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Summary

Ethics, Discipline, Goals, Employment (EDGE) - Enhanced Community College Services (ECCS) provided intensive case management to new and current SNAP work registrants (participants who had not met any Federal exemptions from SNAP work requirements and were required to register for work), focusing on able-bodied adults without dependents, requiring participants to enroll in a four-week career readiness course followed by a choice of three pathways—academic (basic education, post-secondary education, or occupational skills training), work (subsidized or unsubsidized employment), or life skills (work or behavioral skills).

Participants first completed the four-week EDGE course, which required completing the "Test of Adult Basic Education" and "WorkKeys" assessments, attending career readiness workshops, and developing a individualized career plan linked to the three pathways choices. Participants also received intensive case management and support services from career navigators at participating colleges.

The duration of the academic and life skills pathways varied by the program and provider selected; the work pathway provided up to 320 hours of subsidized employment. Career navigators met with participants weekly during the four-week class and then monthly during the pathways phase. Career navigators also provided up to 90 days of employment retention services to participants who found employment.

The program was implemented in 29 counties in Mississippi.

101036.08-Study of Ethics, Dis
Populations and employment barriers: Public benefits recipients, Unemployed

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

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Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2024 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable $911 per year 0.025 1472
Long-term Supported favorable $1,567 per year 0.043 1472
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase employment Short-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 3% (in percentage points) 0.067 1472
Long-term Little evidence to assess support favorable 2% (in percentage points) 0.053 1472
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term Not supported unfavorable $172 per year 0.050 1472
Long-term Not supported favorable $-7 per year -0.002 1472
Very long-term Cannot assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods Cannot assess support

Effectiveness ratings

  • Well- supported
  • Supported
  • Mixed support
  • Not supported
  • Insufficient evidence
  • Cannot assess support

Studies of this program

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
High High 1
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Implementation details

Dates covered by study

EDGE - ECCS enrolled participants between March 2016 and February 2019. Data collection occurred through February 2022, with outcomes measured over a three-year follow-up period after enrollment.

Organizations implementing program

Mississippi Department of Human Services; Mississippi State University’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center; Jobs for Mississippi Graduates; five community colleges

Populations served

EDGE - ECCS was targeted to new and current SNAP work registrants (participants who had not met any Federal exemptions from SNAP work requirements and were required to register for work) who were able-bodied adults without dependents. Most participants were unemployed (95 percent). The majority of participants were Black or African American (70 percent), had a high school diploma or GED (69 percent), and were male (51 percent).

Description of services implemented

EDGE - ECCS provided intensive case management combined with a two-phase program:

  • Case management and support services. Career navigators at the participating colleges provided case management. Meetings with participants focused on barriers to employment and available supports, which could include transportation, training or personal needs, or items needed for work.
  • Phase 1: EDGE Course. In the first phase, participants completed an intensive four-week career readiness course. Participants first completed the "Test of Adult Basic Education" and "WorkKeys" assessments, followed by workshops that focused on computer skills, work readiness skills, financial literacy, mock interviews, and communications skills. This phase culminated with an individual career plan that aligned with one of three program pathways.
  • Phase 2: Academic, work, or life skills service pathways. In the second phase, participants selected one of three pathways. The academic pathway consisted of choosing basic education courses, GED preparation, academic classes at a community college, or occupational skills training. The work pathway consisted of subsidized employment for up to 320 hours at $9 per hour. The life skills pathway included work readiness and behavioral skills classes.

Service intensity

The EDGE career readiness course lasted four weeks. The duration of the academic, work, and life skills pathways varied by the program selected and provider. In the work pathway, subsidized jobs lasted up to 320 hours. Case management meetings were weekly during the four-week course and then monthly during the pathways phase. Additionally, participants who found employment could receive up to 90 days of retention services.

Comparison conditions

The comparison group was eligible for existing SNAP Employment and Training services and any other employment and training services available in the community. Mississippi offered limited services through its mandatory SNAP Employment and Training program; the comparison group received 30 days of up-front job search assistance followed by workfare, plus transportation support. Tuition assistance and GED classes were available in some counties.

Partnerships

Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) developed and administered EDGE - ECCS along with three key partners:

  • Mississippi State University’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center. Contracted by MDHS to develop and monitor data collections systems for EDGE - ECCS.
  • Jobs for Mississippi Graduates. Contracted by MDHS to provide case management and conduct outreach.
  • Five community colleges. Contracted by MDHS to provide case management, deliver the EDGE job readiness class, and provide the pathways services.

Staffing

Community colleges provided the career navigators who conducted case management activities. Information about the staff who delivered the EDGE courses and pathways services was not available in the study.

Fidelity measures

The study did not discuss any tools to measure fidelity to the program model.

Funding source

The program was funded by federal SNAP Employment and Training Pilot demonstration funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The information contained here reflects how the program was implemented at the time of the evaluation.

Local context

EDGE - ECCS was implemented in 29 counties across Mississippi. The Mississippi Department of Human Services has offices statewide with its headquarters located in Jackson, MS. Mississippi State University’s Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center is located in Starkville, MS. Jobs for Mississippi Graduates has locations statewide and is affiliated with the Foundation for the Mid South, which has headquarters in Jackson, MS.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
70%
White, not Hispanic
28%
More than one race
1%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
1%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

State(s) where implemented

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY Canada

Pathways to Work refers to programs by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some program names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.