How the PPN Site is Organized
The PPN website is organized around the following sections:
Programs that Work
PPN has organized information on effective programs under four broad outcome areas that are associated with the well-being of children, youth, and families. For each of these outcome areas, one or more specific indicators have been identified (for an explanation of terms such as "outcome area" and "indicator" please refer to the Glossary page). Individual programs may be listed under more than one indicator if applicable. PPN provides a summary of each program that identifies key information about its effectiveness. For information on how programs are assessed for inclusion on the site see How Programs are Considered.
The current PPN outcome areas and indicators are:
Healthy and Safe Children
Children experiencing good physical health
Youths not using alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs
Youths abstaining from sexual activity or not engaging in risky sexual behavior
Children and youth not engaging in violent behavior or displaying serious conduct problems
Children not experiencing physical, psychological or emotional abuse
Children not experiencing anxiety or mood disorders, such as depression
Babies born weighing more than 5.5 pounds and improving outcomes for low birth weight babies
Children Ready for School
Children ages 0 to 5 exhibiting age-appropriate mental and physical development
Children Succeeding in School
Students performing at grade level or meeting state curriculum standards
Strong Families
Families increasing economic self-sufficiency
Issue Briefs
PPN Issue Briefs provide a concise overview of research-based information on a variety of topics, including child abuse and neglect, high school graduation, low birthweight, and more.
Expert Perspectives
In this section, child policy experts have shared their perspectives on a variety of child policy topics. The features are generally presented in one of two formats: videos of PPN policy forum events, and an "ask the expert" style question and answer feature. The videos of live events are generally recorded onsite, then posted online afterwards. In some cases these events are also accompanied by a live Webinar broadcast at the time. In the case of the "ask the expert" style format, questions were submitted electronically by PPN visitors, and answers from experts were posted in the following weeks. Expert Perspectives are available on the following topics:
Resources by Topic
This section includes links to databases, fact sheets, screening tools, seminal reports, and a variety of other resources that are among the best research-based materials available on children and families. Resources and tools are available on the following topics:
Child Abuse and Neglect
Child Care / Preschool
Emergency Preparedness
High School Graduation
Low Birth Weight / Prematurity
Mental Health
Service Delivery
Substance Abuse
More to Come
This site currently represents only a fraction of proven and promising programs being implemented. The site will be continuously updated with new programs and indicators as appropriate. We encourage you to send us suggestions for programs that have been formally evaluated. We will consider all program recommendations.
Also, you may send suggestions for Research in Brief or Resources and Tools items for our consideration. As a rule, we will not link to sites that do not have objective research or credible information that pertains to the outcome areas listed on the site, nor will we link to commercial sites.
We welcome your feedback on this site and recommended additions or changes to make it more useful. Please send comments to promisingpractices@rand.org. To keep up to date on new additions to the site, sign up for the PPN email newsletter.