Study Details | Pathways to Work

25155-Los Angeles Reconnec

Study quality: High

High

Reason for the rating: This study received a high study quality rating because it is a low-attrition randomized controlled trial with no known issues that suggest the findings cannot be attributed to the intervention.

Intervention: Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) Program

Population and employment barriers:

Educational attainment (Less than high school diploma or GED), Young adults (aged 16-24)

Services provided:

Case management, Education, Financial education, Soft skills training, Supportive services, Training (Occupational or sectoral training), Work and work-based learning (Work experience), Work readiness activities (Job development/job placement, Job search assistance)

Setting: Urban only

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 intervention 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 intervention 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.

Findings quality key:

High
Moderate

Study quality terms?

The findings quality describe our confidence that a given study’s finding is because of the intervention. 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 intervention, rather than due to chance. Findings are described as moderate-to-large if the intervention 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

100%

Sex

Female	52%
Male	48%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	21%
White, not Hispanic	1%
Another race	1%
More than one race	1%
Unknown or not reported	1%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	76%

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.

Family status

Parents

33%

Participant employment and public benefit status

Had low incomes

100%

Participant education

Did not have a high school diploma or GED

100%

Intervention 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.

Intervention 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.

Intervention 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 Clearinghouse converted that information to a single amount expressed in 2018 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.

View the glossary for more information about these and other terms used on this page.

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 Los Angeles Reconnections Career Academy (LARCA) Program

25155-Los Angeles Reconnec

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

Participant race and ethnicity

Family status

Participant employment and public benefit status

Participant education

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

Program history:

Intervention services:

Mandatory services:

Comparison services:

Service receipt duration:

Intervention funding:

Cost information:

Study publications