What Works

National opinion polls suggest that the public does not necessarily know what works for the inner city and the truly disadvantaged. In fact, we know a great deal about what is successful. How do we decide what works and doesn't? Our criteria are based on whether there is scientific evaluation evidence and whether a policy or program reduces inequality. Based on these criteria, there are many examples of what works. Based on these examples, we have come up with some practical lessons on what works, for use by practitioners, policy makers and legislators. In terms of replicating success to a scale equal to the dimensions of the problem, we have been able to spell out a national policy based on what works, estimate the costs of what works and suggest a plan for financing a national policy based on what works. We have a plan for better communicating what works and creating the will to act so that what works can be replicated to scale. We also answer the question: what doesn't work?

• What Works
• How Do We Decide What
  Works and What Doesn't?
• Examples of What
  Works
  • Preschool
  • Public School
    Reform
  • Youth Investment
    and Development
  • Job Training and
    Alternatives to "Work First"
  • Community Development
    Corporations and Banking
  • Problem Oriented
    and Community Equity Policing
• Comprehensive Interdependence
• Links

1/ Citations: This section is based on: Peter Applebone, "From Riots of the '60s, A Report for a National with Will and Way for Healing," The New York Times, May 8, 1992; and Robin Toner, "Los Angeles Riots Are a Warning, Americans Fear, " The New York Times, June 14, 1992.