How tiered evidence frameworks can constrain innovation and result in inequitable funding decisions — and what we can do to make them more inclusive, equitable, and rigorous.
Unlocking Real-Time Evidence for Practitioners
How First Place for Youth and BCT Partners used data science and machine learning to provide program staff with actionable evidence they could use on demand.
Promising Procurement Practices to Maximize Learning Recovery
A guide for State Education Agencies (SEAs), Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and other stakeholders on effectively engaging with vendors to support school reopening and learning recovery.
One Year Later: Catching Up With Our Spring 2020 Talent Accelerator Cohort
Project Evident’s Talent Accelerator program uses an equity frame to help a diverse cohort of practitioners strengthen their data, decision-making, and evidence-building skills to improve outcomes. Over the course of 20 weeks, participants build the capacity to generate and use data and evidence for program improvement through a virtual cohort model that includes a mix…
Five Strategies for Advancing to the Next Generation of Evidence
As we approach the end of a tumultuous year and look toward a new year and a new administration, we believe a next generation of evidence – a data and evidence ecosystem that is more equitable and actionable – will allow us to build back stronger. Despite progress made under both the Bush and Obama…
Making the Case for Social Sector R&D
Q&A with Jon Baron In his most recent Straight Talk on Evidence post, Arnold Ventures’ Vice President of Evidence-Based Policy Jon Baron argues that – just like with medical research – we must strengthen the way we build and use evidence in the social sector in order to develop a body of demonstrably effective strategies for meeting…
Supporting Effective Policymaking through the Development of Strategic Evidence Plans
The COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement has put a stark spotlight on the racial and economic inequities that stem from policies and practices in health, housing, education, employment, criminal justice, and other domains. There is immense urgency for systemic reforms and effective solutions that deliver equitable outcomes for communities of color and…
We Need to End Structural Racism and Inequities. How can Data and Evidence Help?
“I’m gonna be something, I’m gonna make a difference, I’m gonna change the world.” These were the aspirations of a teen George Floyd, whose killing at the hands of police has renewed protests to draw attention to police brutality against Black people. While his death is symbolic of systemic racism in policing, Floyd’s life and…
A Stronger Evidence Ecosystem is Vital for a More Equitable Recovery After the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has transformed our world in a matter of weeks, and its effects on our communities, institutions, and systems will be felt long after the public health crisis subsides. In a recent editorial, Nick Hart of the Data Foundation and Dr. Nancy Potok, who served on the bipartisan Commission on Evidence-Based Policy Making,…
What the Federal Government Can Do to Address the Unprecedented Education Crisis Caused by Coronavirus
More than 50 million children and young adults have been affected by nationwide school building closures aimed at slowing the transmission of coronavirus. Students are facing the prospect of losing anywhere from weeks to months of schooling, and some states have warned that classrooms could remain shuttered for the rest of the academic year. This…