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About Our Research: Qualitative vs. Quantitative Data

Here at MA Appleseed, we use research to investigate and understand the pressing issues facing families and young people across Massachusetts. From that research, we develop solutions that are effective, practical, and informed by impacted community members.

But what type of data do we collect? Why? How? In this blog series, About Our Research, we will elaborate on our research ethos, data collection and analysis, and how we present our findings to advance real change.

This first blog post will address the age-old question: What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative data?

Qualitative data is focused on the subjective experiences, attitudes, and feelings of community members who are impacted by systemic injustices or who work on these issues. This kind of data is often collected via observation, interviews, focus groups, and other community-centered methods. Qualitative data tells the story behind social justice issues and trends. This kind of information helps us hear the experiences of those directly impacted by a problem, answering the “why” and “how” questions that arise regarding social inequities – why is this happening, how is this problem unfolding in people’s lives?

We analyze qualitative data by categorizing information into themes and highlighting narratives that tell the story of the issue. An example of qualitative data in action at MA Appleseed is our research on the accessibility barriers unrepresented litigants struggling with debt faced in virtual court hearings during COVID-19. For this project, we collected qualitative data through court watching (having volunteers observe and report on court proceedings) and interviews with key stakeholders.

Quantitative data is centered on objective numbers and often collected via surveys and the use of datasets, which are large collections of numerical information about a particular group or issue. This kind of data provides the hard and fast figures behind a social problem, explaining the extent of an issue using numbers. Quantitative data answers the “how much” and “how often” questions that arise when trying to address injustices.

We analyze this type of data by identifying patterns in the numbers to yield findings in ratios or percentages. For example, our School Discipline Data Dashboard presents an enormous amount of numerical data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in an accessible way, breaking it down by district and allowing users to see how the complexity of students’ identities correspond to instances of school discipline. Meanwhile, our report on language discrimination at the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) uses publicly available documents to highlight important data points, like the number of language access complaints received by DCF within a 10-year period.

We primarily collect and utilize qualitative data for our research projects and when appropriate, apply a mixed methods approach that combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis. This kind of project design allows for more well-rounded research and findings. For example, our research on girls of color and the school-to-prison pipeline uses quantitative data and analysis to understand the statistical disparities that girls of color face at school. Working with a Community Advisory Board, we also interviewed current students to hear directly from impacted girls of color who could speak about their lived experiences in Massachusetts schools. Considering that numbers and statistics only tell part of the story, we need qualitative data to fill in the gaps of the narrative and understand the context of the problem. Case in point, our first joint report on this topic found that Black girls in Massachusetts are four times more likely to be disciplined at school, but this statistic can easily be misconstrued by individuals arguing in bad faith. The qualitative stories and experiences shared by the girls we interviewed added necessary context and made it clear: Girls of color are punished more often and more harshly for the same behaviors as their white female peers. The combination of numerical data and detailed stories allowed us to compile a more comprehensive report.

The next several blog posts in this series will focus on how we go about collecting different types of data, offering a window into how we engage research participants in qualitative data collection and access quantitative data from state agencies. Stay tuned!

 

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2024 Impact Report

The fight for lasting systemic change is a marathon, not a sprint, and building in opportunities to celebrate our shared successes is an essential part of the work. As the year winds down, we invite you to join us in taking this moment to pause, breathe, and reflect on everything we’ve accomplished together by exploring our 2024 Impact Report!

Thanks to you and our entire community of support, we’ve achieved significant milestones on the journey towards justice – scaling our Legal Education, Advocacy and Protections Project for Youth Experiencing Homelessness, embarking on new research to create fair and inclusive courts, pushing for policy that demands better for families, and so much more.

Plenty of challenges await us in 2025. But looking back on how far we’ve come, we’re hopeful and energized for the months ahead.

Read our 2024 Impact Report

At MA Appleseed, we believe in the power of community. Whether you joined us at events, participated in our research projects, volunteered your time and expertise, spoke out in support of critical legislation, or sustained our initiatives with your donations, you made 2024 another year of growth and momentum. Read more about everything you’ve helped make possible in this year’s Impact Report!

From the whole MA Appleseed team, thank you for your partnership and support. With your help, we’re moving the dial on urgent social justice issues in Massachusetts.

Wishing you peace, rest, and rejuvenation during these final days of the year!

 

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A Message from Executive Director Deborah Silva

This is a bittersweet moment as I transition out of my role as Executive Director at MA Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. While keenly aware of the work that still lies ahead, I am so proud of all we have accomplished together and grateful for the trust and support given to me over this eight-year journey. It has been an immense privilege to lead MA Appleseed, and I want to extend a resounding, unending thank you to the funders, community members, volunteers, donors, coalition allies, and other partners who have fueled and championed our work. You are the reason MA Appleseed is what it is today: A lean, highly efficient force for change delivering an outsized impact and punching well above its weight. This community of support is like no other, and I am confident that the organization will continue to achieve major wins on behalf of our most vulnerable communities and bring us closer to a just, inclusive Massachusetts.

To the friends I’ve gained along the way, the mentors who have supported my personal growth, the Board members and staff with whom I’ve gotten to collaborate – I can never express the full depth of my appreciation. As I take on the role of Director of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, I am excited to carry on the work that is so close to my heart and ensure equal justice for everyone in the Commonwealth.

MA Appleseed’s brilliant staff and Board of Directors will continue to steward the organization’s success with fidelity and tenacity, and I am working closely with everyone to ensure a smooth transition. I have no doubt that the next Executive Director will take our small but mighty justice center to even greater heights.

In the meantime, I am pleased to announce that the Board of Directors has appointed Madeline Poage, MA Appleseed’s Director of Development and Communications, to the role of Acting Executive Director during this transitional period. A core member of the Appleseed team since 2017, Madeline is a collaborative leader and passionate about the power of community-led advocacy. Should you have any questions or want to get in touch, please don’t hesitate to contact Madeline at madeline@massappleseed.org.

Thank you for a wonderful and transformative eight years. I look forward to cheering on and supporting MA Appleseed as the organization fulfills its essential mission, and cannot wait to see all that is still to come.

In solidarity and gratitude, 

Deb

 

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An Announcement from MA Appleseed’s Board of Directors

It is with a mixture of profound gratitude and sadness that we announce Deborah Silva’s upcoming departure as Executive Director of MA Appleseed Center for Law and Justice on December 6, 2024. We will miss her unparalleled commitment to the pursuit of justice for all, but are proud of the legacy she leaves behind and the groundwork she has laid for the organization’s continued success.

It is impossible to list all of Deb’s accomplishments during her time at the helm of MA Appleseed, but we want to recognize several that epitomize her tenure. Building a new Access to Justice program from the ground up, resulting in sweeping policy changes that have made Massachusetts courts fairer for all. Successfully navigating the organization through a global pandemic. Deepening the organization’s community engagement strategies to fully center and amplify the voices of those we serve. Scaling the organization’s youth homelessness initiative to match the magnitude of the current housing crisis. Developing organizational values and an internal culture that explicitly positions racial and economic justice as the very heart of our work.

We could go on and on. We are so enormously grateful for Deb’s years of passionate service, her steadfastness in the face of once-in-a-generation challenges, and her remarkable vision that has shaped our path forward. At MA Appleseed, we often say: “In advocacy, we do nothing alone.” The fight for systemic change is a collective one that truly takes us all. But having individuals like Deb in that fight certainly makes the journey more joyful. 

Thanks to Deb’s extraordinary leadership over these past eight years, MA Appleseed is fully prepared to continue addressing the critical social justice issues affecting our communities across the state. Working hand in hand with our partners, our talented staff and dedicated Board of Directors will keep furthering our projects, advancing powerful research and policy change to make Massachusetts a place where everyone can exercise their legal rights, care for their families, and thrive. We are hopeful and excited for this next chapter in MA Appleseed’s 30-year history.

We will be launching a search for our new Executive Director in the coming weeks and look forward to keeping you updated throughout this process. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out with any questions at inquiry@massappleseed.org.

Sincerely,

Melanie L. Todman, Board Chair

John A. Shutkin, Vice Chair

 

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2023-24 Formal Legislative Session Wrap-Up

The formal legislative session ended in the early morning hours of August 1st and while few bills ultimately made it across the finish line, we saw progress on a number of vital policies.

First, Access to Counsel was included in the FY25 state budget, with $2.5 million included to establish a statewide pilot program! Supported by a broad coalition of 240 organizations, of which Appleseed is a proud member, this marks the first big step to starting a program that can provide full representation to tenants and low-income owner occupants.

Thanks to continued leadership from Project Bread and the Feed Kids Coalition, $170 million in funding for universal school meals also made it into the budget! This will help ensure hundreds of thousands of students can continue to focus on learning instead of worrying where their next meal will come from.

The Young Student Exclusion Ban and Language Access and Inclusion Act were once again reported favorably out of committee after hearings packed with compelling testimony, but did not make it to the Governor’s desk. Similarly, two of our first-time bills focused on supporting youth and young adults also received favorable reports but did not advance further. These bills aimed to 1) ban the suspension or expulsion of students for dress and grooming violations, thereby preventing the over-policing of girls, students of color, and LGBTQ+ students, and 2) allow unaccompanied minors experiencing homelessness to consent to supportive services so they can meet their immediate survival needs.

We’re disappointed that more policy changes that would make a meaningful difference in the lives of Bay Staters did not come to fruition, but it’s important to celebrate the steps forward we did see. Of the 14 bills we supported and helped fight for this session, 11 saw positive movement through the State House and none received a negative vote. This is indispensable groundwork for the coming months and whether you shared your personal experience with state leaders, wrote to your legislators urging action, or helped us spread the word about these campaigns – thank you for helping us come this far.
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Throughout the fall, we’ll be meeting with our legislative champions and coalition partners to strategize for next session. Some of the prep work we’ll be doing includes redrafting bills, conducting deeper policy research, mobilizing in more communities, and building on all the momentum we’ve developed so far.

 

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STATEMENT: MA Appleseed Condemns U.S. Supreme Court Ruling in Historic Homelessness Case

Boston, MA — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court made its decision in the historic Johnson v. Grants Pass case, allowing cities to punish people with no choice but to sleep outside for using things like pillows, blankets, or cardboard boxes to protect themselves from the elements and dealing a devastating blow to the civil rights of our unhoused neighbors. 

Deborah Silva, Executive Director of Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, issued the following statement:

“The Court’s decision is an affront to the unhoused residents of Grants Pass who bravely stood up for their rights, the hundreds of thousands of individuals forced by circumstance and systemic inequities to sleep outside each night, and the frontline workers and advocates striving to support them. The youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in our communities are exceptionally vulnerable to this ruling’s consequences, already facing unique barriers to obtaining shelter and a scarcity of age-appropriate services. Data collected via the Massachusetts Youth Count shows that this is even more acute for teenagers who leave home before age 18. The last thing these young people need is a criminal record for simply existing in public. 

The goal of criminalization has always been clear: To banish our unhoused neighbors from sight. To make them disappear. To render them invisible. As an organization working to support youth experiencing homelessness, a population that is chronically under-identified due to stigma and shame, we know that pushing people further to the margins only deepens the problem.

This ruling will not solve the surge in homelessness among adults or youth we are seeing in Massachusetts and around the country. It will not prevent unjust evictions. It will not generate housing that people can afford. What it will do is make this crisis worse by funneling people already out of options into the courts, trapping them in cycles of incarceration, exorbitant fines, and trauma.

We stand with our fellow advocates in condemning today’s ruling. The fight to ensure everyone has a safe and stable place to call home continues.”

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MA Appleseed is driven by a mission to promote equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues. Through policy analysis and research, coalition building, education and training, community organizing, and advocacy, the nonprofit seeks systems-level change so all Massachusetts families and youth can exercise their legal rights, build pathways out of poverty and crisis, and thrive. Responding to emerging and enduring inequities, MA Appleseed addresses an array of complex issues including self-representation in the civil justice system, language access for immigrant families, the school-to-prison pipeline, and youth homelessness. To explore recent research, find resources, sign up for opportunities to take action, or donate, please visit massappleseed.org.

 

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Celebrating Women’s History Month: Spotlight on Carolin Hetzner

From members of the staff to dozens of volunteers, MA Appleseed is proud to be led by so many remarkable women. This Women’s History Month, we’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on one of our exemplary board members, Carolin Hetzner, Senior Manager of the Court Service Centers, Massachusetts Trial Court!

Sharing her insights, advice, and invaluable perspective, Carolin’s dedication to justice and community empowerment inspires us each and every day.  

What does justice mean to you?

Justice can mean so many things, but for me it is equal access to the courts and resources. Ensuring that no one is excluded because of barriers such as lack of language access, immigration status, race or gender bias, literacy, or disability. Access to this justice looks different for everyone. While it does often involve accessing the courts, access to justice can also take the form of advocacy for legislation or providing an individual guidance on processes that eliminate the need for court involvement.  

Why is Board service meaningful to you?

Board service allows me an inside look at the important work that Appleseed staff does daily. It provides me with a different perspective on how communities can be better served through legislation, and allows me to learn from other board members’ experiences and perspectives. 

If you had to give one piece of advice to young women just starting out in the workforce, what would you say?

I would have two pieces of advice. First, having a boss who sees your value, listens to your voice, and leads by example is invaluable and can inspire you to bring your best self to work every day.  Second, no one knows everything even after years of practice. Give yourself grace when you don’t know something and ask lots of questions.  

Are there any female barrier breakers or role models, either from history or your personal life, that you look up to?

There are so many women, both professionally and from my personal life, that inspire and encourage me to be the best version of myself. I find tremendous inspiration from my coworkers, colleagues, and closest friends. Women who not only juggle demanding work, personal, and family schedules, but often make time for community service as well. My first role model, like many people, is my mother. As a single mother, she overcame obstacles such as limited English proficiency and financial insecurity, to provide me and my siblings a better life. She has always led by example, teaching us the value of kindness, respect, and giving back to the community. Values that I now try to pass on to my own child. 

 

This Women’s History Month, let’s celebrate leaders like Carolin Hetzner, whose tireless efforts enrich our communities and pave the way for a more equitable future. Carolin, we extend our deepest gratitude for your unwavering commitment to justice and your vital contributions to MA Appleseed!

 

 

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MA Appleseed Issues Statement on Language Access Executive Order

Boston, MA – In response to Governor Healey’s Executive Order No. 615 promoting increased language access, Deborah Silva, Executive Director of Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, issued the following statement:

“Language barriers at state agencies prevent hundreds of thousands of people across the Commonwealth from accessing the resources and information they need to care for themselves and their families. We applaud the Healey-Driscoll Administration for taking action to affirm the language access rights of all residents and expand equitable access to the many critical services provided by state agencies.   

This Executive Order complements and aligns with goals long expressed by language access advocates, and we are grateful for the administration’s clear commitment to addressing this issue. As we continue working with our partners in the Mass Speaks Coalition to pass the Language Access and Inclusion Act, we look forward to building on the strong foundation laid by Governor Healey today and establishing robust accountability measures that make sure our government is accessible to everyone, no matter what language they speak.”

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MA Appleseed is driven by a mission to promote equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues. Through policy analysis and research, coalition building, education and training, community organizing, and advocacy, the nonprofit seeks systems-level change so all Massachusetts families and youth can exercise their legal rights, build pathways out of poverty and crisis, and thrive. Responding to emerging and enduring inequities, MA Appleseed addresses an array of complex issues including self-representation in the civil justice system, language access for immigrant families, the school-to-prison pipeline, and youth homelessness. To explore recent research, find resources, sign up for opportunities to take action, or donate, please visit massappleseed.org.

 

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Missing the Mark on School Safety: How City Officials’ Call for Law Enforcement in BPS Actually Harms Students

By Asia Foland

Contaminated rooms, unbearable class temperatures, and… metal detectors? Boston Public Schools are still working to meet students’ needs. Police are not going to help.

In June of 2022, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, former BPS superintendent Brenda Cassellius, chair of the Boston School Committee Jeri Robinson, and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Commissioner Jeff Riley signed the “Systemic Improvement Plan” (SIP) targeting the district’s most urgent problems: among them late buses, failures to equitably serve students with disabilities, and deteriorating facilities.

Last month during a state education board meeting, DESE commissioner Riley called Boston’s progress on implementing this plan “incomplete” (2). He noted empty staff positions across the district, including leaders for the multilingual education office, a “coordinator of problem resolution” to address school safety and parent concerns, and senior staffers for special education (2,3).

More than half of Boston’s schools were built before World War II and since 2007, only four projects for new renovations and schools – out of three dozen – have been approved (1). And BPS has not yet renovated school bathroom facilities throughout the city, despite pledging to do so under the SIP (2). The consequences of this disrepair are well-known: oppressively hot classroom temperatures, crumbling walls and ceilings, and exposure to environmental contaminants.

And yet, amid BPS’s mounting public and legal obligations, how have certain Boston leaders responded?

With calls for police.

Though BPS removed police from schools in 2021, four Boston city councilors published a public letter this past January urging Mayor Wu to reinstate police and metal detectors in schools (4). In their letter, the city counselors — Erin Murphy, Michael Flaherty, Ed Flynn, and Frank Baker — declared the need for these security measures despite acknowledging the public’s “differing opinions” surrounding their use.

But this isn’t a matter of “differing opinions.” 

Visible and physical security measures in schools have been overwhelmingly discredited. According to a report by Citizens for Juvenile Justice, an analysis of 15 years of metal detectors in schools came up with “insufficient evidence that their use decreased crime or violence in schools,” instead finding “their presence made students feel less safe” (5).  

Yet in their letter, Boston City Councilors labeled metal detectors “non-invasive.” This is far from reality: for those forced to walk through them every morning before they can learn, metal detectors are invasive – physically and psychologically. And when we make our schools feel like prisons, our children feel less secure. 

Police presence also has no positive impact on school safety outcomes, according to a meta-analysis of 12 studies done by the WestEd Justice & Prevention Research Center (6). Instead, Black and brown students are disproportionately targeted within their schools, specifically for low-level offenses that in no way require law enforcement (7). In a district where students of color make up 85% of student enrollment, placing police in schools would detrimentally diminish an encouraging learning environment.  

But there is another path Boston can take. Evidence-based approaches, centered around restorative justice and preventive measures, have been proven to reduce student arrests and foster a safe learning space. These include conflict resolution, personal reflection, community reconciliation, and more. And they’re not a new phenomenon: when Denver Public Schools implemented restorative practices in 2011, suspension rates decreased by 44% (8). 

These strategies would relieve our city councilors’ safety concerns by identifying the underlying causes of conflict instead of their visible outcomes. As Leon Smith, Executive Director of Citizens for Juvenile Justice, remarked, “It would be unfortunate to see Boston move in a regressive way, doubling down on approaches that research shows are not effective rather than shifting resources to approaches shown to both address student need and improve school safety and climate” (9).  

Fundamentally, not only does law enforcement ineffectively ensure school safety compared to restorative action, but it also fails to address the urgent dangers posed by Boston’s declining facilities. Police officers cannot protect students from exposure to asbestos or lead in the neglected buildings they patrol. Police officers cannot ventilate classrooms or keep them within tolerable temperatures. Students deserve real safety at school – not just the illusion of it. And with such blatant neglect on display, it would be outrageous to funnel crucial funding and resources toward failed law enforcement measures. 

To their credit, Boston has made recent progress in meeting their students’ needs. But that does not mean we cannot hold them accountable. This moment is crucial for Boston Public Schools, and we must be diligent. Using reactionary force does not ensure student safety in schools. And when the district is still struggling to serve all students, allocating time and resources toward ineffective discipline would only set them back. It’s time for Boston leaders to expand their definition of school safety and support investments that genuinely address our students’ needs.

 

Sources:

  1. Massachusetts spends thousands more on school construction aid for white students than for students of color, https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/05/27/metro/massachusetts-school-construction-aid/
  2. One year into school improvement plan, state official grades Boston’s progress ‘incomplete’: https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/06/27/boston-school-improvement-plan-one-year-later-progress-update
  3. Another year, another incomplete grade for Boston Public Schools: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/06/opinion/boston-public-schools-jeff-riley-blistering-criticism/
  4. https://twitter.com/ErinforBoston/status/1611476972076507136
  5. Mowen, Thomas and Freng, Adrienne. “Is More Necessarily Better? School Security and Perceptions of Safety among Students and Parents in the United States”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7205221/
  6. Stern, A., & Petrosino, A. (2018). What do we know about the effects of school-based law enforcement on school safety? San Francisco, CA: WestEd. https://www.wested.org/ resources/effects-of-school-based-law-enforcement-on-school-safety
  7. Thurau, L. and Wald, J. Controlling Partners: When Law Enforcement Meets Discipline in Public Schools, 54 N.Y.L. Sch. L. Rev. 977 (2009-2010). https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/ nyls_law_review/vol54/iss4/5/ 
  8. Cregor, Matt and Damon T. Hewitt. “Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Survey from the Field.” (2011).
  9. Boston Public Schools quietly negotiating with city police to formalize relationship: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/02/16/metro/boston-public-schools-quietly-negotiating-with-city-police-formalize-relationship/

 

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MA Appleseed Statement on Continued Discriminatory Treatment at Malden Charter School

According to current news reports, a staff member of the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School in Malden recently cited an eighth-grader for wearing a hijab, which was deemed a “uniform infraction.”

Deborah Silva, Executive Director of Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, released the following statement:

“Policies like this harm students – there’s simply no other way to put it. Students cannot be expected to succeed if parts of their identity are judged and punished every time they enter the classroom, and the damage this has on students’ mental health, confidence, and emotional well-being can be severe. Dress codes are rarely neutral policies, perpetuating racist, misogynistic, and homophobic norms. Their enforcement feels especially inappropriate in schools where students are learning how to express themselves and discovering who they want to be.”

“Just a few years ago, the school’s harsh discipline of the Cook sisters for wearing their hair in braids with extensions motivated lawmakers to pass legislation banning hairstyle discrimination. To see yet another student endure this kind of over-policing just weeks after the CROWN Act was signed into law shows that Massachusetts still has a long way to go towards making sure our classrooms are welcoming and inclusive spaces for all.”

Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice published its latest community-led report, “I Just Want to Learn”: Girls of Color and the School-to-Prison Pipeline in Massachusetts, in July 2022. The report explores stories from girls of color about the impact of exclusionary discipline on their lives and touches on the role dress codes play in fueling racial and gender-based disparities.

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Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice is a nonprofit driven by a mission to promote equal rights and opportunities for Massachusetts residents by developing and advocating for systemic solutions to social justice issues. Through policy research, community collaboration, and statewide advocacy, the organization seeks systems-level change so all Massachusetts families and youth can exercise their legal rights, build pathways out of poverty and crisis, and thrive.

 

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