Publications

This issue focus lays out the benefits of investing in pre-K and kindergarten math and describes evidence-backed strategies to do so.

Based on interviews and focus groups, this report offers a nuanced portrayal of the challenges people face when searching for living-wage work in Memphis.

This brief describes the DOORS community hub model, providing adults on probation with supportive services located in the same building as their probation office.

This brief explores the job search experiences and needs of a group of Per Scholas graduates after they completed a sector-based training program.

This report presents early findings from a study to determine whether past effects of a program to prevent substance use in teens can be replicated in today’s context.

In 2024, MDRC posted more than 100 reports, briefs, practitioner guides, and other publications—offering research results, profiles of innovative programs, and evidence-backed advice for policymakers and practitioners. Here are 10 of the most popular.

Hosted by Leigh Parise, MDRC’s Evidence First podcast features experts talking about the best evidence available on education and social programs that serve people with low incomes.

In 2024, MDRC experts wrote commentaries on wide variety of pressing education and social policy issues.

This infographic highlights findings from a meta-analysis about what components of fatherhood programs are most likely to influence fathers’ lives.

This brief describes lessons learned about how Head Start programs participating in Head Start Connects engaged families in family support services.

This report synthesizes two evaluations comparing methods of determining which incoming college students to place in developmental (remedial) courses.

Results of a study exploring the mental health, well-being, and perceptions of early care educators who participated in a series of stress management workshops.

This report describes MDRC’s evaluation of an initiative supporting interconnected programs and services for young children and their families.

This report describes the implementation of an initiative that aims to support interconnected programs and services for young children and their families.

This report assesses whether New Jersey’s Criminal Justice Reform improved racial equity in the criminal legal system and made people perceive it as fairer.

This post summarizes three MDRC studies on pretrial supervision showing that more restrictive conditions do not produce better outcomes.

This brief presents a benefit-cost study of a Los Angeles program that connects people who have been involved in the legal system to community health workers.

This blog post describes advice from a social services organization about offering a sequence of services to individuals who are diagnosed with substance use disorders.

A college-completion program in Minnesota is adopting work-based learning to better equip its scholars for careers after graduation.

A summary of findings from the SUCCESS evaluation—which evaluated a comprehensive approaches to student success program—and lessons on coaching students.