Absence of conflict of interest.
Citation
Highlights
- The study's objective was to examine the impact of One Summer Chicago Plus (OSC+) on education, employment, and earnings outcomes. This profile focuses on the 2013 six-week intervention. The authors investigated similar research questions for another contrast, the profile of which can be found here.
- The study was a randomized controlled trial that assigned individuals to a treatment or control group. The authors used school administrative data and quarterly unemployment insurance records to conduct statistical models and compare the outcomes of the treatment and control groups.
- The study found that program members were significantly more likely to have any provider employment in the two years following the program than the control group.
- This study receives a high evidence rating. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to One Summer Chicago Plus (OSC+), and not to other factors.
Intervention Examined
One Summer Chicago Plus (OSC+)
Features of the Intervention
The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services designed OSC+ for the purpose of reducing violence. The 2013 OSC+ program provided a summer job to youth, five hours per day and five days a week at minimum wage for six weeks. Youth also received training, daily lunch, bus passes as needed, were given an adult mentor, and received SEL programming. Youth were also able to participate in programming after the six-week period, which included SEL activities, job mentoring, summer outings, and a stipend. The program was implemented by local nonprofit contractors (Black Star Project, Blue Sky Inn, Kleo Community Family Life Center, Phalanx Family Services, St. Sabina Employment Resource Center, Westside Health Authority, and Youth Outreach Services). The program served male youth from two groups: youth (aged 16-22) who were in the criminal justice system and youth (aged 16-20) who had applied for summer programming, lived in one of the thirty communities with high levels of violence, and included a social security number on their application.
Features of the Study
The study was a randomized controlled trial that assigned individuals to a treatment or control group. A total of 5,216 male youth applied for 1,000 program slots. In total, 2,634 youth were assigned to the treatment group, and 2,582 individuals were assigned to the control group. Treatment participants received the OSC+ program services as described above. Control participants did not participate in the program, but were placed on a waitlist. Data sources included administrative records from Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and employment and earnings data obtained from quarterly unemployment insurance records for youth with known social security numbers. The majority of the study sample were African American (over 90%) and living in low-income, disadvantaged communities. All were male with an average age of 18.4, and 47% had an arrest record. The authors used statistical models to compare the outcomes of the treatment and control group participants.
Findings
Employment
- The study found that program members were significantly more likely to have any provider employment (program provider or other provider) in the two years following the program than the control group.
- The study found no statistically significant differences between the groups in formal employment or non-provider employment in the two years following the program.
Earnings and wages
- The study found no statistically significant difference between the groups in average quarterly earnings in the two years following the program.
Education and skills gains
- The study found no statistically significant difference between the groups in school persistence in the two years following the program.
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The employment data used in this study was incomplete. The employment data were only available for youth with a social security number on record, and employment data from administrative records excluded agricultural and domestic positions, family employment, and informal employment.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of casual evidence presented in this report is high because it was based on a well implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that the estimated effects are attributable to One Summer Chicago Plus (OSC+), and not to other factors.