This study was conducted by staff from Abt Associates, which co-administers CLEAR. The review of this study was conducted by ICF, which co-administers CLEAR and is trained in applying the CLEAR causal evidence guidelines.
Citation
Gardiner, K., Martinson, K., & Dastrup, S. (2021). Instituto del Progreso Latino's Carreras en Salud Program: Three-Year Impact Report. (Report No. 2021-97). Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Carreras en Salud (Carreras) Program on education and earnings outcomes.
- The study used a randomized controlled trial to assign participants to the Carreras group or the control group. Using participant surveys and National Directory of New Hires data, the authors conducted statistical models to compare the outcomes of the treatment and control group members.
- The study found no significant differences in receipt of college credentials or average quarterly earnings between the Carreras group and the control group.
- This study receives a high evidence rating for the earnings outcome. This means we are confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the Carreras en Salud program and not to other factors. This study receives a moderate evidence rating for the education outcome. This means we are somewhat confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the Carreras en Salud program, but other factors might also have contributed. However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects.
Intervention Examined
Carreras en Salud
Features of the Intervention
Carreras en Salud (Carreras) was founded in 2005 by Instituto del Progreso Latino, a nonprofit organization in Chicago, Illinois. The goal of Carreras was to address the shortage of Latinos in the health care field and to help low-income Latinos improve their basic skills so they can enroll in and complete nursing training programs. Carreras targeted individuals who identify as Latino, have a family income less than $35,000, have fourth grade English literacy, are bilingual in English and Spanish, and have an interest in health care careers. Carreras provided structured health care training, accelerated basic skills training, academic advising and nonacademic supports, financial assistance, and employment services.
Features of the Study
The study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of the Carreras en Salud program. Of the 800 participants who enrolled in the study between November 2011 and September 2014 and completed two baseline surveys, 402 were randomly assigned to the Carreras program (treatment group) and 398 were assigned to the control group. Control group members could not receive Carreras program services but could choose to participate in other employment services within the community, including Certified Nursing Assistant or Licensed Practical Nurse programs at city colleges in Chicago.
The majority of the study sample was female (93%) and Hispanic/Latino (99%). One-third of the sample was between the ages of 25 and 34 (34%) and almost half had a high school diploma or equivalent (49%). Most participants had a household income of $29,999 or less (75%). The data sources included a three-year follow-up survey and data from the National Directory of New Hires. The study had two primary outcomes: receipt of a college credential requiring at least one year of study and average quarterly earnings during quarters 12 and 13. The authors used statistical models to compare the outcomes between the treatment and control groups.
Findings
Education and skills gains
- The study did not find a significant difference between the treatment and control groups in the receipt of a college credential requiring at least one year of study.
Earnings and wages
- The study did not find a significant difference between the treatment and control groups in average quarterly earnings during quarters 12 and 13.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
Although this study was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial, the study had high attrition for the education outcome and cannot receive a high causal evidence rating. However, the authors accounted for preexisting differences between the groups before program participation. Therefore, this outcome received a moderate evidence rating.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high for the earnings outcome because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that any estimated effects would be attributable to the Carreras en Salud program and not to other factors. This study receives a moderate evidence rating for the education outcome because it was based on a randomized controlled trial with high attrition, but the authors ensured that the groups being compared were similar before the intervention. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects would be attributable to the Carreras en Salud program, but other factors might also have contributed. However, the study did not find any statistically significant effects.