Research & Publications
OrchKids and Student Outcomes
Baltimore OrchKids: An Examination of Student Outcomes describes an analysis exploring the relationship between participation in OrchKids' out-of-school-time programming and several student measures. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research examined...
Early Childhood Data Collaborative
The Baltimore Early Childhood Data Collaborative (ECDC), formerly Early Education Data Collaborative (EEDC), began after the release of BERC’s report, Early Elementary Performance and Attendance in Baltimore City Schools’ Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten in March...
Improving Baltimore Students’ Access to College
This report, Improving Baltimore Students' Access to College, provides a qualitative account of the implementation of two college access support models in Baltimore City Schools. The initiative, launched in 2016-17, was developed by the College Bound Foundation, which...
Launching into Adulthood
Class of 2009 Six Years Later by Rachel E. Durham & Faith Connolly In a series of briefs, BERC presents research describing the educational and workforce outcomes of Baltimore graduates six years after graduation. We focus on the class of 2009 as it is the most...
BERC in EdWeek Promoting Youth Success
In BERC's work with City Schools, researcher Rachel E. Durham and practitioner Rachel Pfeifer show the power of a Research Practice Partnership through a pair of blogs that discuss work to promote youth success. Read more from the researcher perspective and...
BERC in Phi Delta Kappa
As community schools spread across the country, community school staff need effective approaches to engaging families and community-based partners. Such principles must be broadly applicable, given community schools’ mandate to adapt to different local contexts. Based...
Strategies for Student Attendance and School Climate in Baltimore’s Community Schools
In this study, we interviewed the coordinators in community schools identified as having comparatively higher student attendance and more positive school climate than peer community schools. The coordinators reported that having clearly designated roles, reliable...
EdWeek Blog: Improvement Science in Schools
BERC wrote about their Improvement Science. on EdWeek. One from the researchers perspective, and from the practitioner's perspective.
Getting to High School in Baltimore
Getting to High School in Baltimore: Student Commuting and Public Transportation Starting in 2015, BERC researchers became interested in high school student commutes and the potential relationship with attendance and tardiness. This first report examines the commutes...
College Fact Book
Baltimore City Schools College Fact Book, by Rachel E. Durham, Rudy Ruiz and Faith Connolly, provides a detailed update through the class of 2015 as part of a series of reports about Baltimore City Schools graduates' college access. For the first time, this report...