Study Details | Pathways to Work

25155-Study of Los Angeles

Study quality: High

High

Reason for the rating: This study received a high study quality rating because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition, suggesting the findings can be attributed to the program.

Program: Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) Program

Characteristics of study participants:

Less than a high school diploma or equivalent, Young adults (age 16-24)

Services provided:

Case management, Cash/Income Supports, Education and Training, Employment Retention and Advancement Services, Health-Related Services, Job placement, Job readiness, Job search assistance, Peer mentoring, Soft skills training, Supportive services, Work and Work-Based Approaches

Setting: Urban only

Methods and Standards Protocol version used for review: Version 1.0

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Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

Six local providers recruited 2,078 disconnected youth from January 2013 through October 2014 to participate in the LARCA study. Participants needed to be low income, have dropped out of high school (or be designated as chronically absent and performing below grade level), be between 16 and 24 years old, be living in Los Angeles County, be eligible to work in the United States, and be otherwise eligible for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) youth services. After completing the consent form and program application form, eligible individuals were randomly assigned, in equal proportion, to receive LARCA services (the program group) or to receive existing city and community services (the comparison group). The final study sample included 1,066 LARCA group participants and 1,012 comparison group participants. For employment and earnings outcomes, the California Employment Development Department determined a small number of individuals had not provided adequate consent for the evaluation. Omitting these individuals resulted in a sample size of 1,021 program group and 971 comparison group members. Data collection was timed so that one year of follow-up information was available for the full study sample and two years of follow-up information was available for the individuals assigned early in the study enrollment period.

Time period of study:

LARCA operated from January 2013 to April 2016. Program enrollment occurred from January 2013 through October 2014. Complete program services were offered through October 2015, and follow-up services were provided through April 2016.

Primary outcome domains examined:

Increase short-term earnings, Increase long-term earnings, Increase short-term employment, Increase long-term employment, Decrease short-term benefit receipt, Decrease long-term benefit receipt, Increase education and training

Other outcome domains examined:

Criminal justice

Study funded by:

The study was funded by the Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWDD), which obtained funds from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration.

Results

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Outcome domain	Measure	Timing	Study quality by finding	Impact	Units	Sample size
Increase short-term earnings	Annual earnings	Year 1	High	-353.00	2012 dollars	1,992
Increase long-term earnings	Total earnings over follow-up period	Years 1–2	High	-1,924.90	2012 dollars	1,247
Increase short-term employment	Ever employed, annual	Year 1	High	0.80	percentage points	1,992
Increase short-term employment	Number of quarters employed, annual	Year 1	High	-0.10	quarters	1,992
Increase long-term employment	Ever employed, quarterly	Quarter 8	High	-2.40	percentage points	1,247
Increase long-term employment	Number of quarters employed, follow-up period	Years 1–2	High	-0.40	quarters	1,247
Decrease short-term benefit receipt	Received UI payments, annual	Year 1	High	1.30	percentage points	1,992
Decrease long-term benefit receipt	Received UI payments, follow-up period	Years 1–2	High	-0.20	percentage points	1,247
Increase education and training	Received high school diploma or GED	Year 1	High	1.60	percentage points	2,078

Short-term outcomes are those measured 18 months or fewer after participants are first offered services. Long-term outcomes are those measured between 18 months and 5 years after participants are first offered services. Very long-term outcomes are those measured 5 years or more after participants are first offered services.

Means are not displayed when not reported or not aligned with the impact estimates. For example, if the impact estimate is regression-adjusted but only unadjusted means are reported in the study, the unadjusted means are not displayed as they are not aligned with the adjusted impact estimate.

Impact estimates are not shown when the estimate units cannot be converted to natural units.

Findings quality key:

High
Moderate

Study quality terms?

The findings quality describe our confidence that a given study’s finding is because of the program. We do not display findings that rate low.

Findings key:

A moderate-to-large favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large favorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small favorable finding that might be due to chance
A favorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A favorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A moderate-to-large unfavorable finding that might to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance
A small unfavorable finding that might be due to chance
An unfavorable finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
An unfavorable finding that might be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size
A finding that is unlikely to be due to chance, but we cannot determine the standardized effect size or direction
A finding of no effect that might be due to chance

Favorable findings are impacts in a direction that is socially desirable. Statistical significance indicates the likelihood that a study finding is due to the program, rather than due to chance. Findings are described as moderate-to-large if the program produced a sufficiently large change in the outcome. An impact receives this designation if the standardized effect size is equal to or greater than 0.25 or equal to or less than -0.25.

Sample characteristics

The study focused on youth with low income who had dropped out of high school or were at risk of doing so. Within the full sample, 13 percent of participants were ages 16 to 17, 39 percent were ages 18 to 19, and the remainder were ages 20 to 24. About half (52 percent) were women, and about three-quarters (76 percent) identified as Hispanic or Latino, with most of the remaining participants (21 percent) identifying as Black and non-Hispanic. Roughly one-third (33 percent) were parents or were expecting a child, and more than half (56 percent) of participants lived in households receiving a mean-tested public benefit, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or Los Angeles General Assistance. In the two years before random assignment, 44 percent had worked, and 19 percent had been arrested.

Age

Young adults (age 16-24)

100%

Sex

Female	53%
Male	47%

Employment and public benefit status

Had low incomes

100%

Education

Did not have a high school diploma or GED

100%

Program implementation

Implementing organization:

The EWDD oversaw the LARCA program. Services were provided by the Coalition for Responsible Community Development, Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Youth Opportunity Movement-Boyle Heights, Youth Opportunity Movement-Watts, Youth Policy Institute-San Fernando Valley, and Youth Policy Institute-Pico Union.

Program history:

The EWDD of the City of Los Angeles designed and developed the LARCA program, which operated from 2013 to 2016. The program built on lessons learned from prior programs and pilots operated by EWDD and its LARCA partner agencies.

Program services:

Youth assigned to participate in the LARCA program worked with a case manager who developed and oversaw individualized service plans to address participants' education, training, and employment needs. Core program components included work-readiness training, financial literacy and life skills workshops, educational services aimed at helping individuals obtain a high school diploma or equivalent certification, vocational training, supportive services, and employment services (including paid work experience and job search and placement assistance). Providers also connected youth to postsecondary education at local community colleges and private programs, including in health care, construction, and conservation and green technology.

Mandatory services:

None.

Comparison services:

Participants assigned to the comparison group were referred to other programs and services available in the community, including WIA youth or adult program services.

Service receipt duration:

Participants could receive program services for 12 to 34 months, depending on the date of program enrollment. Follow-up services were available for at least 6 additional months.

Program funding:

Workforce Innovation Fund grant, U.S. Department of Labor.

Cost information:

The average cost of providing the intervention was $9,571 per participant. The average cost of providing comparison group services was $957 per person. The net intervention cost, or difference between the two, was $8,614 per person. This represents how much more it cost to provide intervention services compared to comparison services.

These figures are based on cost information reported by study authors. The Pathways to Work converted that information to a single amount expressed in 2024 dollars; for details, see the FAQ. This information is not an official price tag or guarantee.

Study publications

Geckeler, Christian, Hannah Betesh, Hannah Diaz, Lea Folsom, Hui Kim, and Anne Paprocki (2017). Helping dropout youth find education and employment: Final impact report for the evaluation of the Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) program, Oakland, CA: Social Policy Research Associates.

Geckeler, Christian, Hannah Betesh, Verenice Chavoya-Perez, David Mitnick, and Anne Paprocki (2015). Reengaging dropouts: Lessons from the implementation of the Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) program, Oakland, CA: Social Policy Research Associates.

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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.

Study of Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) Program

25155-Study of Los Angeles

Study design

Design:

Study group formation:

Time period of study:

Primary outcome domains examined:

Other outcome domains examined:

Study funded by:

Results

Sample characteristics

Age

Sex

Employment and public benefit status

Education

Program implementation

Implementing organization:

Program history:

Program services:

Mandatory services:

Comparison services:

Service receipt duration:

Program funding:

Cost information:

Study publications