Study: 87238

Publication

Review Details

Reviewed: January 2021

At least one finding shows strong evidence of effectiveness

At least one statistically significant positive finding

Meets WWC standards without reservations

For:

Publication (findings for Adult Education)

Using:

Rating:

Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.

This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.

Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Findings

Earnings (short-run) outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Working in a job paying $12/hour or more	Adult Education vs. Business as usual	24 Months	Full sample; 455 students	23.00	23.80	No	--

Employment (short-run) outcomes—Substantively important negative effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index	Evidence tier
Working in a job requiring at least mid-level skills	Adult Education vs. Business as usual	24 Months	Full sample; 463 students	5.10	9.50	No	--

Industry-recognized credential, certificate, or license (short-run) outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome measure	Comparison	Period	Sample	Intervention mean	Comparison mean	Significant?	Improvement index
Received an occupational or educational credential from any source	Adult Education vs. Business as usual	18 Months	Full sample; 424 students	33.50	18.20	Yes	19
Show Supplemental Findings
Received a credential from a college	Adult Education vs. Business as usual	24 Months	Full sample; 409 students	17.20	4.90	Yes	30
Received a credential from a licensing/certification body	Adult Education vs. Business as usual	18 Months	Full sample; 409 students	32.00	16.70	Yes	20
Received an occupational credential at a place other than college	Adult Education vs. Business as usual	18 Months	Full sample; 409 students	0.90	4.20	No	--

Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Sample Characteristics

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.

Female: 58%
Male: 43%
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Washington

Race
Black		8%
Other or unknown		38%
White		55%

Ethnicity
Hispanic		26%
Not Hispanic or Latino		74%

Study Details

Setting

The study took place in three two-year colleges in the Northwest.

Study sample

The initial sample consisted of 632 learners. These learners had scores on the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System test that fell within a range consistent with low skills, but not very poor skills. The range of scores that determined eligibility varied by program and college. Fifty-eight percent of learners were female. Fifty-five percent of learners were White, non-Hispanic; 8 percent were Black, non-Hispanic; and 26 percent were Hispanic. Twenty-two percent of learners were age 20 or younger, 15 percent were ages 21 to 24, 30 percent were ages 25 to 34, and 33 percent were age 35 or older. Thirty-one percent had less than a high school degree, and 40 percent had a high school diploma or the equivalent. Learners reported an average income at baseline of $22,110. On measures of socioeconomic status, 59 percent reported receiving benefits from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); 21 percent reported receiving public assistance or welfare, and 49 percent reported experiencing financial hardship.

Intervention Group

The Integrated Basic Education and Skills (I-BEST) program is intended to provide low-skill learners with a career pathway through a community or technical college to obtain a credential or degree that is valued in a particular occupation (such as automotive, electrical, nursing assistant, or welding positions). The programs offered courses that provided learners with occupational credit that could lead to workforce credentials within one or two quarters. The courses offered integrated occupational training and basic skills instruction. Learners could also take additional basic skills classes designed to support the integrated courses. The program also gave learners financial assistance to completely cover tuition, and advisors to support them during enrollment, while they were taking courses, and to plan for their career.

Comparison Group

The comparison group continued to enroll in existing courses and receiving typical supports at the colleges. This included non-contextualized remediation courses and access to advising services that were unaffiliated with the I-BEST program.

Support for implementation

The study does not provide specific information about support for implementation.

Additional Sources

In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.

Martinson, Karin; Cho, Sung-Woo; Gardiner, Karen; Glosser, Asaph. (2018). Washington State's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Program in Three Colleges: Implementation and Early Impact Report. Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education. OPRE Report No. 2018-87. Administration for Children & Families.

Washington State's Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) Program in Three Colleges: Implementation and Early Impact Report. Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education. OPRE Report No. 2018-87