Research and evaluation

A Review of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Postsecondary Success Portfolio: Lessons from Five Years of Funding Digital Courseware

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Postsecondary Success initiative seeks to understand what is required for technology applications to produce positive student impacts at scale. SRI analyzed the features of 137 different courses from 12 major postsecondary courseware-related projects and performed a quantitative meta-analysis of student outcomes to estimate the impact of digital courseware on … Continue reading A Review of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Postsecondary Success Portfolio: Lessons from Five Years of Funding Digital Courseware

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Participation Among College Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Little research has examined the popular belief that individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely than the general population to gravitate toward science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. This study analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, a nationally representative sample of students with an ASD in special education. Findings … Continue reading Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Participation Among College Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Dual Enrollment: Lessons Learned on School‐Level Implementation

Accelerated learning opportunities are becoming increasingly common strategies to promote high school graduation and encourage college enrollment. Through mechanisms such as Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, students get a head start on earning college credit while still in high school. The goals for enrolling students in these courses are to … Continue reading Dual Enrollment: Lessons Learned on School‐Level Implementation

OER Degree Initiative

SRI examined the academic and economic impacts and implementation of the OER Degree Initiative. The OER Degree Initiative seeks to boost college access and completion, particularly for underserved students, by engaging faculty in the redesign of courses and degree programs through the replacement of proprietary textbooks with open educational resources (OER). SRI, along with partner … Continue reading OER Degree Initiative

Evaluation of LA City College’s STEM Pathways Program

Los Angeles City College’s STEM Pathways Program is supporting success for students who are underrepresented in STEM disciplines. Launched in 2016, the STEM Pathways Program at Los Angeles City College aimed to increase low-income and Hispanic/Latinx students’ participation and success in STEM fields. The program included STEM tutoring, specialized counseling, faculty mentoring, math boot camps, … Continue reading Evaluation of LA City College’s STEM Pathways Program

Statewide Evaluation of Career and Technical Education Programs

Through an evaluation of career and technical education programs in Texas, SRI is determining what makes high-quality programs sustainable and scalable. SRI examined the characteristics and quality of career and technical education (CTE) programs in Texas. The study team described CTE programs in the state, including programs offered, students served, and student attainment and developed … Continue reading Statewide Evaluation of Career and Technical Education Programs

iSTEM: Impacts of Inclusive STEM High Schools on Student Outcomes

SRI Education leads a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study on the schools’ effectiveness in Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio. SRI researchers identified and recruited 39 inclusive STEM-focused high schools (ISHS) and 3,022 comprehensive (or traditional) high schools serving similar student populations but without a school-wide STEM focus in North Carolina, Texas, and Ohio. An additional comparison school … Continue reading iSTEM: Impacts of Inclusive STEM High Schools on Student Outcomes

Community College On-Track Indicators for Linked Learning Students

The rapidly expanding Linked Learning approach blends career technical and college preparatory course sequence in a single high school pathway, representing the convergence of two strands of high school reform from the past thirty years. Using data from nine California districts, we examine the effect of high school Linked Learning participation on students’ early community … Continue reading Community College On-Track Indicators for Linked Learning Students

Evaluation of the Next Generation Courseware Challenge

SRI evaluated NGC projects funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to understand the technology features and implementation practices that achieve positive educational impacts at scale. The Next Generation Courseware Challenge (NGC) was launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop personalized courseware to improve learning outcomes and postsecondary success, particularly for … Continue reading Evaluation of the Next Generation Courseware Challenge

Evaluation of the California Linked Learning District Initiative

SRI examined the impact of a program that combines strong academics with real-world experience. Its goal: help students build a foundation for success in college, careers—and life. In 2009, recognizing the challenges inherent for individual schools or pathways trying to redesign the high school experience, The James Irvine Foundation launched the California Linked Learning District … Continue reading Evaluation of the California Linked Learning District Initiative

Linked Learning and Postsecondary Transitions: A Report on the Early Postsecondary Education Outcomes of Linked Learning Students

This research brief compares the postsecondary outcomes of students in certified Linked Learning pathways with those of peers with similar demographic characteristics and prior achievement in traditional high school programs. Certified pathways are those deemed to have met established quality standards through an external review. We found that Linked Learning students enrolled in college, remained … Continue reading Linked Learning and Postsecondary Transitions: A Report on the Early Postsecondary Education Outcomes of Linked Learning Students

Evaluation of International Baccalaureate’s Bridging the Equity Gap Project

SRI studied the implementation and outcomes of a new consulting model designed to increase the participation and success of low-income students in IB’s Diploma Programme. SRI also examined national postsecondary trends for low-income DP students. In 2014, the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) launched Bridging the Equity Gap. Funded by the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, … Continue reading Evaluation of International Baccalaureate’s Bridging the Equity Gap Project

Technologies for Adult Basic Literacies Evaluation (TABLE)

SRI Education investigated the role and efficacy of online learning technologies targeting literacy and math outcomes for low-skilled adults enrolled in adult basic education programs. In a two-year research project, SRI Education partnered with a group of adult basic education (ABE) program sites in the Great Lakes region and elsewhere that adopted different online instructional … Continue reading Technologies for Adult Basic Literacies Evaluation (TABLE)

Evaluation of the CAPP Demonstration Partnerships

SRI’s evaluation addressed implementation and institutional outcomes of work by 11 high schools and a partnering local college as they worked to establish seamless transitions for students and strengthen instructional quality as required by the Common Core. Implementation of the Common Core State Standards and broader concerns about college and career readiness and college access … Continue reading Evaluation of the CAPP Demonstration Partnerships

Broadening Participation in STEM College Majors: Effects of Attending a STEM-Focused High School

To increase participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) studies and careers, some states have promoted inclusive STEM high schools. This study addressed the question of whether these high schools improve the odds that their graduates will pursue a STEM major in college. State higher education records were obtained for students surveyed as seniors … Continue reading Broadening Participation in STEM College Majors: Effects of Attending a STEM-Focused High School