EDC is serving as the evaluation partner for the Opportunity Network’s college access and career readiness programs, including their signature Fellows Program and Career Fluency Curriculum.

Since 2003, the Opportunity Network (OppNet) has provided high-achieving New York City students from underserved communities with six years of college and career readiness curriculum and support through their Fellows Program. Currently the Fellows Program model serves more than 650 students, the vast majority of whom enroll in four-year colleges.

In 2018, EDC conducted the formative evaluation of the Fellows program, which helped the Opportunity Network (1) develop a robust logic model, (2) identify how key components of the Fellows Program are implemented and how they are received by participants, (3) describe the organizational characteristics that influence implementation and participant outcomes, and (4) improve and refine the instruments, indicators, and processes used to document and monitor the characteristics, participation, and outcomes of the Fellows Program participants.

Starting in 2019, EDC will conduct a longitudinal study to assess the impact of the organization’s Career Fluency model on young people. We also will develop and implement data inquiry workshops, develop an “employability” measure to assess Fellows’ employability throughout the Fellowship and upon career transition, and analyze trends about who, when, and why Fellows reduce engagement with OppNet, the results of which will be used to develop targeted programming enhancements to mitigate this problem.