J-PAL North America. Vincent Quan and Rohit Naimpally December 7 th, 2016

Transcription

1 J-PAL North America Vincent Quan and Rohit Naimpally December 7 th, facebook.com/jpal.northamerica linkedin.com/company/j-pal-north-america

2 Countries around the world are converging on universal primary enrollment J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 2

3 but learning levels remain low. What are the best ways to improve student learning? Textbooks Technology Scholarships Cash transfers Reduce class sizes Train teachers Incentivize teacher attendance/performance Divide classrooms by achievement level J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 3

4 Rigorous evaluations can provide surprising insights to help inform policy J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 4

5 Evaluation results can help identify policy lessons that may apply across contexts Match Education Tutoring Chicago Public Schools 55 minutes of 2:1 daily tutoring tailored to the students level of math aptitude Improve math test scores by an equivalent of an extra one or two years of learning J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 5

6 J-PAL s mission is to ensure that policy is informed by evidence and research is translated into action J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 6

7 J-PAL s network of 142 professors use randomized evaluations to inform policy J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 7

8 We have more than 770 ongoing and completed projects across 8 sectors in 69 countries J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 8

9 Two U.S.-based offices J-PAL Global Coordinates with all regional offices in research, training, and policy work Synthesizes the global evidence base and policy lessons in our eight sectors J-PAL North America Launched in 2013 and rapidly growing Leveraging the quickly increasing interest in evidence-based policy in the region J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 9

10 Research: We conduct randomized evaluations to test the effectiveness of programs aimed at reducing poverty Before the program starts, eligible individuals are randomly assigned to two groups so that they are statistically identical before the program. Intervention Two groups continue to be identical, except for treatment Population is randomly split into 2 or more groups Outcomes for both groups are measured Comparison Any differences in outcomes between the groups can be attributed to the program J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 10

11 Sectors and policy lessons J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 11

12 From research to policy: Youth violence and dropout The problem: High rates of violence plague many American cities and homicide rates, criminal activity, and dropout rates are far higher for disadvantaged youth, especially young men of color, than their peers. For example, 610 Chicago Public School students were shot between September 2008 and April The intervention: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) delivered in Chicago Public Schools through Becoming a Man (BAM) program, developed by Youth Guidance. J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 12

13 From research to policy: Youth violence and dropout Becoming a Man (BAM) Group sessions at school, using cognitive behavioral therapy to teach management of automatic responses Male students, grades 7-10, in 18 Chicago Public Schools Average GPA: % had been previously arrested Large population of students, limited resources 1,473 students randomly selected to participate from among 2,740 eligible J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 13

14 From research to policy: Youth violence and dropout BAM reduced criminal activity for program participants. The initial study shows participation improved schooling outcomes and reduced violent-crime arrests by 44%. A second study showed participation reduced overall arrests by 31%. Follow-up survey measures suggest these results are caused by the program helping students to slow automatic responses. J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 14

15 Translating research into action Policy Attention After the findings of the first study, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel increased funding for BAM across the city. The program was then mentioned by President Obama at the launch of the My Brother s Keeper initiative to support programs improving the lives of young men of color in American cities. J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 15

16 From policy change to people reached To date, million people have been reached by scale-ups of successful programs around the world. J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 16

17 How do we do it?

18 Where do you fit in? Research, Policy, Training, and Finance/Admin

19 Research Team

20 Policy Team

21 The policy group at J-PAL Policy J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 21

22 The training group at J-PAL Since J-PAL s founding, hundreds of organizations have partnered with a J-PAL affiliate on an RCT and many have sent staff to J-PAL s training courses. Training J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 22

23 Admin and Finance Team

24 What are our open positions? Job Types Senior Finance Associate Policy Associate Senior Policy Associate Policy Manager Requirements B.A. + 3 yrs. experience in finance administration B.A./M.A (typically MPP, MPA, or other relevant degree) yrs. Experience B.A./M.A (typically MPP, MPA, or other relevant degree) and 2 4 yrs. Experience M.A. (typically MPP, MPA, or other relevant degree) and 4+ yrs. experience MIT does not sponsor visas for Cambridgebased positions Check specific job postings for information on work authorization J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 25

25 Be on the lookout for: Job Types Finance and Admin Associate Research Associate Research Manager Requirements B.A yrs. Experience B.A. + Excellent STATA or R skills M.A. (typically MPP, MPA, MA in Econ, Development, Statistics) and 4+ yrs. of professional research experience MIT does not sponsor visas for Cambridgebased positions Check specific job postings for information on work authorization J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 26

26 What we look for? Academics: Significant coursework in economics and statistics Understanding of quantitative methods in evaluation Excellent writing & communication skills For Policy Positions: Relevant nonprofit or government experience J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 28

27 How to apply? Annual Recruitment Drive: November 16, 2016 January 10, 2017 Go to povertyactionlab.org/careers (filter on North America region) Rolling Applications: New jobs are posted on our website throughout the year and applications for these are accepted on an ongoing basis Apply to specific jobs openings Often require a statement of purpose, CV, transcripts, and any other materials specified by the hiring manager. Read instructions and requirements for each listing carefully, as they differ depending on the job and where it s based. Submit applications to najobs@povertyactionlab.org Hiring managers often begin the hiring process in January/February. To increase your visibility, it is best to apply during the recruitment drive window. J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 29

28 Want to learn more about J-PAL? J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 32

29 Want to learn more about J-PAL? J-PAL RECRUITMENT PRESENTATION 33

30 Questions? Contact: Molly Gilmore at povertyactionlab.org/careers (filter on North America facebook.com/jpal.northamerica linkedin.com/company/j-pal-north-america