The University of Texas at Austin

Ray Marshall Center

for the Study of Human Resources

for the Study of Human Resources

RMC’s Juniper presents at TNOYS 41st annual conference

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RMC’s qualitative research associate, Cynthia Juniper, presented findings from our Evaluating Services for Texas Opportunity Youth (ESTOY) project at the Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS) 41st annual conference held June 4-7, 2024, in Houston, Texas.

The purpose of the ESTOY evaluation is to pursue a deeper understanding of the experience of opportunity youth whose needs were not met by the community’s traditional education systems.  The qualitative research method for this evaluation employed a community-based research design to invite voices from the community to collaborate with researchers in the design of the study, an approach that depends upon the knowledge, insights, and experiences of the individuals who are the subject of a study to assist and guide researchers.  The ESTOY evaluation engaged youth and young adults currently enrolled in workforce development services to guide the development of a survey tool to be completed by youth and young adults receiving workforce development services in four Texas communities: Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. The presentation highlights key considerations for preparing for this research, engaging the community, and lessons learned from the process.

You can view the presentation slides here.

RMC’s Thomas Boswell presents at AEA’s Evaluation 2023 with Nuru International

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Ray Marshall Center’s Social Science Research Associate Thomas Boswell was part of a trio presenting findings from Nuru International‘s 2022 Nuru Nigeria Resilience Report at the American Evaluation Association‘s Evaluation 2023 conference in Indianapolis October 9-14, 2023.  Boswell joined Nuru’s Ian Schwenke and Dena Bunnel of Kansas State University in the October 14th presentation.  The report marks the end of a five-year evaluation conducted in partnership with the Center.  The randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated communities in northeast Nigeria and seeks to understand how Nuru interventions impact community resilience. You can read Nuru’s October 5th press release here and view the presentation here.  You can also read more about our partnership here.

Self-Sufficiency Wage Data Study

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Principal Investigators: Greg Cumpton, PhD
Sponsor: Texas Workforce Commission
Project Duration: May 2023 – December 2026
Description: Pursuant to the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) duties under Government Code, Chapter 2308A (enacted in House Bill 3767, 87th Legislature), the TWC has entered a partnership with the Ray Marshall Center (RMC) to implement its duty to establish a self-sufficiency wage for each Texas county.  RMC will study Texas family compositions and suggest improvements, and study current labor market conditions and how it relates to the Self-Sufficiency Wage.
Reports Available:

AT Home Initiative Evaluation

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Principal Investigators: Greg Cumpton, PhD
Sponsor: Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO)
Project Duration: March 2023 – December 2027
Description: In coordination with ECHO, the Ray Marshall Center (RMC) will execute the planning and preparation needed to conduct the evaluation of the AT Home Initiative. 
Reports Available:

Child Care Market Rate/Cost of Quality Studies

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Principal Investigators: Daniel G. Schroeder, PhD (Principal Investigator) – Ray Marshall Center 
Monica Faulkner (Principal Investigator), Laura Marra (Co-Principal Investigator) – Texas Institute for Child and Family Wellbeing
Sponsor: Texas Workforce Commission
Project Duration: July 2022 – June 2025
Description: Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin will provide services in order to complete two annual studies for the Texas Workforce Commission.  The Texas Institute for Child and Family Wellbeing at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work will manage data collection from child care providers.  The Ray Marshall Center at the LBJ School of Public Affairs manages the data analysis and reporting. 

The purpose of the Child Care Market Rate Study is to create statistical summaries of market rates for child care for the entire state of Texas and for each of the 28 Local Workforce Development Areas.  The purpose of the Cost of Quality Study is to understand the cost of providing quality child care in the state of Texas.  The purpose is to provide estimates of how much more additional funding, in terms of daily rates, should be paid to providers who meet quality standards to care for children, relative to how much providers who meet minimal standards are paid.
Reports Available: The reports for this project are published through the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at the University of Texas at Austin’s Steve Hicks School of Social Work.  The following reports are available on their website.

2023 Texas Child Care Market Rate Survey
2022 Texas Child Care Market Rate Survey

Hire Local Evaluation

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Principal Investigator: Greg Cumpton, PhD
Sponsor: Workforce Solutions Capital Area
Project Duration: April 2022 – December 2024
Description: The Ray Marshall Center has partnered with Workforce Solutions Capital Area to provide services to collect, analyze, and report data outcomes under the Hire Local Plan.
Reports Available:

Maximizing Impact and Measuring Success

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Principal Investigator: Greg Cumpton, PhD
Sponsor: Goodwill Industries of Central Texas
Project Duration: April 2021 – November 2021
Description: The Ray Marshall Center will provide assistance to Goodwill Industries of Central Texas to develop, plan, and deploy a revised strategic plan for future years.
Reports Available:

Researching ACC’s Rainy Day Savings Program

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Principal Investigator: Greg Cumpton, PhD
Sponsor: Austin Community College
Project Duration: April 2021 – March 2022
Description: Austin Community College’s (ACC) Student Money Management Office (SMMO), established in 2016, supports Austin Community College student success by providing accessible and relevant money management education, enabling students to make informed financial decisions.

In fall 2018, SMMO piloted the Rainy Day Savings Program, modeled after the successes of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) which have helped low-income people save and attain assets.  In the Rainy Day Savings program, students earn up to $100 in cash incentives for completing certain tasks and meeting milestones.  These tasks and milestones were chosen because of their potential impact on future financial wellness, such as setting up direct deposit, completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and meeting with a financial coach.  Savings accounts were opened for students at University Federal Credit Union (UFCU) exclusively for the purposes of the Rainy Day Savings Program, and students worked towards amassing at least $500 savings.

Based on the initial results, ACC viewed this program as a tool to increase student retention and completion and sought to expand and refine the program.  ACC received funding from Trellis Foundation in January 2020 to support this effort.  ACC enrolled approximately 600 students in the Rainy Day Savings Program in fall 2020.  Enrollment focused on two key student groups: First-time in college (FTIC) and Adult Education (AE) students.  The program helped students establish a savings account at a local financial institution and provided cash incentives as they set aside money for a financial emergency.

ACC is partnering with the Ray Marshall Center (RMC) to study the effectiveness of the Rainy Day Savings program.  This research study will provide actionable information about the success of the intervention allowing for ACC and Trellis to make decisions about and program modifications and sustainability.

Reports Available: Research Study of Austin Community College’s Rainy Day Savings Program: Year One Report
Authors: Ashweeta Patnaik and Greg Cumpton
Date: April 2022
Publication Type: Report, 38pp. Research Study of Austin Community College’s Rainy Day Savings Program
Date: August 2021
Publication Type: Report, 28pp.

Applied Data Analysis Training and Support

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Principal Investigator: Heath J. Prince, PhD
Sponsor: Coleridge Initiative, Inc.
Project Duration: April 2021 – January 2022
Description: The Ray Marshall Center (RMC) will provide data management, research, and governance assistance to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).  As a part of an initiative at the Coleridge Initiative, Inc. to expand access to state data to policymakers and state agency employees, the RMC will provide staffing and support to facilitate the Applied Data Analytics training program created by the Coleridge Initiative, Inc. The RMC will provide support and staffing to implement the training developed by the Coleridge Initiative for state agencies in Texas and surrounding states. The curriculum is designed to expand access and use of administrative data to inform policy. This training model is designed to be repeated in support of data initiatives within Texas after this engagement.

The Coleridge Initiative is a not-for-profit start-up, originally established at New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress. The Coleridge Initiative became fully independent in August 2020. The Coleridge Initiative works with government agencies to break down the barriers to accessing confidential data. They set up and manage a secure computational research platform, the Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF), to promote access to sensitive and confidential microdata (fully secure and de-identified of course). They then train analysts and researchers how to access and use this data. The Initiative has already worked with over 100 federal, state, and local agencies and trained over 500 agency staff.

Reports Available:

Data Linkage for LEO’s Texas Research Study

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Principal Investigator: Greg Cumpton, PhD
Sponsor: Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities, University of Notre Dame
Project Duration: June 2021 – June 2029
Description: The Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at the University of Notre Dame conducts impact evaluations in partnership with non-profit and government agencies focused on reducing poverty by creating evidence based programs that move people from poverty to self-sufficiency. LEO is currently conducting a large research study in Texas to test assumptions about self-sufficiency programs. The research examines the impact of multiple self-sufficiency programs being implemented in locations across the state of Texas. Partners include Catholic Charities of Galveston-Houston, the Goodwill Excel Center in Austin, Catholic Charities of Dallas, Jewish Family Services, NPower, Combined Arms, and Lubbock County, and the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. This research will help in understanding the impact of anti-poverty programs on populations ranging from school age children, to elderly, to veterans to people and families at low-income levels.

LEO is partnering with the Ray Marshall Center (RMC) at The University of Texas at Austin to utilize state administrative data to support this research. LEO and RMC researchers will use the data to demonstrate the impact of these self-sufficiency programs on outcomes such as earnings, employment and public benefit usage. By testing what works to move people to self-sufficiency, LEO and RMC will inform and improve poverty programming across the state and inform policymakers as they make decisions about funding and programming.

Reports Available:

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Sid Richardson Hall, Unit 3
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