Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Education
Culturally responsive sustaining education ensures that education is not only accessible but also relevant and meaningful for all students. Abt partners with non-profit organizations, education leaders, education systems, and state and local education agencies to meet the diverse needs of learners, particularly those from underserved communities. We use a strengths-based and equity-centered approach to conduct culturally responsive and rigorous research and evaluation. We collaborate with partners on goals and monitor progress to advance systemic fairness. Additionally, we help build capacity so that partners can implement equitable policies, programs, and practices on their own and ultimately contribute to student achievement and success.
Expertise
- Research, Monitoring, Evaluation
- Technical Assistance and Strategic Advising
- Systematic Evidence Reviews and Clearinghouses
- Digital and Data Services for Informed Decision-Making
Clients Include
U.S. Department of Education
National Science Foundation
Philanthropies, nonprofits, foundations, and state and local agencies
Our Work
Evaluation of measures of success to advance equitable educational outcomes for Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and over 200 Tribes
Systematic evidence review process to identify best practices that help K-12 students struggling with behavior
Our rigorous impact and implementation study found that New Mexico’s charter schools had no statistically significant academic impact
Assessment of Leadership Montgomery’s Racial Equity Action Leadership (REAL) Inclusion program, which provides organizational change training
Collection and analysis of data for the Promise Neighborhood program to build cradle-to-career supports for education, health and social
Study of Citizen School model that uses volunteer educators to expand the learning day for middle-schoolers in low-income communities
Our Experts
Insights
3 Steps to Bring Much-Needed Equity to Student Debt
With the burdens of student debt falling disproportionately on Black students, this blog suggests new policy responses to address the inequities.
Study of Enhanced College Advising in Upward Bound: Impacts on Steps Toward College
Find the Fit advising increased the number and selectivity of colleges applied to by disadvantaged students in a federal college access program. Find the Fit includes customized information about college going and costs, text messaging of key application and financial aid deadlines, and related advisor training. These research-based strategies are designed to help students enroll in the best college they can and stay in until they complete a degree. This first report looks at Find the Fit’s effects on students’ steps toward enrolling in a more selective college.Click the links below to view PDFs of the study report, snapshot, highlights, appendices, and program materials.Study SnapshotStudy HighlightsStudy AppendicesFind the Fit program materials
Three Approaches for Improving College Access and Affordability
The Biden Administration’s debt forgiveness bought college students time; this blog offers three approaches that could lead to longer-term solutions.
A Summary of the Evidence on Inclusive Education
After reviewing evidence from more than 280 studies conducted in 25 countries, Abt found consistent evidence that inclusive educational settings—in which children with disabilities are educated alongside their non-disabled peers—can have substantial benefits for the cognitive and social development of those children.The research also suggests that inclusion can have important positive benefits for all students, because including a student with a disability requires teachers and school administrators to develop a better understanding of the individual strengths and needs of every student.
High School Counseling and College Financial Aid
This report from Abt and Anlar finds correlations between meeting with a high school counselor, FAFSA completion, and receipt of need-based grants for college.
Three Tips to Make the Most of Community School Funding
Funding for the Full Service Community Schools Program has doubled, so we’re offering three tips to make the most of this approach to support the whole child.