The Problem:
Most social programs unfortunately are found not to produce the hoped-for effects when rigorously evaluated. When evaluated in scientifically rigorous studies, programs in K-12 education, employment and training, crime prevention, and other areas too often are found to produce weak or no effects. Although programs that produce sizable effects on important life outcomes exist, they tend to be the exception—a pattern that occurs not just in social policy, but in other fields where rigorous evaluations are conducted such as medicine and business.1
Meanwhile, the United States has failed to make significant progress in key areas such as:
- Poverty: The U.S. poverty rate now stands at 12.7 percent and has shown little overall change (whether by official or alternative National Academy measures) since the late 1970s.2
- K-12 education: Reading and math achievement of 17-year-olds—the end product of our K-12 education system—is virtually unchanged over the past 40 years, according to official measures,3 despite a 90 percent increase in public spending per student (adjusted for inflation).4
- Well-being of low- to moderate-income Americans: The average yearly income of the bottom 40 percent of U.S. households, now at $23,700, has changed little since the 1970s.5
To Help Address This Problem:
This site seeks to identify those social programs shown in rigorous studies to produce sizable, sustained benefits to participants and/or society, so that they can be deployed to help solve social problems. The specific purpose is to enable policy officials and other readers to distinguish credible findings of program effectiveness from the many others that claim to be. Although many types of research have value in the evidence-building process, this site focuses on the results of well-conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which are widely regarded as the strongest method of evaluating program effectiveness.6 The site also focuses on whether such studies show sizable, sustained effects on outcomes of clear policy importance (e.g., high school graduation, workforce earnings, teen pregnancies) and not just intermediate outcomes (e.g., children’s ability to recognize letters or numbers, positive parenting practices, take-up of services) that may or may not lead to important outcomes. Our focus on important, sustained effects distinguishes this site from many other clearinghouses of evidence-based programs.
Our Team and Process:
This site is administered by the Arnold Ventures Evidence-Based Policy team. Arnold Ventures’ core objective is to improve lives by investing in evidence-based solutions that maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. Arnold Ventures’ Evidence-Based Policy team is comprised of the former leadership of the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that, from 2001 to 2015, played a key role in the launch of the evidence-based policy movement.
We have identified the programs on this site through systematic monitoring of all rigorous evaluations published or posted online across all areas of social policy. The goal is to identify programs that, based on our careful review of the studies in consultation with outside experts, meet the criteria for “Top Tier,” “Near Top Tier,” or “Suggestive Tier.” In summarizing the evidence for these programs, we aim for balance and objectivity, and include discussion of any study limitations that may weaken the reliability of the findings. As a philanthropic organization, we receive no financial benefit from any program, enabling us to serve as an impartial reviewer. In the few instances where the organization helped fund a study that we are reporting on, we disclose our funding in the evidence summary.
If you have questions or suggestions regarding this site, please contact the Arnold Ventures’ Evidence-Based Policy team at [email protected].
You can view our privacy policy on the Arnold Ventures website.