In 2019, the Department for Education (DfE) commissioned a consortium of evaluation and early years assessment specialists to evaluate the first phase of Early Years Professional Development Programme (EYPDP1). The evaluation was led by Ecorys, with the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Professor Kathy Sylva (the University of…

This report explores motives, experiences, and outcomes of the Performance Partnership Pilots for Disconnected Youth (P3)--a federal program to improve services for "opportunity youth" by increasing flexibility for sites focused on systems change--and makes recommendations for federal leaders to improve its appeal and impact. Building on…

The Virtual School Head (VSH) was, until September 2021, the Local Authority (LA) officer statutorily tasked with promoting the education of children looked after (CLA) and previously looked after children (PLAC). In 2021, following the publication of The Children in Need Review (DfE, 2018b) and subsequent research by the Universities of Bristol…

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)'s mission is to break the link between family income and educational achievement. This is achieved through summarising the best available evidence in plain language, generating new evidence of 'what works' to improve teaching and learning, and supporting teachers and school leaders to use research evidence…

The Pupil Premium Grant was introduced in 2011 with the aim to 'close' the attainment gap within education between children classified as disadvantaged and their peers. However, recent research has shown that this gap appears to be widening across the education sector. This article explores the reasons why the Pupil Premium Grant was introduced,…

Too many young people cycle in and out of prison, jails, and detention centers and face probation and parole conditions that keep them locked out of opportunity. These interactions with the criminal justice system demand the need for both equitable practices and programs that support second chances and large-scale investments in decarceration.…

Traineeships have been shown to be successful in generating improved labour market outcomes and are often recommended as a policy option for disadvantaged youth. Regretfully data indicate that one such target group, Indigenous Australians, continues to have lower traineeship completion rates than the non-Indigenous. To address this issue, a…

In 2015, the Annie E. Casey Foundation partnered with the Corporation for National and Community Service's Social Innovation Fund to launch Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential (LEAP), a multimillion-dollar initiative to increase employment and educational opportunities for young people ages 15-25 who have been involved in the child welfare and…

This article explores whether child-led research (CLR) benefits the well-being of the children and young people involved. The article draws upon evaluation data from a pilot CLR programme facilitated by a non-government organisation that supports disadvantaged children, young people and families. Nine participants (aged 10-14 years old)…

In many sub-Saharan African countries, the endorsement of the 1990 Education for All (EFA) and the 2000 Millennium Development Goals agreements have resulted in the introduction of "fee-free" education policies in recent time. Yet, in 2015 it is becoming unlikely that education for all will be attained, as it has not been achieved…

Examining lessons learned through 4 years of experience of hosting Camp Launch, a university-based residential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrichment program for low-income, high-ability, middle school students, this article explores components of the program and offers suggestions for implementing programs that serve…

This report analyzes the psychometric properties of the revised school-level SEL implementation rubric and the SEL specialists' activity log.

This report examines dual language program implementation in three Texas public school districts similar to Austin Independent School District. The school districts are compared in terms of demographic composition, program implementation, and English language learner (ELL) students' academic performance in 2014 on the state's academic test, STAAR.

Considering the broader context of school reform that is seeking education strategies that might deliver substantial impact, this article examines four questions related to the policy and practice of expanding learning time: (a) Why do educators find the standard American school calendar insufficient to meet students' educational needs, especially…

Applied researchers, whether working with the framework of design-based research or intervention science, face a similar implementation challenge: practitioners who enact their programs typically do so in varied, context-specific ways. Although this variability is often seen as a problem for those who privilege fidelity and standardization, we…