Advancing Evidence-Based Policy: Meta-Analysis Findings From Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training

• In Event: A National Agenda for Student Access and Success

Abstract

The TAACCCT grant program represented an unprecedented federal investment in the nation’s community colleges. These federal grants led to hundreds of evaluation reports, many leveraging rigorous quasi-experimental designs. This study systematically analyzes these evaluation data within a meta-analysis framework and finds that TAACCCT participation was associated with an increased odds of program completion by 63.3% (z = 2.75 p = 0.006) and an increased odds of credential completion by 80% (z = 3.87, p < 0.001). Meta-analysis results related to TAACCCT and employment outcomes were inconclusive based on evaluators’ limited access to the labor market data needed for such analyses. The study considers the methodological implications of using rigorous evaluation reports for meta-analyses and policy implications of such research.

Authors

• Grant Blume, University of Washington

• Elizabeth Apple-Meza, University of Washington

• Debra D. Bragg, Bragg & Associates, Inc