A Mathematica Newsletter

April 7, 2022

Communities, allies, and evidence can come together to shape a more equitable world.

A new online dashboard helps states and employers understand and contain health care spending growth.

Our researchers share insights about agricultural transformation in Africa.

This practice guide provides four evidence-based recommendations to improve reading in grades 4-9.

On the Blog

Researchers and Practitioners Partner to Strengthen Relationship Education Programs

by Scott Baumgartner

Listening to the perspectives of the service providers and affected populations at the center of this work is essential for understanding what works, for whom, and under what circumstances.

Out and About

Mathematica board member, Matthew J. Salganik, received a 2022 AAPOR Award for Exceptionally Distinguished Achievement for Bit by Bit: Social Research for the Digital Age, an essential read that offers a forward-looking road map for social scientists looking to harness new data sources for understanding human behavior.

In a recent episode of ASHA Voices, a podcast of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Deliya Wesley discusses what health care clinicians can do to address health disparities that are often associated with race and socioeconomic status and exacerbated by implicit bias.

In a recent episode of the VoxDevTalks podcast, Michael Levere discusses impacts from an intervention he studied that sought to reduce infant and child malnutrition by providing modest cash transfers and information on best practices in child care.

A recent op-ed from the nonprofit news outlet Common Dreams argues that findings from a recent Mathematica evaluation should prompt the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa to change its strategy as it seeks to enhance smallholder African farmers’ productivity and prosperity.

An op-ed from the College Heights Herald, a news outlet from Western Kentucky University, cites research from Mathematica in an argument against legislation in Kentucky that would create a funding mechanism for charter schools in the state.

Announcements

Call for Proposals: Food and Health Research Using the Consumer Food Data System

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, is announcing a call for proposals to develop a cohort of researchers from across academic disciplines and institutions producing policy-relevant food and health research. The program will grant 12 to 15 awards of up to $100,000 per project, plus additional funds to access specific data assets. Visit our page to learn more about the opportunity, including key dates and other resources.

Call for Information: Practices to Support Family Economic Well-Being

The Supporting Family Economic Well-Being Through Home Visiting (HomeEc) project seeks nominations of practices to support family economic well-being. For details about the criteria and submission process, please visit this page. Nominations are due by April 15, 2022.

Social Media Spotlight


			Mathematica @MathematicaNow • Mar 24

Publications

“Head Start Families’ Program Selection and Experiences.” Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“A Portrait of Head Start Classrooms and Programs in Spring 2020: FACES 2019 Descriptive Data Tables and Study Design.” Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“Measuring Head Start Children’s Early Learning Skills Using Teacher Reports During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Read more publications on Early Childhood.

“Sharing Study Data: A Guide for Education Researchers.” National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

“Enhancing the Generalizability of Impact Studies in Education.” National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

“Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9.” National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Read more publications on Education.

“Pathways Clearinghouse: Overview of the Research.” Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Read more publications on Employment.

“The Impact of a Home Visiting Program Enhanced to Address Repeat Adolescent Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Steps to Success.” Maternal and Child Health Journal.

“Economics of Foster Care.” National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper.

Read more publications on Family Support.

“Assessing Smoke-Free Housing Implementation Approaches to Inform Best Practices: A National Survey of Early-Adopting Public Housing Authorities.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.