Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Literacy, Children, Families, Urban
Goal: The mission of Reach Out and Read is to help prepare young children to succeed in school, by partnering with physicians to encourage parents and children to read aloud together.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Literacy, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of READ 180 is to improve literacy among children and teenagers through curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Literacy, Children
Goal: The goal of this program is to help children who are having difficulty learning to read and write.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children
Goal: The goal of this program is to improve students' ability to read, understand, and analyze text.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Teens
Goal: The Reconnecting Youth program has three main goals: 1) increase school performance; 2) decrease drug involvement; and 3) decrease suicide-risk behaviors.
Impact: Significant increases in positive connections with teachers, friends, and family members; significant improvements in GPA; lasting reductions in hard drug use; decreases in anger-control problems; reductions in depression and hopelessness; and increases in enhancing personal control were observed.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Women, Older Adults, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Red Hook Farmers’ Market is to ensure that neighborhood residents can access locally grown, healthy, safe, and affordable food.
Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Children, Teens
Goal: The goal of the program is to prevent young offenders from becoming chronic delinquents.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / School Environment, Urban
Goal: The program’s goal is to make New York City public schools safe and supportive for all students and to have staff members who could support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Diabetes, Children, Teens, Adults, Families
Goal: The goal of the Rethink your Drink campaign is to prevent chronic diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease by reducing sugary drink consumption.
Impact: Rethink your Drink is increasing public awareness of the health effects of consuming sugary beverages.
Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants
Goal: The Rhode Island process builds on a recent agreement among all the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers to reduce greenhouse gases in the region to 1990 levels by 2010, 10% below those levels in 2020, and by as much as 75% over the longer-term.