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Through the Parents and Children Together evaluation, Mathematica researchers are contributing to the evidence base regarding approaches to increase positive father involvement in children’s lives. At a forum on December 7, researchers, program administrators, and program participants shared their experiences and what they learned.

Mathematica’s Center for Studying Disability Policy (CSDP) hosted a webinar to examine these issues from the employer perspective. Panelists discussed: (1) actions employers can take to better accommodate employees with disabilities; (2) feedback from employer interviews about the challenges associated with recruiting and retaining workers with disabilities; and (3) findings from the National Employment and Disability Survey, recently released by the Kessler Foundation.

Recent federal policy changes require state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to expand service delivery to transition-age youth and young adults with disabilities. These expanded services intend to improve youth’s preparation for college and employment.

Professional development that combines online and in-person activities offers a number of potential advantages for teacher learning. Online activities can extend the learning that occurs in face-to-face sessions, and in-person sessions can establish a strong foundation for teachers’ online interactions.

Finding and interpreting relevant evidence can be a frustrating experience for many policymakers.

This conference highlighted the DRC’s latest research findings and their implications for the future of state and federal disability policies and programs.

Fifty years after President Lyndon Johnson launched his “Great Society” agenda, where do we stand when it comes to providing services, as well as economic and social mobility, to those in need? Between 1964 and 1968, President Johnson launched and implemented a huge range of social programs known as the “Great Society” agenda. Fast-forward fifty years, the form and efficacy of these programs are being questioned at every level of government. On October 2, Mathematica partnered with Government Executive and Route 50 to explore the future of these social programs and look at ideas for reform that are being tested across our nation, as well as the data behind them.

Research reveals that the earliest years of life are a critical period of human development. Early relationships and experiences have a strong influence on brain development and future health and well-being. Young children’s foundational relationships and experiences take place in the context of families and communities. Yet, low-income families—especially families of color and rural families—often do not have access to the basic necessities and resources for fostering the nurturing experiences and stimulating environments that young children need to thrive. Furthermore, policy and program silos can impede cross-functional solutions and service delivery, which are designed to holistically address the needs of children and families.

Significant attention has been focused on helping beneficiaries of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) participate in the work force. Increased work activity for these beneficiaries can increase self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on federal benefits, while simultaneously reducing federal outlays. Despite these efforts, work activity among beneficiaries has not increased substantially in recent decades. Three studies sponsored by the Social Security Administration’s Disability Research Consortium provide new information on work activity among SSI and SSDI beneficiaries and offer insights about the barriers they face in pursuing work.

The current earnings rules for Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) specify that, after using available work incentives, DI beneficiaries are not owed a DI benefit check if they earn more than a certain threshold. The Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND) tested a design intended to encourage DI beneficiaries to work by replacing the so-called cash cliff with a ramp—a $1 reduction in benefits for every $2 of additional earnings. BOND simultaneously tested the new rules with two groups: a nationally representative sample of DI beneficiaries and a group of recruited and informed volunteers—those thought to be most likely to earn more than the earnings threshold. Results from the five-year evaluation of BOND are now available for both groups.