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Summary

Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program (MIBEST) provided training with team teaching and support services that were designed to prepare students for high-demand occupations, enabling them to earn a high school credential while working toward certificates, degrees, and gainful employment.

Mississippi Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training Program (MIBEST) provided training with team teaching and support services that were designed to prepare students for high-demand occupations, enabling them to earn a high school credential while working toward certificates, degrees, and gainful employment. The team teaching approach means that participants concurrently receive both basic education and technical instruction and are not required to first have a high school credential. Support services include one-on-one college and career navigation; work readiness training; job search and placement supports; and assistance with food, child care, and transportation needs.

Eligible students were at least 17 years old, Mississippi residents, and either did not have a high school diploma or equivalent or had this credential but low academic skill levels. The study was conducted at community colleges statewide in Mississippi, with 15 colleges participating in the intervention.

101011-Study of Mississippi
Populations and employment barriers: Less than a high school diploma or equivalent

Effectiveness rating and effect by outcome domain

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Outcome domain Term Effectiveness rating Effect in 2024 dollars and percentages Effect in standard deviations Sample size
Increase earnings Short-term Supported favorable $3,791 per year 0.104 3266
Long-term Supported favorable $5,431 per year 0.149 3266
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Increase employment Short-term No evidence to assess support
Long-term No evidence to assess support
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Decrease benefit receipt Short-term No evidence to assess support
Long-term No evidence to assess support
Very long-term No evidence to assess support
Increase education and training All measurement periods Little evidence to assess support 0% (in percentage points) 0.000 0
* This intervention was assessed as supported for this domain, meaning it achieved one or more statistically significant, favorable effects. However, the intervention has an average effect size that is unfavorable because the average includes all effects in this domain - both statistically significant and favorable effects and statistically insignificant but unfavorable effects.

Effectiveness rating key:

  • Well-supported Well-supported   
  • Supported  Supported   
  • Not supported  Not supported   
  • Mixed support  Mixed support   
  • Insufficient evidence  Insufficient evidence   
  • No evidence  No evidence
Effectiveness rating terms?

Studies of this intervention

Study quality rating Study counts per rating
Moderate Moderate 1
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Implementation details

Dates covered by study

MIBEST was initially funded in 2015, with a second phase of the program funded in 2019. Data collection and analysis spanned January 2016 to December 2019, with impact analyses based on administrative data.

Organizations implementing intervention

MIBEST was led by the Mississippi Community College Board and was implemented in partnership with 15 community colleges in the state at the time of the study. 

Populations served

MIBEST was a voluntary program that served individuals age 17 and older without a high school credential with low incomes and other nontraditional students. In addition to age requirements, eligible students had to be Mississippi residents and either not have a high school diploma or equivalent or have this credential but low academic skill levels. Participants were predominantly either White (50 percent) or Black (42 percent) and 2 percent were Latinx. More than half (54 percent) were female, and the average age at enrollment was 26 years. Average quarterly earnings at enrollment were $1,296.

Description of services implemented

MIBEST provided training with team teaching and support services that were designed to prepare students for high-demand occupations, enabling them to earn a high school credential while working toward certificates, degrees, and gainful employment.. Services for participants included:

  • Integrated career pathways. MIBEST provided concurrent instruction in both contextualized basic skills and technical instruction using a team teaching approach.
  • Support services. Academic, financial, and personal support services were provided, including food, child care, and transportation assistance.

In addition, participating colleges were required to implement several components, including:

  • Staffing. Colleges were required to have a MIBEST project coordinator and a full-time MIBEST navigator.
  • Policies. Must allow students without a high school credential to have concurrent enrollment in both adult education and college courses and integrate programs in at least two high-demand occupations. Must implement acceleration strategies, such or online/hybrid learning or credit for prior learning.
  • Supports. Must provide proactive advising, support services, and work-based learning opportunities.
  • Services. Must using team teaching for at least 25 percent of MIBEST instructional time. Must include a minimum of 20 hours of work-readiness or life-skills training.

Service intensity

Information about the service intensity of MIBEST was not available.

Comparison conditions

The comparison group was students who did not receive MIBEST and were matched on test scores, demographics, and timing of postsecondary enrollment.

Partnerships

No partners were indicated for delivering MIBEST.

Staffing

Each community college offering MIBEST had to provide a project director and a full-time MIBEST navigator.

Fidelity measures

The study did not discuss any tools to measure fidelity to the intervention model.

Funding source

The W. K. Kellogg Foundation (Kellogg Foundation) funded the first phase of MIBEST in 2016. In 2019, the second phase of MIBEST was funded through a mixture of Kellogg Foundation funding at three colleges and a mix of local, state, and federal funds at other colleges.

The information contained here reflects how the intervention was implemented at the time of the evaluation.

Local context

The Mississippi Community College Board led the MIBEST initiative, which was implemented at 15 community colleges statewide in Mississippi. The study took place statewide in Mississippi with MIBEST students at the participating colleges matched with adult education students in administrative data statewide.

Characteristics of research participants
Black or African American
42%
White, not Hispanic
50%
American Indian or Alaska Native
2%
More than one race
2%
Unknown, not reported, or other
3%
Hispanic or Latino of any race
2%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

State(s) where implemented

AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY Canada

The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.