Policy and Program Evaluation
We work with government agencies and community-based partners to rigorously evaluate programs that aim to ensure all students have the opportunity for future success.
Across every project or partner, we work to generate high-quality research about the factors driving education trends and identify evidence-based interventions to support students. Access to good and unbiased data is the common denominator for strong evaluation, which is why we pursue data-sharing agreements with public agencies and seek to make our own data publicly available whenever possible. We focus on policies and programs that are supporting the communities and individuals who face the most significant barriers to success.
From leading randomized controlled trials – the gold standard in research – to evaluating historical and real-time data, the Education Lab uses a variety of methods to rigorously evaluate policies and interventions.
Latest Updates
Approaching Two Years of the Charter School Research Collaborative
MIT’s Blueprint Labs highlights the latest findings from the Personalized Learning Initiative’s study of virtual high-dosage tutoring in middle school math delivered in partnership with Saga Education and New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED).

Football player-turned math tutor tackles state’s low test scores
The Black Wall Street Times’ Deon Osborne cites Education Lab research from the Personalized Learning Initiative (PLI) which found that students who received high dosage tutoring saw positive gains on end-of-year math test scores.

Deep Dive on High-Impact Tutoring
Saga Education published a series that uncovers key strategies for creating lasting educational success, such as effective ways to integrate tutoring into the school day and how ongoing tutor support leads to better student outcomes, featuring insights from Education Lab Senior Research Director Monica Bhatt.
