Overview

PREP-KC is a leading education intermediary in the Kansas City region—an organization that aims to bring together employers with actors in K-12 and postsecondary education. In fact, it partners with six urban school districts and three charter schools, industry professionals, and institutions of higher education, aiming to connect students to real-world learning opportunities that equip them with market-value assets—such as industry-recognized credentials and college credits—before they graduate high school. It seeks to provide all students with the opportunity to succeed in college and their careers, regardless of their zip codes.

Responding to increasing demand for data literacy across all industries, PREP-KC launched its Data in Action course in 2023 to give eighth-grade students early exposure to data analytics. The course aims to prepare students for high-demand careers while providing early access to a Data Analytics credential and boosting academic achievement in math and science.

PREP-KC won a federal Education Innovation and Research grant in 2023 to evaluate the course. MDRC will conduct that evaluation using a student-level random assignment design. At the start of the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, eighth-grade students at 10 to 12 schools will be randomly assigned to a semester-long Data in Action class (the program group) or to a business-as-usual elective offered at the school (the control group). An impact study will then compare the two groups’ performance on the state’s eighth-grade assessments in math and science. The impact study will also examine whether the Data in Action course causes more students to opt for a high school pathway in science, technology, engineering, or math. An implementation study will assess whether the course is implemented as designed, and will seek to identify the factors that facilitate and hinder successful implementation.