Education and Literacy;Parenting and Families;Poverty
In September 2012, The Heinz Endowments asked the Annenberg Institute for School Reform (AISR) at Brown University to conduct a research scan of family engagement, leadership, and organizing work related to education happening in Pittsburgh, as a part of the Endowments' larger work in supporting families as important stakeholders in their children's education.
Annenberg's goal was to produce a well-researched scan and analysis of the family engagement and organizing for school reform landscape in Pittsburgh and to provide recommendations for viable funding strategies to support family engagement and organizing capacity building.
Research questions for the scan included:
1. Given the overall context of school reform efforts in Pittsburgh, what are the opportunities and challenges for influence from community-based parent leadership and organizing?
2. What community-based organizations with a current or potential focus on equitable education reform exist in Pittsburgh?
3. What is the capacity of each organization to engage in parent/family leadership and organizing work to influence school reform?
All of the work completed for this report was done from September 2012 through April 2013. More specifically, data was collected from November 2012 through February 2013. Thus, new developments and changes related to what is reported here that have occurred since the spring of 2013 are not reflected in our data, findings, analysis, or recommendations.
What follows is an overview of the methodology and conceptual framework driving the design and analysis of our scan research, a detailed summary of what we learned about the landscape for family engagement and leadership in Pittsburgh Public Schools (PPS), a scan of current community-based organizations' (CBOs) work and capacity for supporting family engagement and leadership, and recommendations of potential strategies for cultivating family engagement and education organizing in Pittsburgh.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Northeastern) / Pennsylvania / Allegheny County / Pittsburgh
Education and Literacy;Men;Race and Ethnicity
Written by scholars who lead research centers that focus on the educational experiences of boys and men of color, this report recommends policy changes that remedy systemic challenges faced by young men of color in education.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
Education and Literacy;Women
Low-income, single mothers beginning or returning to higher education overwhelmingly choose to pursue their goals at community colleges. These schools often provide the best fit of available institutions because of their relative affordability, variety of offerings, ease of entry, and proximity to the student. Like other higher learning institutions, however, many community colleges struggle to address the challenges low-income, single mothers can face. Colleges often unwittingly place more obstacles in the path of these students.
Many colleges are taking action and trying a variety of approaches to improve their institutions and better serve low-income, single mother students. While some interventions have been rigorously studied, most have not. Many promising interventions, though so far lacking empirical support, have shown great success based on student and provider testimony. When taken as a whole, it is clear that community colleges can undertake effective interventions to help student parents complete their programs and meet their goals.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
Education and Literacy;Women
Low-income, single mothers beginning or returning to higher education overwhelmingly choose to pursue their goals at community colleges. These schools often provide the best fit of available institutions because of their relative affordability, variety of offerings, ease of entry, and proximity to the student. Like other higher learning institutions, however, many community colleges struggle to address the challenges low-income, single mothers can face. Colleges often unwittingly place more obstacles in the path of these students.
Many colleges are taking action and trying a variety of approaches to improve their institutions and better serve low-income, single mother students. While some interventions have been rigorously studied, most have not. Many promising interventions, though so far lacking empirical support, have shown great success based on student and provider testimony. When taken as a whole, it is clear that community colleges can undertake effective interventions to help student parents complete their programs and meet their goals.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
Education and Literacy;Employment and Labor;Women
Today, as more and more people struggle to work their way into the middle class, single mothers face an especially steep climb. For many single mothers, a college degree opens the door to the middle class, and community colleges often provide the most accessible and flexible option. With a valuable certificate or degree in hand, a single mother has the skills and credentials to earn a family-supporting wage, and has many more options for desirable careers.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
Education and Literacy;Employment and Labor;Women
Today, as more and more people struggle to work their way into the middle class, single mothers face an especially steep climb. For many single mothers, a college degree opens the door to the middle class, and community colleges often provide the most accessible and flexible option. With a valuable certificate or degree in hand, a single mother has the skills and credentials to earn a family-supporting wage, and has many more options for desirable careers.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
Education and Literacy;Employment and Labor;Energy and Environment
In 1989, Oregon embarked on a novel experiment to track the progress of the state toward a set of economic, social and environmental goals embodied in the state strategic plan Oregon Shines. The task of tracking a set of indicators to measure progress was assigned to a new state entity: the Oregon Progress Board. For two decades, the Progress Board measured the state's progress using a set of social, economic and environmental indicators. After the 2009 report was completed however, the state decided not to continue funding the Progress Board and discontinued the tracking of state and county indicators.
This 2014 report is a report to the people of Oregon. It identifies trends in the state that suggest both progress toward prosperity as well as issues that may be a source of future barriers and concerns. Like those who led previous indicator efforts, we hope that the report and website will be used by policymakers, government analysts, the press, business and civic leaders and the civically-engaged population to better understand the current social, economic, and environmental condition of the state.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Northwestern) / Oregon
Education and Literacy, Immigration
Since the Obama administration launched the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012, which offers temporary relief from deportation and the right to apply for work authorization for certain unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as children, 55 percent of the 1.2 million youth who immediately met the program's criteria have applied, according to MPI estimates. As the first two-year eligibility period draws to a close, early DACA beneficiaries have begun to apply for renewal, with nearly 25,000 renewal applications submitted as of July 20, 2014.
This report provides the most up-to-date estimates available for the size, countries of origin, educational attainment, employment, English proficiency, age, gender, and poverty rates for the DACA population nationally and for key states, based on an analysis of U.S. Census data. The report also offers DACA application rates nationally and in key states, as well as for particular national-origin groups.
The MPI researchers find that slightly more than 2.1 million unauthorized immigrants who came to the United States as children are potentially eligible for DACA -- with 1.2 million having immediately met the age, education, length of residence, and other criteria when the initiative launched in 2012. Two other groups could prospectively gain DACA status: 426,000 youth who appeared to fulfill all but the education requirements as of the program's launch, and 473,000 who were too young to apply but become eligible once they reach age 15 if they stay in school or obtain a high school degree or equivalent.
The analysis provides a mixed picture of DACA's first two years. On the one hand, the sheer volume of applicants is impressive. On the other, hundreds of thousands of immigrant youth have not yet gained a status that can change their lives in measurable ways, allowing them improved job prospects, the ability to apply for driver's licenses, and more. The report examines the educational, poverty, and other barriers to DACA enrollment.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States
