The Possible Zone works.
Our students tell us what TPZ means to them. And it’s more than just testimonials. Data shows that our program prepares students to be lifelong learners and ready to pursue innovative careers.
Over our first 15 years, more than 2,400 students in the greater Boston area have taken part in TPZ programs. TPZ’s model produces measurable gains in both short- and long-term outcomes. Rigorous, experimental studies show that in comparison to matched peers, students who participated in TPZ:
- Attended high school at significantly higher rates, equating to 10+ days of additional school attendance.
- Graduated on time at rates approximately 15 percentage points higher.
- Matriculated to college at rates approximately 16 percentage points higher for students who have attended TPZ for three terms, with substantially stronger outcomes (39%) for students who participate in TPZ programming five terms.
The Possible Zone Pathways team supported seniors who comprised the Class of 2025. Their top career interests were Healthcare, Business/Finance, and Trades. Of these graduates:
- 82% matriculated to four- or two-year colleges.
- 13% enrolled in career training programs.
- 5% directly entered the workforce.
According to our Alumni Survey:
- 42% of alumni respondents report more broadly report working in STEAM careers.
Research & Evaluation
We rely on data to learn, improve, and grow. Our world-class Research & Evaluation team is executing on three overarching strategic components:
program evaluation
to continuously improve program design and delivery, as well as to test hypotheses and assumptions of our Theory of Change
exploratory research
and development to test new program innovations that deepen and expand our impact over time
institutional research
to support all functional areas across the organization to identify best practices, extract data insights for continuous improvement, and develop rigorous systems for organizational learning and collaboration.
Evaluating TPZ’s Impact
To test and improve our Theory of Change (ToC), TPZ has developed a five-year evaluation plan that includes both a Formative phase and Summative phase. The formative evaluation phase will be collaboratively conducted by TPZ’s program and research teams and is focused on using data to iteratively improve its program. During the summative phase, TPZ will partner with an external evaluator to conduct independent research on its program model, which we hope will have achieved relative “steady state” after initial iterative improvement during its first few years of implementation.
Partnering with an external evaluator during its validation phase will allow findings and conclusions to be independently drawn, thereby establishing credibility of the evaluation among external stakeholders. Through its evaluation process, TPZ will identify opportunities for program improvement and test key hypotheses and assumptions of its new ToC. Findings from evaluation will inform future scaling efforts, support long-term sustainability through funding and partnerships, and boost TPZ’s reputation as a thought leader in the field as we share our research findings.
