Nursing in the Rural West: Challenges and Opportunities for Supporting Rural Students and Communities. WICHE Insights

Authors: Colleen Falkenstern, Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), MDRC, National Rural Higher Education Research Center

Source: Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 12

Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

Descriptors: Nursing Education, Rural Areas, Barriers, Access to Health Care, Access to Education, COVID-19, Pandemics, Nursing Students, Nurses, Intervention, Clinical Experience, Faculty Development, Professional Development

IES Funded: Yes

Does an Early Social-Emotional Learning Program Have Lasting Academic Effects through High School? High School Follow-Up Findings from a Randomized Trial of INSIGHTS. Technical Supplement

Authors: Pei Zhu, Peyton Nash, Claudia Solís-Román, Nicholas Commins, Livia Martinez, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 18

Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

Descriptors: Social Emotional Learning, High School Students, Time to Degree, Educational Attainment, High School Graduates, College Enrollment, Attendance, Standardized Tests, Grade Repetition, Special Education, Student Characteristics

Geographic Terms: New York (New York)

IES Funded: Yes

Lessons on Advising and Coaching in Colleges and Workforce Development Programs: Research- and Practice-Informed Strategies for Program Administrators

Authors: Susan Scrivener, Alyssa Ratledge, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 9

Sponsoring Agency: Ascendium Education Group, Inc.

Descriptors: Coaching (Performance), Academic Advising, College Students, Labor Force Development, Job Applicants, Best Practices, Holistic Approach, Data Use, Interpersonal Relationship, Interpersonal Communication

Advancing Opportunities for New York City's Young People through the Advance & Earn Program

Authors: Emma Alterman, Megan Millenky, Farhana Hossain, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 29

Sponsoring Agency: New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD)
The Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity (NYC Opportunity)

Descriptors: High School Equivalency Programs, Job Training, Internship Programs, Youth Programs, Out of School Youth, Urban Youth, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation

Geographic Terms: New York (New York)

Evaluating the Academic Effects of Integrating Soft Skills Training in Computer Science and Engineering Courses in New Orleans High Schools

Authors: Ivonne Garcia, Hannah Power, Kenny Nguyen, Julia Walsh, Byeong Hyeon So, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 63

Sponsoring Agency: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) (ED), Education Innovation and Research (EIR)

Descriptors: High School Students, Soft Skills, Skill Development, Public Schools, Program Effectiveness, Job Skills, Computer Science Education, Engineering Education, Grade Point Average, Attendance

Geographic Terms: Louisiana (New Orleans)

Tailored for Success: How Two Programs in Los Angeles Customize Employment Services for Young People

Authors: Louisa Treskon, Jayce Everetts, Osvaldo Avila, Jonny Poilpré, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 19

Sponsoring Agency: Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Descriptors: Out of School Youth, Labor Force Development, Job Training, Work Based Learning, Youth Programs, Community Programs, Career Readiness, Sequential Approach, Services, LGBTQ People, Males, Minority Groups

Geographic Terms: California (Los Angeles)

AI in Education: A Set of Four Essential Resource Briefs for Educators

Authors: Yenda Prado, Pati Ruiz, Judi Fusco, Denise DuVall, Danielle Hinkel, Margaret Perkoff, Orchid Rocha, Digital Promise, Amira Learning, University of Pennsylvania, MDRC

Source: Digital Promise. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 18

Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

Descriptors: Artificial Intelligence, Technology Uses in Education, Digital Literacy, Educational Policy, Ethics, Misconceptions, Educational Practices, Technology Integration, Elementary Secondary Education, Reading Instruction

IES Funded: Yes

Operationalizing AI in K-12 Education: Five District Use Cases for Ethical and Strategic Adoption

Authors: Yenda Prado, Pati Ruiz, Judi Fusco, Katherine Adler, Brooke Falck, Melissa L. Smith, Digital Promise, University of Pennsylvania, MDRC, Amira Learning

Source: Digital Promise. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 12

Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

Descriptors: Artificial Intelligence, Elementary Secondary Education, Technology Integration, Technology Uses in Education, Networks, Teamwork, Ethics, Professional Development, Accountability

Geographic Terms: California, Illinois, Pennsylvania

IES Funded: Yes

REACT Reenrolls Nearly Twice as Many Students Who Have Stopped Attending College

Authors: Julie Rubin, Colleen Sommo, Justin Ortagus, Sarah Magnelia, Contributor, Austin Slaughter, Contributor, Kayla Warner, Contributor, Janey Woo, Contributor, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 5

Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Helios Education Foundation

Descriptors: College Students, Stopouts, Reentry Students, Educational Attainment, Intervention, College Enrollment, Higher Education, Program Evaluation

Geographic Terms: Florida

IES Funded: Yes

Revealing Readiness: How Corequisite Placement Designs Shape Student Outcomes

Authors: Dan Cullinan, Lena Novak, Liam Tsao, Gilda Azurdia, Byeong Hyeon So, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 80

Sponsoring Agency: Ascendium Education Group, Inc.

Descriptors: Required Courses, College Readiness, Student Placement, Remedial Instruction, Community Colleges, Grade Point Average, College Curriculum, Program Effectiveness, Program Implementation, Outcomes of Education, Program Costs, Educational Practices, Enrollment Influences

Geographic Terms: Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Virginia, New York, New Jersey

The Returns to Degree Completion at CUNY's Community Colleges. CCRC Research Report

Authors: Veronica Minaya, Judith Scott-Clayton, Joshua K. R. Thomas, Columbia University, Community College Research Center (CCRC), MDRC

Source: Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: Y

Page Count: 43

Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

Descriptors: Community Colleges, Outcomes of Education, Associate Degrees, Bachelors Degrees, Majors (Students), Student Characteristics, Student Personnel Services, Community College Students, Wages, College Graduates

Geographic Terms: New York (New York)

IES Funded: Yes

Do Early Social-Emotional Learning Programs Have Lasting Effects through Middle School? Middle School Follow-Up Findings from a Randomized Trial of INSIGHTS

Authors: Pei Zhu, Livia Martinez, Nicholas Commins, Claudia Solís-Román, Peyton Nash, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 15

Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)

Descriptors: Social Emotional Learning, Middle School Students, Personality, Followup Studies, Academic Achievement, Attendance, Grade Repetition, Special Education, Student Characteristics, Program Effectiveness

Geographic Terms: New York (New York)

IES Funded: Yes

Turning Assessment Data into Action: What Practitioners Need to Know. Measures for Early Success

Authors: Isabel Acosta, Marta Benito-Gomez, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 11

Sponsoring Agency: Gates Foundation

Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Evaluation Methods, Assessment Literacy, Data Interpretation, Data Use, Material Development, Usability

Insights into the Tutor Workforce: Tutors' Experiences, Diversity, and Retention in the Personalized Learning Initiative

Authors: Barbara Condliffe, Rebecca Davis, Shira Mattera, Jean Grossman, MDRC, University of Chicago, Education Lab

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 14

Sponsoring Agency: Accelerate
Arnold Ventures
Overdeck Family Foundation
William T. Grant Foundation

Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Tutors, Tutoring, Educational Practices, Public Schools, Charter Schools, Labor Turnover, Wages, Teacher Characteristics, Educational Background, Occupational Aspiration, Teaching (Occupation)

Geographic Terms: Illinois (Chicago), North Carolina (Winston Salem), South Carolina, Florida (Miami), New Mexico, North Carolina, Georgia, California (San Jose)

Placement Matters: Evaluating Multiple Measures Assessment in the Texas Corequisite Context

Authors: Dan Cullinan, Lena Novak, Liam Tsao, Gilda Azurdia, Sukanya Barman, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 72

Sponsoring Agency: Arnold Ventures

Descriptors: Community Colleges, College Readiness, Student Placement, Standardized Tests, Evaluation Methods, Required Courses, Educational Policy, Measures (Individuals), Educational Experience

Geographic Terms: Texas

Insight from Rise Up Cambridge: Promoting Economic Stability through Cash Assistance

Authors: Mina Addo, Katerina Galkin, Crystal Ganges-Reid, Aleksandra Yusim, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 108

Descriptors: Poverty Programs, Low Income Groups, Program Effectiveness, Economic Status, COVID-19, Pandemics, Urban Programs, Participant Characteristics, Anxiety, Racial Differences, Family Income, Coaching (Performance), Family Characteristics, Program Attitudes, Personal Autonomy, Self Determination

Geographic Terms: Massachusetts (Cambridge)

Expanding with Insight: STRIVE's Investments in Data-Informed Practices to Strengthen Programs and Evidence

Authors: Annabel Utz, Edith Yang, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 8

Descriptors: Community Organizations, Job Training, Self Evaluation (Groups), Organizational Effectiveness, Career Readiness, Labor Force Development, Organization Size (Groups), Organizational Development, Evaluation Methods, Data Use

Geographic Terms: New York (New York), Georgia (Atlanta), Alabama (Birmingham), Louisiana (New Orleans), New Jersey

Embedding Environmental Literacy into Career and Technical Education in Delaware: Findings and Implications from an Early-Phase Implementation Study

Authors: Kianna Medina, Julia Walsh, Rachel Rosen, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 17

Sponsoring Agency: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (DOC)

Descriptors: Career and Technical Education, Environmental Education, Pilot Projects, Secondary School Curriculum, High Schools, Partnerships in Education, Program Descriptions, Program Implementation, Core Competencies, Faculty Development, Scientific Literacy, State Aid, Outcomes of Education

Geographic Terms: Delaware

Enduring Success: Effects of New York City's Small Schools of Choice on Postsecondary Degree Attainment and Employment

Authors: Rebecca Unterman, Miki Shih, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 14

Sponsoring Agency: Gates Foundation
Walton Family Foundation
Spencer Foundation

Descriptors: Small Schools, Urban Schools, High Schools, School Choice, High School Graduates, Low Income Students, Postsecondary Education, Outcomes of Education, Employment, Education Work Relationship, Income

Geographic Terms: New York (New York)

Improving High School Math Outcomes: The Role of New York City's Small Schools of Choice and Students' Incoming Math Proficiency

Authors: Miki Shih, Rebecca Unterman, Peyton Nash, MDRC

Source: MDRC. 2026.

Peer Reviewed: N

Page Count: 15

Sponsoring Agency: Gates Foundation
Walton Family Foundation
Spencer Foundation

Descriptors: Urban Schools, Small Schools, School Choice, Mathematics Skills, Mathematics Achievement, High School Students, Grade 8, Student Needs, Intervention, At Risk Students, Low Achievement, Credits, Graduation Requirements, Program Effectiveness

Geographic Terms: New York (New York), New York

Assessment and Survey Identifiers: New York State Regents Examinations