envision their goals and achieve success in higher education. MI assisted The College Board in conducting an 8-month formative evaluation of the program. This evaluation addressed questions about how the program was being implemented in schools around the country, the factors influencing implementation strategies and decision-making, teachers’ experiences and satisfaction with the program, and the variables that support and hinder the program’s implementation. Methodologies included principal survey and site visits, where interviews and focus groups were conducted with administrators, teachers, school counselors, parent leaders, and students. CollegeEd classroom lessons also were observed. Results were presented in a comprehensive final report and newsletter summarizing key findings.
Clemson University and New York State Education Department (NYSED):
Dropout Prevention Initiative in Middle Schools Evaluation
This evaluation study was a collaborative venture between NYSED, the National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University (NDPC), and MI evaluation staff. The purpose of the study was to assess the processes and outcomes of the Dropout Prevention Initiative in 13 middle schools in New York, including the technical support provided by NDPC. Staff used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to collect the data. Products included online surveys administered to Local Action Teams and NDPC participants, two interim reports, and a final report that synthesized the findings and highlighted best practices from the field.
New York State Department of Labor (NYDOL):
Youth Education, Employment and Training Program (YEET) Evaluation
MI conducted the annual evaluations of three YEET programs sponsored by NYDOL. The programs—which differed by the grade level of the target group—were designed to assist economically disadvantaged youth in defining and clarifying their career goals during the crucial middle-junior high school years, and to ensure a successful transition into the workforce and/or postsecondary education. MI provided training, evaluation, and technical assistance services to these programs for 15 years. This experience gave MI extensive first-hand knowledge of school-to-work transition programs for youth throughout New York State. A ten-year follow-up study determined that a significant number of the targeted minority youth entered the workforce and or postsecondary educational institutions. Specific activities undertaken by MI included: assisting NYDOL in the design, operation, management, and evaluation of the program; designing need assessment instruments and conducting needs assessment of program operators; developing a system of program certification for youth programs; developing statewide performance standards for youth programs; and developing performance-based assessments for these programs.
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