"The Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program is administered by housing authorities [like NYCHA] who employ case managers/coaches to work with participant households to develop individualized self-sufficiency plans and access education, training, employment opportunities and wrap-around supportive services."

Exhibit 5.1. How to Read the Impact Tables in This Report In the context of this evaluation, an "impact" is a measure of how much the intervention-Family Self- Sufficiency (FSS)-changed outcomes for program participants. The group outcome for the intervention is compared with that of the control group. The top row of the excerpted table below, for example, shows that 26 percent of the FSS group was working part time at the time of the 18-month survey, compared with 29 percent of the control group. Because participants were assigned randomly to either the program group or the control group, the effects of the program can be estimated by the difference in outcomes between the two groups. The "Difference" column in the table excerpt shows the differences between the two research groups' outcomes that is, the program's estimated impacts on the outcomes. For example, the estimated program impact of the FSS program on the number of individuals working part-time study can be calculated by subtracting 29 percent from 26 percent, yielding a decrease, or estimated impact, of 3 percentage points. The p-value shows the probability that this difference, or impact, arose by chance. In the table excerpt below, the difference between the program and control groups in current part-time employment has a 16.6 percent probability of arising as a result of chance rather than as a result of the FSS-only program. In contrast, the difference on the measure current full-time employment has a 4.5 percent probability of having arisen by chance. For this evaluation, only differences that have a 10 percent probability or less of arising by chance are considered "statistically significant" and therefore represent true program effects. The number of asterisks indicates whether the impact is statistically significant at the 1 percent (**#), 5 percent (*#), or 10 percent (*) level, meaning that there is only a 1,5, or 10 percent probability, respectively, that the impact arose by chance. Impacts on Employment Family Self-Sufficiency 18-Month Survey Respondent Sample Outcome FSS Group Control Group Difference (Impact) P-Value Currently employed (%) Works part-time hours 26.0 29.0 -3.0 0.166 Works full-time hours 41.5 37.1 4.3 0.045** FSS = Family Self-Sufficiency