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.

	Higher Graduation Rates, Higher Earnings: Positive Outcomes from the ASAP Ohio Demonstration Graduation rates at community colleges are low, especially for students from low-income backgrounds. In response, three Ohio community colleges implemented programs based on the City University of New York’s successful Accelerated Study in Associate Programs. At six years, the Ohio programs have increased graduation rates and earnings.
	Preparing Workers for the Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges for an Emerging Labor Market This brief examines the complex factors that have both facilitated and hampered efforts to train workers for the burgeoning green labor market. It is based on an MDRC qualitative case study of stakeholders involved in green policy, education, training, and employment sectors in the New York metropolitan region.
	Sector-Based Training Programs: An Approach to Achieving Equitable Labor-Market Outcomes and Upward Mobility Research shows that sector-based training programs—which prepare people for high-quality jobs that meet the needs of employers in tar­geted industry sectors—can raise employment rates and earnings. This brief presents findings from interviews about the challenges training providers face, along with lessons from earlier studies.
	Income Share Agreements to Finance Short-Term Career Training: Preliminary Findings from the Career Impact Bond Study Many individuals face financial and other barriers to accessing training that could lead to higher-paying jobs. Income share agreements enable learners to receive occupational training without paying up-front tuition costs. Participants commit to repaying a portion of their income over time, up to a capped amount, contingent on a minimum income threshold.
	What Do We Know About Building and Sustaining the Child Care and Early Education Workforce? Cross-Cutting Themes from a Literature Review, Environmental Scan, and Data Scan It is challenging to recruit, support, and retain a qualified child care and early education workforce. This brief presents the results of a literature review and an environmental scan that were designed to identify and document existing knowledge about the workforce and develop strategies to strengthen it.
	Encouraging Innovation in Human Services: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic 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.
	“Once You’re Arrested, You Lose So Much”: 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.
	The Five Phases of Successful Data Analytics: TANF Data Collaborative Pilot Resources Toolkit This toolkit provides individuals and organizations with guidance, drawn from learning and experience, on how to use administrative and other data to inform program improvements.
	Expanding a City-Wide Tutoring Effort: Lessons from Chicago Public Schools 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.
	The Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project: Preliminary Findings on Fairness and Efficacy This brief presents early results from an analysis of how legal fines and fees are assessed and distributed in Jefferson County, Alabama.