Study Details | Pathways to Work

26913.02-Asset building servi

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because it is a quasi-experimental design that does not adjust estimated impacts for potentially important differences between the intervention and comparison groups.

Intervention: Asset Building Services—Post-Secondary Education Services

Population and employment barriers:

Young adults (aged 16-24)

Services provided:

Education

Setting: Tested in multiple settings

Study design

Design:

Quasi-experimental design

Study group formation:

This study used a quasi-experimental design and propensity score matching to construct a comparison group. The study author used data on all youth in foster care who turned 17 in 2011 and received any services under the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP). Intervention group members were youth in foster care who received postsecondary education services under CFCIP. Youth who received other CFCIP services but did not receive postsecondary education services were eligible to be selected for the comparison group. Using a set of observed covariates including sex, age, race and ethnicity, state, highest education level, foster care status, and receipt of other CFCIP services, the propensity score matching method predicted the probability of receiving postsecondary education services. The evaluator constructed the comparison group by selecting people who did not receive budgeting or financial education services yet had similar probabilities as those in the intervention group of receiving those services.

Time period of study:

People in the sample could receive services at any point between March 2011 and September 2015.

Pathways only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample characteristics

Age

Young adults

100%

Sex

Female	50%
Male	50%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	32%
White	53%
Asian	1%
American Indian or Alaska Native	2%
More than one race	5%
Unknown or not reported	7%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	18%

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.

Participant education

Had some postsecondary education

15%

Specific employment barriers

Were experiencing homelessness

29%

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

State and local foster care agencies

Intervention services:

Intervention group members were youth in foster care who turned 17 in 2011 and received postsecondary education services under the CFCIP. Postsecondary education services included college or vocational training, counseling, tutoring, and college entrance exam preparation. Service provision and implementation varied across states, but typically services were provided directly by caseworkers or through referrals to partner agencies or nonprofits.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

Participants in the comparison condition were youth in foster care who turned 17 in 2011 and received any services through the CFCIP other than postsecondary education. These alternative services could fall into any of 13 service categories, including career services, employment services, financial education, and housing education.

Study publications

Nadon, Melanie L. (2020). Making the transition: How asset building services can promote positive adult outcomes for foster youth, Children & Youth Services Review 115.

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

Study of Asset-Building Services—Postsecondary Education Services