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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.

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Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) (Nashville, TN)

Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children

Goal: The goal of PALS is to ensure that all students succeed in reading and math.

Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (Pennsylvania)

Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Community & Business Resources

Goal: The goal of the Fresh Food Financing Initiative is to remove financing obstacles and operating barriers for supermarkets in poor communities, stimulate investment of private capital in low-wealth communities, create jobs, prepare and retain a qualified workforce, and reduce diet-related diseases by providing healthy food.

Plug-In To eCycling (USA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants

Goal: The goal of Plug-In To eCycling is to increase the number of electronic devices collected and safely recycled in the United States.

Positive Choice: Interactive Video Doctor

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Adults

Goal: To eliminate or reduce sex risk behaviors and eliminate or reduce illicit drug use among HIV-positive clinic patients.

Powerful Choices for the Environment (Washington)

Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Energy & Sustainability, Children

Goal: The program is designed to empower 6-8th grade students across the region with the knowledge that their everyday choices do make a difference. The program aims to influence how middle school students and their families think about and use natural resources in their daily lives.

Preventive Treatment Program (Montreal, Quebec)

Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Children, Urban

Goal: The goal of this program is to reduce short- and long-term antisocial behavior.

Project COFFEE (Co-Operative Federation for Educational Experiences) (Oxford, MA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children, Teens

Goal: The goal of the program is to prevent school dropout by providing services addressing students' academic, social, emotional, and occupational needs.

Project CRAFT

Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Educational Attainment, Teens

Goal: Project CRAFT is designed to improve educational levels, teach vocational skills and reduce recidivism among adjudicated youth, while addressing the home building industry's need for entry level workers.

Project SHINE

Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement, Teens, Older Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban

Goal: The goal of Project SHINE is to build strong, healthy, and sustainable communities by fostering positive growth and relationships among its participants.

Project START (USA)

Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Adults

Goal: The goal of Project START is to reduce sexual risk behavior of young men re-entering the community after incarceration.

An Effective Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success and/or promise in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures of improvement in outcome of interest (i.e. increase in voter registration, not just delivery of voter registration drive) and/ or the outcome measure is increased or improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant.

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.
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