Youth Policy Lab 2025-2026 Annual Report

10 years - Data. Policy. Progress. (FIX LINK! FIX LINK! DON'T FORGET TO FIX LINK!)
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Message from our Leadership

Brian and Robin Jacob launched Youth Policy Lab (YPL) in 2016 with seed funding from Arnold Ventures and a clear vision for the future. With one leg in the Institute for Social Research and another in the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, we have always taken an interdisciplinary approach, leveraging the strengths of both of these venerable institutions.
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Brian Jacob, Robin Jacob, Megan Foster Friedman, Carrie Hammerman
Youth Policy Lab staff meeting

Get to Know the YPL Team

As researchers, data analysts, policy fellows, administrators, and research assistants, we work together to address complex issues that affect youth and families. The people on our team deliver rigorous and comprehensive research and offer innovative approaches to evaluation, project management, and analysis.
Meet the team
Funding by Research Area/Program

Our Funding at a Glance

Youth Policy Lab is grateful for contributions from dedicated foundations, government agencies and donors that support our work, as well as for the trust established with each partnership. Thank you to our funding partners that enable us to pursue research, evaluation, and implementation in various areas of youth-related policies.
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YPL Research Approach Demonstration Chart

Our Approach

YPL helps community and government agencies make better decisions by measuring what really works. We outlined the key components to our approach: develop partnerships, identify needs, make a plan, collect data, conduct analysis, and communicate findings.
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Research Spotlights

Brian Jacob speaks at the 2026 National School Cellphone Policy Conference
Research Spotlight

School Cellphone Policies

School districts in Michigan and across the country have adopted various policies to limit student cellphone use. However, we still don’t know enough about how these policies affect academic outcomes and student wellbeing. YPL is working with researchers at U-M and other universities to answer these pressing questions.
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3 photos of Catherine Asher and Robin Jacob in Lansing - in front of the Capitol and testifying before a committee
Research Spotlight

Intensive Tutoring

American schools are grappling with how to most effectively improve the literacy and math skills of their students. Many educational institutions turned to tutoring as a means of supporting students and improving their skills. Youth Policy Lab has been engaging in evaluation efforts to inform educators and education decision makers about the effectiveness of tutoring, and the particular factors and contexts that should be considered when implementing these types of interventions.
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Research Highlights

  • Evaluation of SafeCare
    Funder: Arnold Ventures 
    Since 2022, YPL has led an evaluation of SafeCare, a parental education program implemented by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). In an effort to reduce child maltreatment recidivism and foster care placement, SafeCare is offered to families either at-risk for or have a history of child neglect and/or physical abuse. This in-home program teaches caregivers skills about how to interact in a positive manner with their children; to create a safe home environment; and to recognize and respond to symptoms of illness and injury. To build a larger evidence base for this program, Youth Policy Lab is conducting an evaluation of the program and its impact on substantiated investigations and removals from home.

    Early Elementary Math Quality Guidelines 
    Funder: Gates Foundation
    YPL has partnered with MDRC to develop a rubric for assessing math curricula for Pre-K through third grade. The tool assesses key indicators of curriculum quality, with a goal of strengthening instructional alignment across the early years of schooling. It examines whether curricula reflect current evidence on how young children learn math, support coherent learning across grades, and provide the instructional guidance needed for high-quality implementation. YPL developed the rubric through an iterative, research-informed process, in consultation with an advisory board of early math experts. We used the rubric to code a set of curricula and provide feedback to developers about areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Further work will focus on improving and testing the rubric so it can be used more broadly. 

    Using AI to Evaluate Pre-K Instruction
    Funder: Overdeck Foundation
    In the education field, classroom videos are a common tool for observing teaching and learning. However, it is resource-intensive in cost and labor to extract information from them. YPL has been working with colleagues in U-M's computer science and education departments to develop an innovative, dynamic AI that uses classroom videos to provide actionable data on Pre-K instruction and the classroom environment. YPL researchers have been contributing education content expertise on coding methods and classroom observations. The goal is to develop a flexible tool to allow researchers to ask novel measurement questions about the classroom environment without incurring excess costs or labor demands.

    National Heritage Academies Attendance Project
    Funder: Arnold Ventures
    Chronic absenteeism can interfere with students' learning and overall school engagement. National Heritage Academies (NHA) is investing resources in strategies to improve attendance and is partnering with YPL to learn which approaches are most effective for different groups of students and across different school settings. This project involves two complementary interventions to improve student attendance. The first is a text messaging program for parents, and the second is a case management intervention in which a dedicated school staff member works one-on-one with students and families. This past year, in addition to its evaluation efforts, YPL supported the implementation of both interventions and facilitated communication and problem solving among those involved in the program.

    TRAILS
    Funder: TRAILS
    YPL has continued its ongoing collaboration with TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students), a nonprofit that offers training and resources to provide evidence-based mental health services in schools. We are currently in the process of analyzing two years of implementation and student outcome data to examine a) factors that may impact implementation outcomes, and b) how variation in implementation is related to student outcomes. Findings will be used to inform and improve program delivery. 

    Counsel at First Appearance (CAFA) Evaluation
    Funder: Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
    YPL has partnered with the Juvenile Justice Clinic (JJC) at the U-M Law School to evaluate their Counsel at First Appearance pilot in select Michigan counties. Through this evaluation, we are assessing the outcomes of providing legal representation to juvenile defendants facing felony charges at their first time in court. This intervention has been shown to provide stronger protection of rights, strengthen the fairness of the court process, improve release decisions and court efficiency, and reduce costs. The state of Michigan recently enacted new laws to establish standards for legal representation for juvenile defendants like their adult counterparts. Despite this win, implementation has yet to be rolled out statewide. Findings from this evaluation are expected to support efforts to scale CAFA statewide.

    Career-Connected K-12 Education and Workforce Preparation in Detroit
    Funder: Skillman Foundation
    In partnership with Detroit Future City (DFC), YPL explored the career-connected K-12 education landscape in Detroit. Together, we wrote a report describing the relevant learning opportunities across DPSCD's 25 high schools and 3 tech centers and alignment with labor market trends in the Detroit Metro area. This report included YPL's quantitative data analysis and DFC's qualitative work (focus groups, surveys, and roundtable discussions). There were also shorter reports with actionable recommendations for Education Leaders and Youth Organizations, Employers and Workforce Intermediaries, and Youth and Caregivers. This work is making a difference: DPSCD's new High School Redesign Plan aligns with many of the recommendations from the report!

    Career Pathways in Michigan
    Funder: Michigan Department of Education
    Over the past year, YPL researchers have continued to work closely with the Michigan Department of Education's Office of Career and Technical Education to: 

    • Update the list of Industry Recognized Credentials students can earn through their high school CTE programs and analyze patterns of credential attainment. 
    • Facilitate an in-person Opportunity Gap workshop for the annual Michigan Early Middle College Association conference.
    • Help develop the application form and scoring rubric for the distribution of over $24M of state funding for CTE programs. This includes new funding for middle school CTE - a first for Michigan!

    Ongoing projects include creating data visualizations, including an infographic and an interactive map, and working with state partners to create linkages to allow researchers to analyze wage outcomes for CTE students.

    Livingston County College and Career Opportunities Study
    Funder: Livingston Educational Service Agency
    Through this project, YPL is analyzing access to and participation in Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Dual Enrollment, Early Middle College, and Career and Technical Education programs across Livingston County's 14 public high schools. We gathered comprehensive data about course availability and enrollment patterns across demographics. YPL also surveyed school administrators and counselors about the barriers to expanding these programs, the reasons students do or do not participate in them, and potential ways to increase access and reduce disparities. As an example, lack of transportation was cited as a major barrier exacerbating disparities.

    Technical Education, Technical Skills, and Economic Mobility Through Careers: Evidence from Skill Credentials
    Funder: Urban Institute's Student Upward Mobility Initiative (SUMI)
    Michigan's career and technical education programs offer students the opportunity to earn a wide range of industry recognized credentials, from Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) licenses to manufacturing Computer Aided Design (CAD), Cybersecurity Support Technician, and Food Safety Manager certifications. YPL began a study of CTE credentials using Michigan's comprehensive K-12 and postsecondary data. This project, launched in June 2026 and continuing for a 2-year period, will assess whether the CTE credentials are valid, fair, and predictive measures of student skill attainment and future success. 
     

    Catch-a-Ride Mobility Wallet Evaluation
    Funder: Kresge Foundation
    College students in the Detroit region face many obstacles to earning a college degree, with limited access to reliable public transportation being a major barrier to postsecondary student success. YPL is partnering with the Detroit Promise Authority Zone, the Partnership for Education Equity and Research (Detroit PEER) at Wayne State University, and Education Policy Initiative (EPI) at U-M to evaluate the Detroit Promise's Catch-a-Ride Mobility Wallet pilot program. The project provides Detroit Promise students at Henry Ford College and other participating institutions with access to Catch-a-Ride (formerly known as Feonix), a mobile app that allows students to use program-funded transportation services. The evaluation findings will help Detroit Promise better allocate transportation resources and support to meet college students' needs. 

    Detroit Area Talent Fund Evaluation 
    Funder: Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce
    Many Detroit-area students encounter significant barriers to completing a college degree, such as food insecurity, housing instability, and unexpected financial emergencies. In response, the Detroit Regional Chamber launched the Detroit Area Talent Fund (DATF) in 2023 to provide just-in-time emergency grants to students navigating time-sensitive financial challenges. YPL is partnering with the Detroit PEER at Wayne State University and EPI at the University of Michigan to assess the implementation and overall effectiveness of DATF supports. The research team will be developing evidence-based recommendations and providing insights for improving and scaling basic need supports for college students moving forward. 

The 2026 ASPIRE cohort with Gerald R. Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes

ASPIRE 2026

We had another successful summer with the ASPIRE program! Now in its fourth year, ASPIRE (Applied Social Policy Internship and Research Experience) is an eight-week summer internship program for rising college juniors and seniors from Spelman and Morehouse Colleges that want to advance their quantitative social science research skills, gain a greater understanding about careers that involve public policy research, and establish connections to the University of Michigan.
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Sam Owusu and Sophie Ordway at the Michigan Community Action Agency conference 2026

Policy Fellowship Program

Through the Policy Fellowship program, Youth Policy Lab places early-career policy professionals in full-time roles within state and local agencies in Michigan. The Fellows provide technical assistance and strategic support to achieve specific and measurable improvements in social policies and state programs that impact Michigan’s youth and their families. From their experience and context knowledge at their placement agencies, the Fellows are able to inform YPL's research and analysis work. In turn, the Fellows gain valuable and practical experience to advance their skills and knowledge and support them in their career paths.
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Publications and Articles