Administrative Core

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Improving schooling and life outcomes of disadvantaged youth is a top priority in the US, but to date not many interventions have been shown to improve the outcomes of these youth, especially males. The core theme of our larger program project is to assess the most effective (and cost-effective) ways to improve long-term life outcomes for disadvantaged youth, with an emphasis on the closely related outcomes of schooling attainment, risky and criminal behavior, and violence involvement. In the summer of 2013 we identified a study sample of 2,134 males entering 9th and 10th grade in 12 public high schools on Chicago's south and west sides, working in close collaboration with Chicago Public Schools (CPS). These youth were randomized to receive a very promising academic intervention (high-dosage math tutoring delivered by Match Education, which in previous non-experimental studies by our collaborator Roland Fryer have been found to boost math scores by 0.5 to 0.7 standard deviations for 6th and 9th graders), or to a very promising non-academic intervention (a form of cognitive behavioral therapy called "Becoming a Man," or BAM, developed and implemented by a non-profit in Chicago, Youth Guidance), or to receive both, or neither. The interventions were launched in August 2013 for the 2013-14 academic year with outside (non-NICHD) support. NICHD support is being requested to extend both interventions for a second year (AY2014-15), through projects 1 and 2, and to carry out in-person data collection in AY2015-16 to measure outcomes and candidate mediating mechanisms. The administrative core for this research program will provide the necessary leadership and administrative support structure to ensure the effective implementation and coordination of the proposed work, through the work of the core lead Jens Ludwig and a full-time program manager, Elana Dean, who has prior research experience and program management experience, including with the relevant local government and non-profit partners on this project through her previous experiences at the University of Chicago Crime Lab. The administrative core will (1) provide research leadership and oversight; (2) facilitate interactions among non-profit and city partners; (3) provide necessary administrative and project management assistance to our investigators and all participating institutions; (4) manage all related finances; (5) convene and coordinate all necessary meetings of the research team and advisory Technical Review Panel; and (6) provide day-to-day logistical coordination for the large-scale intervention and data collection. This core will also ensure compliance with all institutional regulations and requirements as well as timely communication and consultation with CPS, Match Education, and Youth Guidance (YG) staff. The objectives of the administrative core will be complemented by two other cores: the implementation and administrative data core and analysis and dissemination core.