Resources

Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse

People who run programs for low-income job seekers and those seeking to promote policies that can improve employment outcomes for low-income individuals need evidence about what works. But it can be challenging for program administrators and policymakers to know where to find dependable sources of evidence and determine how this evidence might apply to their programs and populations.

To provide reliable accessible information about what works to help low-income job seekers find and keep gainful employment, the Office of Planning, Research, & Evaluation (OPRE) at the Administration for Children & Families (ACF) launched The Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse (originally known as the What Works Clearinghouse of Proven and Promising Approaches to Move Welfare Recipients to Work). The Pathways Clearinghouse identifies interventions that aim to improve employment outcomes, reduce employment challenges, and support self-sufficiency for low-income populations, especially Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other public program recipients. The Pathways Clearinghouse systematically evaluates and summarizes the evidence of their effectiveness. 

2020 Kids Count Data Book

The 31st edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book describes how children across the United States were faring before the coronavirus pandemic began.

This year’s publication continues to deliver the Foundation’s annual state rankings and the latest available data on child well-being. It also identifies multi-year trends — comparing statistics from 2010 to 2018. As always, policymakers, researchers and advocates can continue using this information to help shape their work and build a stronger future for children, families and communities.

All of Who I Am

Improving Early Childhood Education Systems

50-State Comparison: Teacher License Reciprocity

Teacher license reciprocity allows educators who hold a teaching license in one state to earn a license in another state, subject to meeting state-specific requirements. Reciprocity agreements allow states to work through variations in licensing systems to coordinate license transfers and fill vacant teaching positions with qualified candidates. Most states have policies in place to extend reciprocity for certain teachers, but few states provide full reciprocity for all fully licensed teachers from other states.

Supporting Students to be Independent Learners: State and District Actions for the Pandemic Era

In May 2020, the Aspen Institute Education & Society Program shared ten recommended state actions for Fostering Connectedness in the Pandemic Era that were developed with a diverse group of education leaders. The pandemic and resulting closure of school buildings have revealed the deep inequities that already existed in many schools, and connectedness is one of those gaps. Data from school climate surveys demonstrates that students of color, English-learners, and students from low-income families do not feel safe at school, in part because they do not have the kind of caring, trusted relationships that create belonging – and in part because they do not feel challenged with meaningful, rigorous work.