This issue brief is one in a series examining timely topics that are relevant to Black families and children in the United States. The series identifies key information and opportunities for consideration by policymakers, researchers, practitioners, philanthropists, and others interested in supporting the progress of Black families and…

As of March 2019, 43 million Americans held student loans provided through federal government programs, the largest segment of the education loan market. But this system is under pressure as more borrowers struggle to repay, a problem compounded by the complexity of the repayment process. Research on the pathways borrowers take through the…

This brief is part of a series that explores key implementation considerations. It focuses on the importance of identifying, operationalizing, and implementing the "core components" of evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions that likely are critical to producing positive outcomes. The brief offers a definition of "core components",…

Dramatic changes in the higher education landscape and the recent recession have intensified the challenges students face in postsecondary enrollment and completion. In response, some states, communities, and institutions have developed "postsecondary opportunity programs (POPs)"--comprehensive college access and success programs…

Over the past several years, a number of new programs, policies, and initiatives designed to promote the employment of people with disabilities have been implemented by state and federal agencies, and are being evaluated to greater and lesser degrees. The purpose of this report is to provide a review of the recent evaluation activities being…

Perspectives are provided to help evaluators of health promotion programs. Eight papers present critical issues in such evaluations, including: (1) conceptual themes of program theory and context; (2) topics related to measurement, data analysis, and research design; and (3) reports of evaluation studies. (SLD)

This documentation is for the revised file (Version 1b) of the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) for school year 2008-2009, fiscal year 2009 (FY 09). It contains a brief description of the data collection along with information required to understand and…

This book contains four papers commissioned by the National Center on Employment Policy to review programs conducted by the Office of Policy, Evaluation, and Research in the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration. The Council's policy statement entitled "Appraising Employment and Training Research" appears first. In…

Summarizes and discusses the implications of a recent national study of public policies affecting the delivery of mental health services to disturbed children and adolescents. Discusses fiscal, administrative, and service inadequacies as well as innovative programming and policy efforts. Addresses implications for the policymaking and…

After-school programs, scout groups, community service activities, religious youth groups, and other community-based activities have long been thought to play a key role in the lives of adolescents. But what do we know about the role of such programs for today's adolescents? How can we ensure that programs are designed to successfully meet young…

This policy research summary outlines the paradigms and processes used in recent research and evaluation studies conducted on supported employment and rehabilitation programs in Minnesota. First, the paper reviews evaluation strategies and models for assessing the individual and societal efficacy of supported employment. It identifies key…

This article discusses the practical application of mixed quantitative and qualitative designs. Mixed methods designs can be especially powerful in illuminating policy solutions and directions for social action, thus supporting the social justice goals of social work and other helping professions. However, the decision to combine methods must be…

This policy paper explores the nature and significance of human capital development. Its intended audience includes policymakers, students and researchers, and citizens who bear the ultimate responsibility for public policy. An introductory section defines human capital broadly to include all productive capacities acquired at some cost and…

This article reports the results of policy research survey examining U.S. government strategies to obtain data on counts of children who are deaf-blind and the issues related to this effort and its outcomes. Problems frequently cited were varying definitions of deaf-blindness among states and lack of accurate data on etiology and severity. (JDD)

The administrative problems of public sector research programs in developing nations include lack of major public policies and too many minor ones, inadequate or haphazard planning, budgetary constraints, inadequate evaluation and monitoring, inadequate or obsolete equipment and facilities, trained manpower shortages, and limited motivation. (MSE)