Building Communities of Promise and Possibility

State and Local Blueprints for Comprehensive Neighborhood Stabilization

In recent years, much attention has been trained on Greater Boston’s tight housing market and the increasingly severe difficulty residents have finding affordable housing in the region. There is much less awareness of the very different challenge faced by residents of weak market neighborhoods, where housing is much less expensive but conditions are physically, socially, read more

Topic(s): Economic Development, Gateway Cities, Research

Local Accountability

The Forgotten Element in Education Reform

Ben Forman, Charles DePascale and Chris Domaleski

Prepared in partnership with the Center for Assessment, this novel paper is a first attempt to define the purpose and principles of “local accountability” practices that complement state and federal accountability frameworks. The conceptual frame in a series of three reports, The Forgotten Element in Education Reform explores the shifting balance of responsibility for monitoring read more

Topic(s): Education

Opportunity Zones and Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities

Catherine Tumber and Andrés Paxton-Martin

This policy brief is the first in a series exploring state and local level approaches to generating transformative transit-oriented development (TTOD) in Gateway Cities. Here, we examine strategies to maximize the benefits of the new federal Opportunity Zone Program. The analysis centers on Massachusetts’ census tracts designated as Opportunity Zones. Our findings show that the read more

Topic(s): Economic Development

The Promise and Potential of Transformative Transit-Oriented Development in Gateway Cities

Daniel Hodge and Ben Forman

Gateway Cities can accommodate thousands of new housing units and thousands of new jobs on the vacant and underutilized land surrounding their commuter rail stations. This walkable, mixed-use urban land offers an ideal setting for transit-oriented development (TOD) to take hold. Currently, Gateway City commuter rail stations get minimal ridership from downtown neighborhoods and few read more

Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Economic Development, Transportation, Gateway Cities, Research

Improving College & Career Outcomes through Research-Practice Partnerships

A Case Study of ILP Implementation in Three Gateway City School Districts

Ben Forman

Public schools are under pressure to close wide opportunity and achievement gaps so that disadvantaged students can compete for jobs in today’s knowledge economy on an equal footing. While the resources to accomplish this important work are often limited, advances in education technology, data availability, and research methods can help schools get more learning out read more

Topic(s): Education, Research

The Geography of Incarceration in a Gateway City

The Cost and Consequences of High Incarceration Rate Neighborhoods in Worcester

Ben Forman and Lindiwe Rennert

In 2016, MassINC and the Boston Indicators Project issued a report detailing the geography of incarceration in Boston. Utilizing new data provided by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, this report extends that line of research by examining incarceration in a Gateway City. The analysis explores the cost and consequences of high incarceration rates in Worcester read more

Topic(s): Criminal Justice, Gateway Cities, Research

The Public’s Take on Education Accountability

Results from a Survey of Massachusetts Voters

Ben Forman, Rich Parr and Steve Koczela

Understanding public opinion on education account- ability is crucial as policymakers work to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the 2015 federal law that replaces No Child Left Behind (NCLB). MassINC partnered with The MassINC Polling Group to learn more about how voters throughout the Commonwealth feel about efforts to assess student learning, measure read more

Topic(s): Education, Public Opinion, Research

Voters Support the Changes to Accountability Envisioned by Gateway City Leaders

Survey of registered voters in Massachusetts

Ben Forman and Steve Koczela

Across Massachusetts, Gateway City leaders are working to create exceptional learning environments. It’s a community-wide effort. By strategically marshalling available resources, Gateway Cities can provide the comprehensive supports and educational opportunities that will enable students to gain the full set of advanced skills today’s economy requires. Achieving this vision calls for new approaches to state read more

Topic(s): Education, Gateway Cities, Public Opinion

Advancing the Gateway Cities Vision

The Potential of Next-Generation Approaches to Education Accountability

Ben Forman

We’ve got a prime opportunity to advance the Gateway Cities Vision. In 2013, Gateway City leaders came together to develop an “education vision.” Their farsighted plan leverages unique urban assets to create exceptional learning environments. Achieving this vision is fundamental to making Gateway Cities more attractive communities for families to live and more productive places for read more

Topic(s): Education, Gateway Cities

Workforce Development Transformation Case Studies

Three Examples of Systems Change through Collaborative Gateway City Leadership

Ben Forman and Jodi Wilinsky Hill

It is with great pleasure that we offer three case studies to complement the report Calling All Leaders: An Action Guide to Workforce Development Transformation. The action guide outlined the grand dimensions of the challenge by the numbers, and contrasted the need for workforce development services with the limited resources available. These case studies show read more

Topic(s): Education, Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Economic Development, Gateway Cities

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