Policymakers talk about solutions, but which ones really work? MDRC's Evidence First podcast features experts—program administrators, policymakers, and researchers—talking about the best evidence available on education and social programs that serve people with low incomes.
Shared Housing: A Promising Strategy to Combat Homelessness and Social Isolation
Leigh Parise talks with Wendy Tippett of the Palm Beach County (FL) Community Services Department and Meghann Cotter of Micah Ecumenical Ministries, Fredericksburg, VA, to learn how they use shared housing as part of a strategy to end homelessness in expensive housing markets.
18 Jun 2026
The Role of Evidence in Ensuring Student Success: A Conversation with John B. King, Jr.
Researchers and practitioners are shaping the future of education and social policy by putting data and research evidence at the center of their decisions.
In this episode, Leigh Parise talks with John B. King, Jr., chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), which is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the country. King previously served as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Education under President Obama, led the nonprofit organization EdTrust, and was education commissioner for the state of New York. King also serves on MDRC's Board of Directors.
King and Parise discuss the role of evidence in ensuring student success and the top challenges facing higher education today.
26 May 2026
Career and Technical Education in an Evolving World of Work
As the global economy has grown increasingly competitive, interest in career and technical education (CTE) has experienced a resurgence among policymakers and educators as a way to ensure that more students leave school prepared for well-paying jobs.
Innovative new programs at both the secondary and postsecondary education levels seek to give students technical training for specific careers, durable skills training to prepare them for the workforce, and work-based learning opportunities where they can get hands-on experience and develop connections to employers and the workforce.
In this episode, Leigh Parise talks with Kate Kreamer, Executive Director of Advance CTE, the national nonprofit that represents state CTE directors and state leaders of career and technical education. They discuss how CTE has evolved, how it can meet the needs of learners in a changing labor market, and where more research is needed.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.9 / 5
17 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 46 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
60
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
82
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