scholarly journals States as Sites of Educational (In)Equality: State Contexts and the Socioeconomic Achievement Gradient

AERA Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 233285841987245
Author(s):  
Heewon Jang ◽  
Sean F. Reardon
Keyword(s):  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Funding Equity ◽  
Income Segregation ◽  
Enrollment Patterns ◽  
Education Data ◽  
Socioeconomic Achievement ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Preschool Enrollment

Socioeconomic achievement gaps have long been a central focus of educational research. However, not much is known about how (and why) between-district gaps vary among states, even though states are a primary organizational level in the decentralized education system in the United States. Using data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA), this study describes state-level socioeconomic achievement gradients and the growth of these gradients from Grades 3 to 8. We also examine state-level correlates of the gradients and their growth, including school system funding equity, preschool enrollment patterns, the distribution of teachers, income inequality, and segregation. We find that socioeconomic gradients and their growth rates vary considerably among states, and that between-district income segregation is positively associated with the socioeconomic achievement gradient.

scholarly journals Patterns and correlates of mis-implementation in state chronic disease public health practice in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret M. Padek ◽  
Stephanie Mazzucca ◽  
Peg Allen ◽  
Emily Rodriguez Weno ◽  
Edward Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Effective Programs

Abstract Background Much of the disease burden in the United States is preventable through application of existing knowledge. State-level public health practitioners are in ideal positions to affect programs and policies related to chronic disease, but the extent to which mis-implementation occurring with these programs is largely unknown. Mis-implementation refers to ending effective programs and policies prematurely or continuing ineffective ones. Methods A 2018 comprehensive survey assessing the extent of mis-implementation and multi-level influences on mis-implementation was reported by state health departments (SHDs). Questions were developed from previous literature. Surveys were emailed to randomly selected SHD employees across the Unites States. Spearman’s correlation and multinomial logistic regression were used to assess factors in mis-implementation. Results Half (50.7%) of respondents were chronic disease program managers or unit directors. Forty nine percent reported that programs their SHD oversees sometimes, often or always continued ineffective programs. Over 50% also reported that their SHD sometimes or often ended effective programs. The data suggest the strongest correlates and predictors of mis-implementation were at the organizational level. For example, the number of organizational layers impeded decision-making was significant for both continuing ineffective programs (OR=4.70; 95% CI=2.20, 10.04) and ending effective programs (OR=3.23; 95% CI=1.61, 7.40). Conclusion The data suggest that changing certain agency practices may help in minimizing the occurrence of mis-implementation. Further research should focus on adding context to these issues and helping agencies engage in appropriate decision-making. Greater attention to mis-implementation should lead to greater use of effective interventions and more efficient expenditure of resources, ultimately to improve health outcomes.

scholarly journals Patterns and Correlates of Mis-implementation in State Chronic Disease Public Health Practice in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Padek ◽  
Stephanie Mazzucca ◽  
Peg Allen ◽  
Emily Rodriguez Weno ◽  
Edward Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Effective Programs

Abstract Background: Much of the disease burden in the United States is preventable through application of existing knowledge. State-level public health practitioners are in ideal positions to affect programs and policies related to chronic disease, but the extent to which mis-implementation occurring with these programs is largely unknown. Mis-implementation refers to ending effective programs and policies prematurely or continuing ineffective ones. Methods: A 2018 comprehensive survey assessing the extent of mis-implementation and multi-level influences on mis-implementation was reported by state health departments (SHDs). Questions were developed from previous literature. Surveys were emailed to randomly selected SHD employees across the Unites States. Spearman’s correlation and multinomial logistic regression were used to assess factors in mis-implementation. Results: Half (50.7%) of respondents were chronic disease program managers or unit directors. Forty nine percent reported that programs their SHD oversees sometimes, often or always continued ineffective programs. Over 50% also reported that their SHD sometimes or often ended effective programs. The data suggest the strongest correlates and predictors of mis-implementation were at the organizational level. For example, the number of organizational layers impeded decision-making was significant for both continuing ineffective programs (OR=4.70; 95% CI=2.20, 10.04) and ending effective programs (OR=3.23; 95% CI=1.61, 7.40). Conclusion: The data suggest that changing certain agency practices may help in minimizing the occurrence of mis-implementation. Further research should focus on adding context to these issues and helping agencies engage in appropriate decision-making. Greater attention to mis-implementation should lead to greater use of effective interventions and more efficient expenditure of resources, ultimately to improve health outcomes.

scholarly journals The Partisan Mask: Political Orientation, Collectivism, and Religiosity Predict Mask Use During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hohjin Im ◽  
Peiyi Wang ◽  
Chuansheng Chen
Keyword(s):  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Third Party ◽  
The Us ◽  
Political Conservatism ◽  
Strong Correlate ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Socioeconomic And Demographic Factors

In the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic became an unconventional vehicle to advance partisan rhetoric and antagonism. Using data available at the individual- (Study 1; N = 4,220), county- (Study 2; n = 3,046), and state-level (n = 49), we found that partisanship and political orientation was a robust and strong correlate of mask use. Political conservatism and Republican partisanship were related to downplaying the severity of COVID-19 and perceiving masks as being ineffective that, in turn, were related to lower mask use. In contrast, we found that counties with majority Democrat partisanship reported greater mask use, controlling for various socioeconomic and demographic factors. Lastly, states with strong cultural collectivism reported greater mask use while those with strong religiosity reported the opposite. States with greater Democrat partisanship and strong cultural collectivism subsequently reported lower COVID-19 deaths, mediated by greater mask use and lower COVID-19 cases, in the five months following the second wave of COVID-19 in the US during the Summer of 2020. Nonetheless, more than the majority for Democrats (91.58%), Republicans (77.52%), and third-party members (82.48%) reported using masks. Implications for findings are discussed.

scholarly journals Racial Residential Segregation and Colorectal Cancer Mortality in the Mississippi Delta Region

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron J Kruse-Diehr ◽  
Justin T McDaniel ◽  
Marquita W Lewis-Thames ◽  
Aimee James ◽  
Musa Yahaya
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Mississippi Delta ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Census Bureau ◽  
Delta Region ◽  
Community Factors ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Using Data

Abstract Background Few studies have examined the effects of segregation on colorectal cancer (CRC) outcomes, and none has determined if rurality moderates the effect of segregation on CRC mortality. We examined whether the effect of segregation on CRC mortality was moderated by rurality in the Mississippi Delta Region, an economically distressed and historically segregated region of the United States. Methods Using data from the US Census Bureau and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, we estimated linear mixed-effects models with state-level random effects in which Black and White CRC mortality rates in Delta Region counties (N = 252) were regressed on county rurality, White-Black residential segregation indices, an interaction term for these two variables, and a vector of socioeconomic control variables. Missing data were replaced with values generated via random forest imputation. Results Segregation was a risk factor for Black CRC mortality in urban Delta counties but was associated with lower Black CRC mortality in rural counties (B = − 23.30 [95% CI = − 38.51, − 7.92]). For Whites, living in a rural area did not moderate the relationship between segregation and CRC mortality, though White CRC mortality was inversely associated with White population proportion (B = − 7.12 [95% CI = − 10.66, − 3.43]). Conclusions Health outcomes related to segregation vary by racial, contextual and community factors. We give possible explanations for our findings and provide implications for practice and recommendations for further research to better understand the CRC mortality burden in segregated communities.

How States Fund Education

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajay Srikanth ◽  
Michael Atzbi ◽  
Bruce D. Baker ◽  
Mark Weber
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
School Finance ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Recommendations ◽  
Funding Equity ◽  
State And Local ◽  
Using Data ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Funding Disparities

In the United States, the vast majority of funding for K–12 education is provided through state and local governments to school districts. Throughout history, school districts have remained highly segregated both by income/wealth and by race, leading to reduced levels of funding available for higher need districts compared to wealthier districts. The purpose of this chapter is to analyze funding disparities within states and to determine differences between states with respect to funding equity. First, the chapter begins with a discussion of the sources of revenue for education at the state and local levels. Second, it explains the purpose and design of state aid formulas to reduce funding disparities between districts. Third, using data from the School Finance Indicators Database, the chapter calculates funding effort and progressivity indices for each state. Fourth, it provides case studies on two states with more progressive and less progressive funding, New Jersey and Illinois. Finally, the chapter concludes with policy recommendations on how states can improve their school finance systems to provide adequate levels of funding for higher need districts.

Trends in Extreme Distress in the United States, 1993–2019

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (10) ◽  
pp. 1538-1544
Author(s):  
David G. Blanchflower ◽  
Andrew J. Oswald
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Time Trends ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Us ◽  
Low Education ◽  
Proxy Measure ◽  
Personal Level ◽  
Using Data

Objectives. To investigate changes from 1993 to 2019 in the percentage of US citizens suffering extreme distress. Methods. Using data on 8.1 million randomly sampled US citizens, we created a new proxy measure for exceptional distress (the percentage who reported major mental and emotional problems in all 30 of the last 30 days). We examined time trends for different groups and predictors of distress. Results. The proportion of the US population in extreme distress rose from 3.6% in 1993 to 6.4% in 2019. Among low-education midlife White persons, the percentage more than doubled, from 4.8% to 11.5%. Regression analysis revealed that (1) at the personal level, the strongest statistical predictor of extreme distress was “I am unable to work,” and (2) at the state level, a decline in the share of manufacturing jobs was a predictor of greater distress. Conclusions. Increasing numbers of US citizens report extreme levels of mental distress. This links to poor labor-market prospects. Inequality of distress has also widened. Public Health Implications. Policymakers need to recognize the crisis of an ever-growing group of US citizens in extreme distress.

scholarly journals Occupational Licensure and Entrepreneurs: The Case of Tax Preparers in the United States

ILR Review ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1065-1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle W. Albert ◽  
Roman V. Galperin ◽  
Aleksandra Kacperczyk
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Early Adoption ◽  
Tax Preparers ◽  
License Requirement ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Tax Practice ◽  
Signaling Quality

The authors examine the relationship between entrepreneurship and occupational licensure using data on the universe of more than 700,000 tax preparers in the United States. Prior research suggests that occupational licensure has negative effects on entrepreneurship because it increases the costs of operating a business. By contrast, the authors argue that licensure may allow entrepreneurs to signal quality and enhance their legitimacy. States that require tax preparers to be licensed have higher average rates of entrepreneurship—approximated by tax practice ownership—and, in high-income ZIP codes, more demand for paid preparer services. In the analysis of the introduction of a federal license requirement in tax preparation in 2013, voluntary early adoption of the license by preparers predicts higher chances of survival in the industry. Entrepreneurs are less likely to adopt the license early than are non-entrepreneurs, unless they lack other state-level credentials. Results thus suggest that licensure represents a trade-off for entrepreneurs between the costs of obtaining a license and the benefits of signaling quality and legitimacy.

scholarly journals Patterns and Correlates of Mis-implementation in State Chronic Disease Public Health Practice in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Padek ◽  
Stephanie Mazzucca ◽  
Peg Allen ◽  
Emily Rodriguez Weno ◽  
Edward Tsai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Effective Programs

Abstract Background: Much of the disease burden in the United States is preventable through application of existing knowledge. State-level public health practitioners are in ideal positions to affect programs and policies related to chronic disease, but the extent to which mis-implementation occurring with these programs is largely unknown. Mis-implementation refers to ending effective programs and policies prematurely or continuing ineffective ones. Methods: A 2018 comprehensive survey assessing the extent of mis-implementation and multi-level influences on mis-implementation was reported by state health departments (SHDs). Questions were developed from previous literature. Surveys were emailed to randomly selected SHD employees across the Unites States. Spearman’s correlation and multinomial logistic regression were used to assess factors in mis-implementation. Results: Half (50.7%) of respondents were chronic disease program managers or unit directors. Forty nine percent reported that programs their SHD oversees sometimes, often or always continued ineffective programs. Over 50% also reported that their SHD sometimes or often ended effective programs. The data suggest the strongest correlates and predictors of mis-implementation were at the organizational level. For example, the number of organizational layers impeded decision-making was significant for both continuing ineffective programs (OR=4.70; 95% CI=2.20, 10.04) and ending effective programs (OR=3.23; 95% CI=1.61, 7.40). Conclusion: The data suggest that changing certain agency practices may help in minimizing the occurrence of mis-implementation. Further research should focus on adding context to these issues and helping agencies engage in appropriate decision-making. Greater attention to mis-implementation should lead to greater use of effective interventions and more efficient expenditure of resources, ultimately to improve health outcomes.

scholarly journals Rural-urban differences in the labor-force impacts of COVID-19 in the United States

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew M Brooks ◽  
Tom Mueller ◽  
Brian C. Thiede
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Labor Force ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Rural Workers ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Urban America ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Using Data

COVID-19 has had dramatic impacts on economic outcomes across the United States, yet most research on the pandemic has had a national or urban focus. We overcome this limitation using data from the U.S. Current Population Survey’s COVID-19 supplement to study pandemic-related labor force outcomes from May through December of 2020 in rural and urban areas. We find the pandemic has generally had a more severe labor force impact on urban residents than their rural counterparts. Urban adults were more likely to be unable to work, not paid for missed hours, and be unable to look for work due to COVID-19. However, rural workers were less likely to be able to work remotely than urban workers. These differences persist even when adjusting estimates for demographic composition and state-level policies, suggesting rural-urban differences in the COVID-19 experience cannot be explained by well-known demographic and political differences between rural and urban America.

Under the Law: Weighing responsibility for providing equitable and adequate education

2019 ◽  
Vol 100 (8) ◽  
pp. 74-75
Author(s):  
Julie Underwood
Keyword(s):  
School Funding ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Democratic Process ◽  
Right To Education ◽  
Funding Equity ◽  
Adequate Education ◽  
Civic Skills ◽  
Federal Case ◽  
And Control

Questions of responsibility for school funding often hinge on our definitions of community. Historically, in the United States, the community that is responsible for education is the local one, but over time, states have taken more responsibility, particularly in the area of funding. In this column, Julie Underwood considers how questions of responsibility and control have played out in the courts at the federal and state levels. There is no federal right to education, and so much of the litigation related to questions of funding equity has occurred at the state level, with different results in different states. A recent federal case, Cook v. Raimondo, however, seeks to establish that students have a right to an education that provides them with certain civic skills needed to participate in the democratic process.

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