Newsletter

Adventures in Research: Issue 12

As we wrap up the school year, all I can say is that teachers deserve a shout-out (and free coffee, in my opinion) every single day.

But today, I want to recognize my 8th grader’s teachers.

They didn’t just teach the Civil Rights Movement. They immersed their students in it. After a year of learning, discussion, and reflection, they brought it to life with a trip to Alabama and Georgia, visiting the very places where history happened.

And they did it the hard way: traveling with 20 eighth graders by plane and bus, sharing meals, reminding them (repeatedly) to go to bed, and showing up with patience and care every step of the way.

All because they knew that seeing and feeling this history firsthand would stay with these kids for a lifetime.

So, I’d like to express my deep gratitude and give a shout-out to the educators who go above and beyond every single day to shape thoughtful, informed, and compassionate leaders of tomorrow.

Now, onto the newsletter.

students at national memorial of peace and justice

How One Suspension Can Change a Student’s Trajectory

Among Massachusetts Public School students at highest risk, a single out-of-school suspension in 9th grade increased the likelihood of juvenile justice involvement from 31% to 49%.

That’s one of the findings from our multi-year collaboration with Dr. Jon Zaff at Northeastern University, the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services (DYS), the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI).

What I appreciate most about this work is that it moves beyond assumptions and anecdotes. It allows us to ask nuanced questions, examine the evidence, and think carefully about how education and youth-serving systems can work together to support young people.

We are extremely grateful to our partners at Northeastern, DYS, DESE, and JDAI, and to the Annie E. Casey Foundation for funding and helping to elevate these findings.

Read more about the report.

How to Translate Outcomes to Lay Audiences: Focus on Odds Ratios

I spotted this ad in a magazine in my doctor’s waiting room and noticed the text in the lower right corner citing “The Tufts Study of Positive Youth Development.”

Immediately, I knew those numbers came from our one and only Kristina Callina, PhD, from her time as a research assistant professor.

The insights she shares below are a great reminder why it’s essential to translate research into clear, tangible numbers that anyone can understand, even if that “anyone” is simply a person flipping through Better Homes & Gardens in a doctor’s office.

Here’s Kristina in her own words:

Over a decade ago, as we were wrapping up the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development, the organization wanted a one-page summary to share with a wide audience (think families and funders).

It seems like such an obvious request now that I’m a seasoned research and evaluation consultant.

But we were an academic lab that performed advanced statistical analyses for peer-reviewed publications, and this felt way outside our wheelhouse. How do you condense a 10-year, field-building study into a one-pager?

As the senior doctoral student on the project, I proposed odds ratios because they’re intuitive and convey a consistent, powerful narrative about the impact of 4-H involvement. The individuals picking up that magazine and reading it don’t need to know about the statistical modeling behind those numbers or that the numbers they’re looking at are formally called “odds ratios.”

Fast-forward a decade later, and 4-H is still funding the research at Tufts University, and those odds ratios might be my most enduring legacy in the field of positive youth development (PYD) programming—more than any of my peer-reviewed publications.

ad using tufts study data

Hot Takes + Book Recs

range book cover

I recently finished Range by David Epstein and . . . wow! It was exactly what I needed.

At a time when it feels like kids are being pushed to specialize earlier and earlier, this book makes a really compelling case for the opposite—curiosity, exploration, trying lots of things, and letting paths unfold.

If you work in youth development, designing, running, and evaluating programs, then this book is worth your time.

And if you’re a parent experiencing that quiet (or not-so-quiet) pressure to get your kid to “pick a lane” early on, this book will feel like a breath of fresh air.

Thank you to the caregivers who make work possible . . . especially during the chaos of summer schedules!

I went on a run thinking I’d write a LinkedIn post about data collection. Instead, I couldn’t stop noticing all the people quietly making work . . . work.

To the grandpa dotingly following two toddlers pushing plastic lawn mowers down the sidewalk while their parents are at work and the grandma patiently explaining why standing up in a stroller isn’t an option: you are a gift.
To the educators in the early childhood center I passed, pushing swings and managing joyful chaos on the playground: that is some of the hardest, most important work there is. Thank you.
To the mom, very pregnant, pushing a double stroller with earbuds in on what was clearly a work call: I see you. You’ve got this. (And I promise it does get easier.)
And to anyone navigating a childcare disruption or a “this is not what I planned” situation right now, I see your struggle too.

Thank you to the caregivers who make all of this possible. There is no story of work without the story of care. And I know that work and care tend to get even more complicated as we head into the summer months.

Speaking of summer, on behalf of all of us at Lynch Research Associates, I hope you have a wonderful one. If you want to take advantage of summer schedules to talk about a new research project, reach out to us (our info is below).

Best,
The Team at Lynch Research Associates

Here’s how to get in touch with us:

Alicia
- alicia@lynchresearchassociates.com
- Book time with Alicia
Kristina
- kristina@lynchresearchassociates.com
- Book time with Kristina