Building the evidence base for Real World Learning​

August 15, 2023

In the 2021-2022 academic year, cohort 1 & cohort 2 districts participated in the Real World Learning data collection effort. This represents over 75,500 high school students across the Kansas City metro area.

22%

Of the total high school population completed at least 1 Market Value Asset. A 5 percentage-point increase from the previous academic year 

49%

Of the senior class graduated with at least 1 Market Value Asset. An 11 percentage-point increase from the pervious academic year 

82%

Of the students who earned an MVA are in 11th or 12th grade. This mirrors the percentage for the previous academic year. 

MVAs Earned by Grade Level

KC Region Equity Spotlight

What Data Were Collected From Districts?

During the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years, MDRC and RWL districts met on various occasions to discuss strategies for tracking students’ participation and completion of MVAs. MDRC collected and analyzed the following data from districts at the student-level.

  • Demographics – Grade level, age/DOB, sex, race/ethnicity, ELL status, IEP status, and FRPL status.
  • MVA Participation – Internships, college credit course taking, industry-recognized credentials, client-connected projects, and entrepreneurial experiences.
  • MVA Completion – Received passing grade in courses, credits earned, and credentials earned.
  • Hours to Complete MVA – Number of hours attended internship or participated in a client-based project, and hours of entrepreneurial experience.
  • Academic Achievement – GPA, high school completion status, and 8th grade standardized test scores.
  • School Attendance – Total days enrolled, total days absent, and total days present.
  • On-Time Graduation – On-track to graduate and high school completion status

RWL Evaluation Partnership – MDRC’s Role

MDRC’s role is to support the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and its partners in gathering Real World Learning data to inform practice and drive continuous improvement toward our common 2030 goal​. This includes:

  • Supporting calibration of MVAs across districts​
  • Supporting measurement of MVA participation and completion​
  • Formative feedback as schools and districts lead implementation
  • Creating the evidence base for Real World Learning to grow and sustain