Chihiro Tanigawa

The Michigan Department of Education selected the Youth Policy Lab to conduct a study of Michigan’s current system of education governance and provide recommendations about ways to improve educational outcomes for Michigan’s students, in line with the state’s strategic goals. The study used a variety of data sources and analytical methods to review key features of education governance in Michigan, including potential school district consolidation, the allocation of authority across different levels of government, school choice, and the state’s school finance system. 

In 2019, Youth Policy Lab partnered with TRAILS (Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students) and the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment. This initiative was designed to guide future activities and establish a baseline for evaluation by gathering data from 3,500 DPSCD staff, 11,000 students in grades 8-12, 800 family members, as well as DPSCD Police and community mental health agencies. The Youth Policy Lab launched a three-year evaluation during the 2022-23 school year in 84 DPSCD schools, focusing on the implem...

Funded by Michigan Health Endowment Fund and in collaboration with Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, YPL worked with medical institutions throughout Michigan to help pediatric physicians refer patients more seamlessly to Early On, an early intervention program in Michigan for families with young children at risk of development delays. YPL evaluated the impact of an eFax referral template, integrated into electronic medical record systems, We measured the effects of eFax referrals on family access to Early On and on physicians’ knowledge and sentiments regarding the Early ...

With funding from the US Department of Education and Arnold Ventures, the Youth Policy Lab is partnering with MDRC to conduct an evaluation of the Reading Partners program. The three-arm randomized control trial will compare both the Reading Partners traditional in-person tutoring program and their online tutoring program called Reading Partners Connects to a business-as-usual control group. The evaluation will look at both the immediate (one-year) and longer-term (two-to-three year) impacts of Reading Partners tutoring on student reading skills.

The National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning (Accelerate) funded intensive small-group tutoring at several K-12 schools during the 2024-25 academic year as part of its Call to Effective Action. This work is continuing in 2025-2026 through the Evidence for Impact program.  YPL has been serving as an evaluation partner to conduct a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of two tutoring models: virtual math tutoring for students in grades 3-6, and in-person literacy tutoring for students in grades K-3. We have used assessment data to help tutoring providers, schools, and policy-m...

Youth Policy Lab has partnered with colleagues at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention to examine the impact of school cellphone policies in Michigan. This study aims to identify variability in district cellphone policies; understand the barriers to and facilitators of implementation; and estimate their impact on indicators of community violence, including fights in school, school discipline, and police incidents; as well as a range of mental health, wellbeing, and academic outcomes. While school cellphone restrictions may improve y...

Youth Policy Lab is conducting a three-year national study of the impacts of school cellphone policies on academic outcomes and student wellbeing. This initiative was launched at a pivotal moment as districts are rapidly implementing cellphone restrictions. One component of this project involves partnering with Yondr, a company that makes cellphone-blocking pouches for schools, to understand how these pouches affect academic achievement, school engagement, behavioral incidents, chronic absenteeism, and socio-emotional measures.A second component involves partnering with Monitoring the Future (...

YPL is evaluating two interventions targeted at improving chronic absenteeism in National Heritage Academies charter schools. The first intervention involves sending text messages to parents, emphasizing the importance of attendance and providing parents with up-to-date information on their child's past attendance. There are 92 NHA schools participating in the messaging intervention nationwide. The second intervention involves school staff providing individualized case management support to a family to alleviate barriers that prevent children from attending school regularly. There are 11 NHA s...

The Youth Policy Lab launched a three-year evaluation during the 2022-23 school year in a large urban school district, focusing on the implementation and effectiveness of the TRAILS Early Intervention program (TRAILS-EI). This Tier 2 school-based program is designed to enhance social and behavioral outcomes in students affected by mental health concerns by increasing the delivery of evidence-based practices, ultimately aiming to improve academic performance. TRAILS-EI seeks to raise awareness and understanding of mental health, improve the accurate and timely identification of students with me...