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Prospective participants attended an information session that described the study and the EfA program, and could schedule individual interviews for staff to assess their English skills and eligibility. Candidates were eligible for the program if they wanted to obtain employment or a better job, could attend the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes, and had a Social Security Card and authorization to work in the United States. As part of their screening, staff reviewed candidates' employment goals to assess candidates' alignment of goals with their previous experience, confirmed that candidates had childcare and transportation arrangements, and considered the likelihood that the program could increase candidates' earnings if they were currently employed. Staff collected consent and randomly assigned candidates who were deemed eligible to either the intervention or the comparison condition. In total, 790 individuals were randomly assigned, with 408 assigned to the intervention condition and 382 assigned to the comparison condition. Randomization was blocked by the six locations in the Greater Boston area. In the first several months of enrollment, participants were assigned evenly to the intervention or the comparison group but the program increased the ratio for later cohorts to enroll more people in the comparison condition. The authors accounted for this in their analysis.
Individuals were enrolled in the study from September 2016 to December 2017 and were followed for two years.
Arnold Ventures
The study aimed to recruit adult immigrants with low to intermediate English skills. The majority of participants were female (73 percent), lived in the U.S for less than five years (57 percent), and had low or low-intermediate English skills (60 percent). Their average age was 40 years old. Forty-eight percent of participants reported employment as a source of income, 36 percent reported other household member's earnings as a source of income, and 25 percent reported SNAP as a source of income. Ninety percent of participants earned their highest degree outside of the U.S. Forty-four percent of participants had a high school diploma or equivalent and 17 percent had less than a high school education. Half of all participants had at least one child under 18 in their household. Eighty-six percent of participants were legal permanent residents or naturalized U.S citizens, while nine percent were refugee, asylee, or humanitarian parolees. Participants had been born in the Caribbean (41 percent), South or Central America (32 percent), Africa (14 percent), Asia (7 percent), or other regions (such as Europe, Middle East, and North America) (7 percent).
Jewish Vocational Service (JVS)
JVS had previously administered EfA, but started offering it again at the start of the study. This was the first time EfA was offered as a Pay for Success Model through the Massachusetts Pathways to Economic Advancement Project.
The English for Advancement (EfA) intervention provided vocational ESOL classes, work readiness activities, and job search assistance to individuals with low to intermediate English skills who were unemployed or had low-skill or part-time jobs. The vocational ESOL classes incorporated interviewing skills and professional communication and were offered for two or three days per week, for up to nine hours of class per week for 2 to 12 months. The classes were offered in two-month cycles. Participants were assessed at the beginning and end of each cycle to assess comprehension and progress toward goals. Participants worked with career coaches on work readiness activities as needed, such as setting employment goals, creating resumes, and preparing for interviews. Coaches also provided job search and job placement assistance by sharing job leads and teaching participants to search for jobs independently. Participants could meet with their career coach to receive employment retention and advancement assistance for up to two years.
Members of the comparison group did not receive EfA services, but were offered information around ESOL classes in the community they could attend.
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The study participants were expected to attend ESOL classes for between 2 and 12 months and to meet with a career coach for job retention and career progression support for up to 2 years. Participants attended ESOL classes for an average of 6 months and met with their career coaches for an average of 14 months.
Private sector investors coordinated through Social Finance, a financial intermediary
The study took place at six geographical sites in Massachusetts where the largest proportion of immigrant populations reside: East Boston, Dorchester, Downtown Boston, Lynn, Lawrence, and Lowell. Services were provided at partner non-profits and the facility type varied by organization. Services were administered by JVS, a nonprofit in Greater Boston.
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