scholarly journals Does early tracking affect learning inequalities? Revisiting difference-in-differences modeling strategies with international assessments

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalit Contini ◽  
Federica Cugnata
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
International Assessments ◽  
Learning Assessments ◽  
Institutional Differences ◽  
Two Step Estimation

AbstractThe development of international surveys on children’s learning like PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS—delivering comparable achievement measures across educational systems—has revealed large cross-country variability in average performance and in the degree of inequality across social groups. A key question is whether and how institutional differences affect the level and distribution of educational outcomes. In this contribution, we discuss the difference-in-differences strategies employed in the existing literature to evaluate the effect of early tracking on learning inequalities exploiting international assessments administered at different age/grades. In their seminal paper, Hanushek and Woessmann (Econ J 116:C63–C76, 2006) analyze with two-step estimation the effect of early tracking on overall inequalities, measured by test scores’ variability indexes. Later work of other scholars in the economics and sociology of education focuses instead on inequalities among children of different family background, using individual-level models on pooled data from different countries and assessments. In this contribution, we show that individual pooled difference-in-differences models are quite restrictive and that in essence they estimate the effect of tracking by double differentiating the estimated cross-sectional family background regression coefficients between tracking regimes and learning assessments. Starting from a simple learning growth model, we show that if test scores at different surveys are not measured on the same scale, as occurs for international learning assessments, pooled individual models may deliver severely biased results. Instead, the scaling problem does not affect the two-step approach. For this reason, we suggest using two-step estimation also to analyze family-background achievement inequalities. Against this background, using PIRLS-2006 and PISA-2012 we conduct two-step analyses, finding new evidence that early tracking fosters both overall inequalities and family background differentials in reading literacy.

Creativity in Sociocultural Systems

2019 ◽  
pp. 269-284
Author(s):  
Dean Keith Simonton
Keyword(s):  
Macro Level ◽  
Historical Overview ◽  
Creative Activity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Sociocultural Systems

Although psychologists typically see creativity as an individual-level event, sociologists and cultural anthropologists are more likely to view it as a sociocultural phenomenon. This phenomenon takes place at the level of relatively large and enduring collectives, such as cultures, nations, and even whole civilizations. This chapter reviews the extensive research on such macro-level creativity. The review begins with a historical overview before turning to the cross-sectional research on the creative Ortgeist, a subject that encompasses the factors that influence the relative creativity of both preliterate cultures and entire modern nations. From there the chapter turns to role of the Zeitgeist in affecting the creativity of civilizations across time—the rise and fall of creative activity. This research examines both quantitative and qualitative causes that operate both short- and long-term.

Does Board Independence Increase Firm Value? Evidence from Closed-End Funds

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Matthew E. Souther
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Firm Value ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Closed End Funds ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New Evidence

Researchers disagree about the impact of board independence on firm value. The disagreement generally stems from the endogenous nature of board appointments. I add new evidence to this discussion by using a sample of closed-end funds to document the value-enhancing effects of independent boards. Using cross-sectional, difference-in-differences, and instrumental variables techniques, I address these endogeneity concerns and find consistent evidence that board independence is associated with higher firm value.

scholarly journals Effect of Neighborhood and Individual-Level Socioeconomic Factors on Colorectal Cancer Screening Adherence

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4398
Author(s):  
Kiara N. Mayhand ◽  
Elizabeth A. Handorf ◽  
Angel G. Ortiz ◽  
Evelyn T. Gonzalez ◽  
Amie Devlin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Study Participant ◽  
Socioeconomic Indicators ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Total Study Population ◽  
Screening Guidelines ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Crc Screening ◽  
Screening Adherence

Despite the effectiveness of screenings in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality, ~25% of US adults do not adhere to screening guidelines. Prior studies associate socioeconomic status (SES) with low screening adherence and suggest that neighborhood deprivation can influence CRC outcomes. We comprehensively investigated the effect of neighborhood SES circumstances (nSES), individual SES, and race/ethnicity on adherence to CRC screening in a multiethnic cross-sectional study. Participant surveys assessing 32 individual-level socioeconomic and healthcare access measures were administered from 2017 to 2018. Participant data were joined with nine nSES measures from the US Census at the census tract level. Univariate, LASSO, and multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression models were used for variable reduction and evaluation of associations. The total study population included 526 participants aged 50–85; 29% of participants were non-adherent. In the final multivariable model, age (p = 0.02) and Non-Hispanic Black race (p = 0.02) were associated with higher odds of adherence. Factors associated with lower adherence were home rental (vs. ownership) (p = 0.003), perception of low healthcare quality (p = 0.006), no routine checkup within two years (p = 0.002), perceived discrimination (p = 0.02), and nSES deprivation (p = 0.02). After comprehensive variable methods were applied, socioeconomic indicators at the neighborhood and individual level were found to contribute to low CRC screening adherence.

scholarly journals Understanding Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Gap between the Two: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 681
Author(s):  
Nora A. Althumiri ◽  
Mada H. Basyouni ◽  
Ali F. Duhaim ◽  
Norah AlMousa ◽  
Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Household Factors ◽  
Cooked Food ◽  
The Individual

Background: Food waste and food insecurity may co-exist in various balances in developing and developed countries. This study aimed to explore the levels of food waste and food insecurity, the factors associated with them, and their relationships at the household and individual levels in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via computer-assisted phone interviews in January 2021. Quota sampling was utilized to generate balanced distributions of participants by gender across all the administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection included household demographics, food waste and disposal, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Results: Out of the 2807 potential participants contacted, 2454 (87.4%) completed the interview. The mean age was 31.4 (SD = 11.7; range = 18–99) and 50.1% were female. The weighted prevalence of uncooked food waste in the last four weeks was 63.6% and the cooked food waste was 74.4%. However, the food insecurity weighted prevalence at the individual level (FIES) was 6.8%. In terms of food insecurity at the household level (HFIAS), 13.3% were in the “severely food insecure” category. Moreover, this study found that “moderately food insecure” households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste uncooked food (relative risk (RR) = 1.25), and the “mildly food insecure” (RR = 1.21) and “moderately food insecure” (RR = 1.17) households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste cooked food. However, “food secure” households were associated with a decreased likelihood to waste cooked food (RR = 0.56). Finally, this study identified four household factors associated with food waste and three household factors that were associated with “severe food insecurity.” Conclusions: This first national coverage study to explore food waste and food insecurity at the individual level and household level, identified household factors associated with food waste and food insecurity and identified new associations between food waste and food insecurity in Saudi Arabia. The associations found between food waste and food insecurity are potential areas of intervention to reduce both food waste and food insecurity at the same time, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to food waste and food security.

scholarly journals Variation in performance on common content items at UK medical schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hope ◽  
David Kluth ◽  
Matthew Homer ◽  
Avril Dewar ◽  
Richard Fuller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Standard Setting ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Pass Rates ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Institutional Differences ◽  
Common Content ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Due to differing assessment systems across UK medical schools, making meaningful cross-school comparisons on undergraduate students’ performance in knowledge tests is difficult. Ahead of the introduction of a national licensing assessment in the UK, we evaluate schools’ performances on a shared pool of “common content” knowledge test items to compare candidates at different schools and evaluate whether they would pass under different standard setting regimes. Such information can then help develop a cross-school consensus on standard setting shared content. Methods We undertook a cross-sectional study in the academic sessions 2016-17 and 2017-18. Sixty “best of five” multiple choice ‘common content’ items were delivered each year, with five used in both years. In 2016-17 30 (of 31 eligible) medical schools undertook a mean of 52.6 items with 7,177 participants. In 2017-18 the same 30 medical schools undertook a mean of 52.8 items with 7,165 participants, creating a full sample of 14,342 medical students sitting common content prior to graduation. Using mean scores, we compared performance across items and carried out a “like-for-like” comparison of schools who used the same set of items then modelled the impact of different passing standards on these schools. Results Schools varied substantially on candidate total score. Schools differed in their performance with large (Cohen’s d around 1) effects. A passing standard that would see 5 % of candidates at high scoring schools fail left low-scoring schools with fail rates of up to 40 %, whereas a passing standard that would see 5 % of candidates at low scoring schools fail would see virtually no candidates from high scoring schools fail. Conclusions Candidates at different schools exhibited significant differences in scores in two separate sittings. Performance varied by enough that standards that produce realistic fail rates in one medical school may produce substantially different pass rates in other medical schools – despite identical content and the candidates being governed by the same regulator. Regardless of which hypothetical standards are “correct” as judged by experts, large institutional differences in pass rates must be explored and understood by medical educators before shared standards are applied. The study results can assist cross-school groups in developing a consensus on standard setting future licensing assessment.

scholarly journals Examining the Effects of the Sacramento Dockless E-Bike Share on Bicycling and Driving

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 368
Author(s):  
Dillon T. Fitch ◽  
Hossain Mohiuddin ◽  
Susan L. Handy
Keyword(s):  
Travel Behavior ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Panel Survey ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Combine Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Bike Share

One way cities are looking to promote bicycling is by providing publicly or privately operated bike-share services, which enable individuals to rent bicycles for one-way trips. Although many studies have examined the use of bike-share services, little is known about how these services influence individual-level travel behavior more generally. In this study, we examine the behavior of users and non-users of a dockless, electric-assisted bike-share service in the Sacramento region of California. This service, operated by Jump until suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, was one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., and spanned three California cities: Sacramento, West Sacramento, and Davis. We combine data from a repeat cross-sectional before-and-after survey of residents and a longitudinal panel survey of bike-share users with the goal of examining how the service influenced individual-level bicycling and driving. Results from multilevel regression models suggest that the effect of bike-share on average bicycling and driving at the population level is likely small. However, our results indicate that people who have used-bike share are likely to have increased their bicycling because of bike-share.

scholarly journals Using the Self-Organising Map to Identify Regularities across Country-Specific Housing-Market Contexts

10.1068/b3186 ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Kauko
Keyword(s):  
Housing Market ◽  
Semiparametric Regression ◽  
The Self ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Institutional Differences ◽  
Market Fundamentals ◽  
Self Organising Map ◽  
Public And Private Sector ◽  
Housing Submarkets

The aim of exploring and monitoring housing-market fundamentals (prices, dwelling features, area density, residents, and so on) on a macrolocational level relates to both public and private sector policymaking. Housing market segmentation (that is, the emergence of housing submarkets), a concept with increasing relevance, is defined as the differentiation of housing in terms of the income and preferences of the residents and in terms of administrative circumstances. In order to capture such segmentation empirically, the author applies a fairly new and emerging technique known as the ‘self-organising’ map (SOM), or ‘Kohonen map’. The SOM is a type of (artificial) neural network—a nonlinear and flexible (that is, nonparametric or semiparametric) regression and ‘machine learning’ technique. By utilising the ability of the SOM to visualise patterns, one can analyse various dimensions within the variation of the dataset. Segmentation may then be detected depending on the resulting patterns across the map layers, each of which represents the data variation for one input variable. Utilising an inductive modelling strategy, the author runs cross-sectional and nationwide data on the owner-occupied housing markets of Finland (documentation presented elsewhere), the Netherlands, and Hungary with the SOM technique. On the basis of the resulting configurations certain regularities (similarities and differences) across the three national contexts are identified. In all three cases the segments are determined by physical and institutional differences between the housing bundles and localities. The exercise demonstrates how the inductive SOM-based approach is well-suited for illustrating the contextual factors that determine housing market structure.

Social Capital and Self-Perceived Health in Lone Mothers: A Multilevel Cross-Sectional Study across Europe

2021 ◽  
pp. 0192513X2199416
Author(s):  
Sara Trujillo-Alemán ◽  
Åsa Tjulin ◽  
Glòria Pérez ◽  
Emma Hagqvist
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Family Policy ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Perceived Health ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Model ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Lone Mothers

This study aimed to explore the distribution of social capital and its relation to self-perceived health in lone mothers across Europe. Data were drawn from the European Social Survey Round 5. The sample was restricted to women (15–64 years), not cohabiting with a partner, and with children (≤ 18 years) living in the household. Social capital was measured using variables, representing both structural (political engagement, social support, and social activity) and cognitive (generalized trust, institutionalized trust, reciprocity, and a feeling of safety) components. Individual-level measurements: age, educational attainment, employment status, income level, and household economy. Country-level measurements: family policy model and collective social capital. A multilevel analysis was conducted. The results revealed cross-country variance in the level of lone mothers’ social capital. After adjustment for individual-level and country-level measurements, only reciprocity and a feeling of safety were related to good self-perceived health among lone mothers in Europe.

Paying for Whose Performance? Teacher Incentive Pay and the Black–White Test Score Gap

2021 ◽  
pp. 016237372110014
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Hill ◽  
Daniel B. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Test Scores ◽  
Test Score ◽  
Performance Pay ◽  
Incentive Pay ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Teacher Incentives ◽  
Test Score Gap ◽  
Before And After ◽  
White Test ◽  
Matched Data

Teacher performance pay is often introduced with the goal of reducing gaps in test scores across groups, yet little is known about how well they achieve this aim. We ask, “Do test score-based teacher incentives impact the Black–White test score gap?” Using student–teacher matched data and a difference-in-differences approach in which the performance of a teacher’s students before and after the policy is compared, we find that performance pay increases the conditional Black–White gap. The effect is particularly evident when bonuses are large, consistent with a causal response to performance pay.

scholarly journals Urine Spot Samples Can Be Used to Estimate 24-Hour Urinary Sodium Excretion in Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 148 (12) ◽  
pp. 1946-1953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali Rios-Leyvraz ◽  
Pascal Bovet ◽  
René Tabin ◽  
Bernard Genin ◽  
Michel Russo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Excretion ◽  
Salt Intake ◽  
Sodium Intake ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Urinary Sodium Excretion ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Urinary Sodium ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Sodium ◽  
Individual Level

ABSTRACT Background The gold standard to assess salt intake is 24-h urine collections. Use of a urine spot sample can be a simpler alternative, especially when the goal is to assess sodium intake at the population level. Several equations to estimate 24-h urinary sodium excretion from urine spot samples have been tested in adults, but not in children. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the ability of several equations and urine spot samples to estimate 24-h urinary sodium excretion in children. Methods A cross-sectional study of children between 6 and 16 y of age was conducted. Each child collected one 24-h urine sample and 3 timed urine spot samples, i.e., evening (last void before going to bed), overnight (first void in the morning), and morning (second void in the morning). Eight equations (i.e., Kawasaki, Tanaka, Remer, Mage, Brown with and without potassium, Toft, and Meng) were used to estimate 24-h urinary sodium excretion. The estimates from the different spot samples and equations were compared with the measured excretion through the use of several statistics. Results Among the 101 children recruited, 86 had a complete 24-h urine collection and were included in the analysis (mean age: 10.5 y). The mean measured 24-h urinary sodium excretion was 2.5 g (range: 0.8–6.4 g). The different spot samples and equations provided highly heterogeneous estimates of the 24-h urinary sodium excretion. The overnight spot samples with the Tanaka and Brown equations provided the most accurate estimates (mean bias: −0.20 to −0.12 g; correlation: 0.48–0.53; precision: 69.7–76.5%; sensitivity: 76.9–81.6%; specificity: 66.7%; and misclassification: 23.0–27.7%). The other equations, irrespective of the timing of the spot, provided less accurate estimates. Conclusions Urine spot samples, with selected equations, might provide accurate estimates of the 24-h sodium excretion in children at a population level. At an individual level, they could be used to identify children with high sodium excretion. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02900261.

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