What We’re Learning

What We’re Learning

We believe that a community of creative problem-solvers, faced with complicated, seemingly intractable challenges, is well-served by thought-provoking, research-based information and analysis. We support the development and dissemination of research in two ways:

Abell Reports

Abell Reports are commissioned reports by subject matter experts, academics, and investigative journalists that provide studies of selected issues on the public agenda.

Abell-Supported Research

These projects – undertaken with grant funding by academics and nonprofit research and advocacy organizations – advance learning on issues key to Baltimore City.

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    Featured Reports

    Assessment of Maryland’s Need for Eviction Prevention Funds and the Estimated Fiscal Impact

    Eviction prevention programs, which cover up to three months of past-due rent, are a cost-effective way to stabilize families, pay landlords, and reduce costs to the state. This report examines two different scenarios that would prevent disruptive displacements.

    Abell Report: the Trouble with STRIDE

    Ten years ago, Maryland’s legislature passed a bill to expedite utilities’ replacement of their natural gas pipes in the name of safety. Since then, Maryland has adopted ambitious climate goals that will require the near elimination of natural gas use in homes by 2045. Yet the state continues to allow utilities to invest billions in replacing pipes, which consumers will have to pay for — with a profit for the utilities — for decades to come.

    Abell Report: Entry and Exit of Baltimore City Teachers Before and After COVID

    In 2022, after increasing pressures from the COVID pandemic and a shifting political climate, the nation’s largest teachers’ union warned that over half of teachers were considering exiting the profession. This report investigates whether Baltimore City Schools has experienced changes in teacher supply due to COVID.

    Publications Library

    Investigating the Geothermal Potential of Baltimore

    We need to develop sustainable, clean, and affordable sources of energy. Can heat from the Earth’s interior offer a potential solution? This Abell Report examines the science of geothermal energy and evaluates whether it’s a viable alternative for Baltimore.

    Evaluating the Cost of Lead Hazard Control and Abatement in Baltimore City

    Too many children continue to be exposed to deteriorating lead-based paint in their homes. This Abell report examines what it would take for Baltimore City to tackle the urgent problem of lead paint poisoning.

    Solar on Superstores

    Big box stores and supermarkets offer optimal locations for solar installations, with potential for rooftop and parking canopy systems to reduce facility energy costs by half while advancing Maryland’s renewable energy and climate goals.

    Turning Up the Heat on Cooling Down the Planet

    Maryland is no longer a leader among states in implementing policies and programs to avoid the most serious environmental and public health consequences of a rapidly changing climate. This Abell Report explains how Massachusetts eclipsed Maryland and identifies key characteristics of successful leadership to accelerate state actions in Maryland.

    Supporting Executive Function in Schools: A Look at Three Promising Program Models

    Executive Function (EF) is important for success in school and in life. This Abell Report digs into the research on EF and explores three programs operating in Baltimore and nationwide.

    Header photo courtesy of Venture for America.