Career Academies — MDRC Long-Term Evaluation

Summary

The Career Academies evaluation is one of the longest-running randomized studies in US education policy. Eight years after expected graduation, young men who had attended career academies earned 17% more annually than control group peers — a substantial, sustained effect. The finding is notable for several reasons: the program worked at scale (9 schools, multiple cities), the effect persisted for nearly a decade, and it had differential effects by gender (significant for men, null for women) — raising questions about which mechanisms drove the result. The most likely explanations are the employer networks that created initial job access, the cohort structure that built social capital, and the reduced isolation that kept at-risk students engaged. The study is a benchmark for how long rigorous educational evaluations need to follow participants before the most important outcomes are observable.

Research question

"Do career academies — small learning communities within high schools that combine academic curriculum with career-relevant technical training and employer partnerships — improve labor market outcomes for at-risk youth?"

Methodology

Result

Positive

Earnings at 8-year follow-up: +11% for all participants ($16,600 vs. $14,900); young men: +17% ($1,728 per year); no effect for young women; males also had higher rates of living with romantic partners and children — interpreting as more stable family formation

Evidence strength

Strong

Randomized controlled trial with large sample.

Replication status

Partially replicated