Ohio LEAP and California Cal-Learn¶
Product or Programme · All products and programmes
Evidence · 5 claims (2 for, 1 mixed, 2 against) · 1 study (1 causal),q3· 0 of 1 report an effect size · 5 claims rest on one study
Description¶
LEAP, run by Ohio, and Cal-Learn, run by California, are state welfare programs that use attendance, academic-performance, and completion bonuses or sanctions to support teen parents' school participation.
Components¶
- Financial incentives for teen parents (LEAP and Cal-Learn welfare programs): Financial incentives for teen parents are components of state welfare programs in which "the incentives take the form of bonuses and sanctions to the welfare grant related to school enrollment, performance, and completion." Ohio's LEAP program (begun 1989) provides $62 monthly attendance bonuses and sanctions and a $200 completion bonus; California's Cal-Learn (begun 1994) adjusts family support by $50 or $100 based on report cards and pays a $500 completion award. Eight states operate such programs. (Financial Incentives for Teen Parents to Stay in School (2006))
Claims¶
- The Cal-Learn evaluation met WWC evidence standards only with reservations because survey exclusions were based on conditions that could have been affected by the financial incentives [~W]
- The completion impact of financial incentives for teen parents comes almost entirely from GED receipt rather than high school diploma receipt, and the GED effect was statistically significant only for Cal-Learn [+W]
- Financial incentives for teen parents show no discernible effects on completing school [-W]
- Financial incentives for teen parents show no discernible effects on progressing in school [-W]
- Financial incentives for teen parents have potentially positive effects on staying in school, with a statistically significant dropout reduction in Cal-Learn but not in LEAP [+W]
Related Products and Programmes¶
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Key Sources¶
- Financial Incentives for Teen Parents to Stay in School. (2006). What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report, U.S. Department of Education. https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
product |
id |
ohio-leap-and-california-cal-learn |
title |
Ohio LEAP and California Cal-Learn |
description |
LEAP, run by Ohio, and Cal-Learn, run by California, are state welfare programs that use attendance, academic-performance, and completion bonuses or sanctions to support teen parents' school participation. |
status |
review |
moved_from |
element/financial-incentives-teen-parents-programs-leap-cal-learn |
product_kind |
programme |
generated |
by process:sweep-kinds on 2026-10-10 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — financial-incentives-for-teen-parents-to-stay-in-school-2006 |
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