Results First Clearinghouse Database

Posted by Pew Charitable Trusts on January 25, 2022

Pew releases update for Results First Clearinghouse Database

The Pew Charitable Trust’s Results First Clearinghouse Database is an online resource that brings together information on the effectiveness of social policy programs from nine national clearinghouses.

It applies color-coding to the clearinghouses’ distinct rating systems, creating a common language that enables users to quickly see where each program falls on a spectrum from negative impact to positive impact. As such, this database can help users easily access and understand the evidence base for a variety of programs.

The database currently includes information on 3,155 programs and was last updated on November 19, 2021.

The Pew Results First Initiative created the Results First Clearinghouse Database to provide users with an easy way to access and understand the evidence base for programs in social policy areas such as behavioral health, criminal justice, education, and public health. More specifically, it allows users to see if there have been rigorous evaluations of a program and, if so, to review information on the program’s effectiveness.

The database compiles and displays key information from nine national clearinghouses, including the rating they assigned to each program and the program’s description, outcomes, setting, and target population (where available). It also contains a link back to the program’s original source page on the clearinghouse website so that users can obtain additional details.

Clearinghouses develop this information by reviewing and summarizing rigorous evaluations of programs within their focus area. Then, they assign a rating to each program using their own methodology and terminology (such as top tier, effective, positive, and model).

The database applies color-coding to the clearinghouses’ distinct rating systems, creating a common language that allows users to quickly see where each program falls on a spectrum from negative impact to positive impact.

• Negative effects
• No effects
• Mixed effects
• Second-highest rated
• Highest rated

It is important to note that while the clearinghouses’ ratings within each rating color are based on similar criteria, the color does not indicate that their methodologies are identical. In addition, there is an “insufficient evidence” classification included in the database that has no corresponding rating color. This indicates that a program’s current research base does not have adequate methodological rigor to determine impact.

A Microsoft Excel version of the database is also available for download.

Explore the database here.