The Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Impact Study is being designed to demonstrate how variations in program services affect program impacts. The literature on promising and innovative career pathways programs, especially in health care, is quite limited. As such, the HPOG Impact Study will fill a void in the sectoral training and career pathways literature about both program effectiveness and which types of programs or program components are most effective. Key evaluation questions that will be addressed in the study include:

1. What impacts do HPOG programs have on outcomes of interest?
2. To what extent to these impacts vary by subgroups of interest?
3. To what extent does HPOG program participation (in particular components, with particular dosage) have an impact on outcomes of interest?
4. To what extent do various HPOG program models or components have varying impacts?
5. To what extent do specific program enhancements have impacts, relative to the “standard” HPOG program?
6. How does parental participation in various HPOG program models and components affect outcomes for children? (author abstract) 

This practice brief is part of a series being developed by the Tribal HPOG evaluation team, comprised of NORC at the University of Chicago, Red Star Innovations and the National Indian Health Board (NIHB). The briefs will be used to disseminate important lessons learned and findings from the Evaluation of the Tribal Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program, which is sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The HPOG program was established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to support 32 demonstration projects, including 5 Tribal Organizations and Colleges, to train Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals as healthcare professionals. The Tribal HPOG program aims to meet local healthcare demands by increasing the number of well-trained health professionals in tribal communities. The program uses a career pathways approach where students advance through related trainings that build on each other to deepen students’ healthcare knowledge and skills. This practice brief presents an overview of post-secondary education in tribal communities, including background about Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs); describes the economic status and employment rates of American Indians/Alaska Natives; provides data on American Indian/Alaska Native representation in healthcare professions, and discusses the benefits of greater diversity in the healthcare workforce; describes tribal educational opportunities and pipeline programs; and illustrates how the Tribal HPOG program is helping to bridge gaps by providing opportunities for native education, training, and employment. (author abstract) 

This brief summarizes key findings from the Interim Outcome Study Report: National Implementation Evaluation of the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) to Serve TANF Recipients and Other Low-Income Individuals report, released in 2014. Findings come from administrative data collected through the HPOG Performance Reporting System one year after program enrollment. Information provided includes characteristics of the typical HPOG participant, types of training courses enrollees participated in, types of support services participants received, and participants’ outcomes. (author abstract)

This fourth annual report provides a snapshot of Health Profession Opportunity Grants Program grantee activities from its inception through September 2014, its fourth year of operation. Drawing from the program’s Performance Reporting System and Year 4 Performance Progress Reports, the report summarizes program operations and participant activity and outcomes. Information provided includes participant characteristics, support service receipt, healthcare training course participation patterns, and employment outcomes. (author abstract)

This report documents the structure, study components and data sources of the Pathways for Advancing Careers and Education (PACE) project. In recent years, career pathways have emerged as an innovative framework for improving education, training and skills, and improving economic self-sufficiency. PACE is the first-ever randomized trial of career pathways programs, featuring 9 of the country’s leading and innovative programs.

The evaluation design report includes:

• an overview of PACE and the career pathways framework;
• a description of the program selection process, the sites, and research questions;
• a study timeline; a list of deliverables;
• a description of the implementation study;
• a description of the impact study; and
• a description of the cost-benefit study; and information about data sources. (author abstract)