Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Collateral Damage: How Expanding Public Charge Policy Influences Adult Esl Enrollment, Allison M. Eckert

Master's Theses

This study used statistical analysis of enrollment records for ESL programs at community colleges throughout California from 2015-2019 to determine whether adult immigrants’ participation in public ESL programs was reduced under President Donald Trump. Immigrant families’ lesser use of public education services and means-tested federal benefits has been widely documented in the wake of Trump’s expansion of the public charge rule, which counted immigrants’ use of a wider array of public benefits against their case for residency in the United States than had any previous iteration of the rule. Failing the public charge test can block an immigrant’s entry into …

Towering Intellects? Sizing Up The Relationship Between Height And Academic Success, Stephanie Coffey, Amy Ellen Schwartz

Center for Policy Research

Do tall students do better in school? While a robust literature documents higher earnings among taller people, we know little about the potential academic origins of the height earnings gradient. In this paper, we use unique student-level longitudinal data from New York City (NYC) to examine the link between height and academic outcomes, shedding light on underlying mechanisms. The centerpiece of our empirical work is a regression linking academic outcomes to height, measured as a z-score normalized to same grade/sex peers within schools. We estimate a meaningful height gradient for both boys and girls in ELA and math achievement in …

Using Pupil Transportation Data To Explore Educational Inequities And Outcomes: A Case Study From New York City, Sarah Cordes, Samantha Trajkovski, Christopher Rick, Meryle Weinstein, Amy Ellen Schwartz

Center for Policy Research

This article explores how researchers can use pupil transportation data to explore key questions about the role of transportation in educational access and equity, such as how students get to school and the effect of transportation on student outcomes. We first describe different sources of transportation data that are available to researchers, provide a brief review of relevant literature, and discuss potential sources of measurement error in pupil transportation data. Next, we use administrative data from New York City to illustrate how pupil transportation data can be used to understand transportation eligibility and assignment as well as to describe the …

What Makes A Classmate A Peer? Examining Which Peers Matter In Nyc Elementary Schools, William C. Horrace, Hyunseok Jung, Jonathan L. Pressler, Amy Ellen Schwartz

Center for Policy Research

Generalizing the group interaction model of Lee (2007), we identify and estimate the effects of student level social spillovers on standardized test performance in New York City (NYC) elementary schools. We leverage student demographic data to construct within-classroom social networks based on shared student characteristics, such as a gender or ethnicity. Rather than aggregate shared characteristics into a single network matrix, we specify additively separate network matrices for each shared characteristic and estimate city-wide peer effects for each one. Conditional on being in the same classroom, we find that the most important student peer effects are shared ethnicity, gender, and …

Impact Of Covid-19 On Households With Children, Alejandra Muñoz-Rivera, Jason Jabbari, Stephen Roll, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions in employment, child care and education. As a result, both parents and children experienced a variety of hardships in their work and education. While these hardships had reverberating effects throughout households, they were not equally distributed across families with children. In this brief, we explore the effects of COVID-19 on families with children, highlighting unaddressed areas of need, as well as potential points of intervention. In this study we find:

• Almost one-quarter (22%) of families experienced job or income loss as a result of child care disruptions, which was especially prevalent in households with …

The Socioeconomic Impacts Of Covid-19 Study: Survey Methodology Report, Stephen Roll, Sam Bufe, Yung Chun, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

The Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey uniquely documents the social and economic impacts of a global pandemic as people experienced the global pandemic. These findings can inform social, economic and health policies now and in the future. Though the data from the survey are not publicly available, they are freely available on a limited basis to interested researchers. If you or your organization are interested in accessing the cleaned and coded survey data, or would like more information about the survey, please reach out to the Social Policy Institute at.

Student And Teacher Diversity In The Mountain West, Marie A. Falcone, Guadalupe De La Rosa, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

K-12 Education

This fact sheet highlights public K-12 teacher and student diversity in the Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. We explore data from Michael Hansen and Diana Quintero’s “Mountain West states face growing teacher diversity gaps” a 2018 Brookings Institution report. Specifically, we explore the teacher and student population in Mountain West states by race, revealing a disproportionate gap between students of color and teachers of color.

“Take My Word For It”: Group Texts And Testimonials Enhance State And Federal Student Aid Applications', Jason Jabbari, Stephen Roll, Sam Bufe, Jessica Mckay

Social Policy Institute Research

"As the cost of college continues to rise, it has become increasingly important for students to apply for financial aid. However, many students are unaware of the benefits of FAFSA. We launched a field experiment with a non-profit organization to explore the impact of text message interventions on FAFSA application rates. 2,236 potential students were randomized into three groups: a control group that focused on reminders for upcoming deadlines, a treatment group that focused on benefits-framed messaging, and a second treatment group that added social proofing and norming. Each group received 8 text messages from late September 2020 to early …

Lessons From The Pandemic, Nathan D. Grawe

Numeracy

The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of quantitative literacy--for policy makers and the public at large. While all aspects of numeracy have been shown relevant to the past year, our need for broader statistical literacy appear particularly pressing. Pandemic experiences may motivate greater interest in developing numeracy skills.

Making Patriots Of Pupils: Colonial Education In Micronesia From 1944-1980, Julia Taylor

The Forum: Journal of History

This article explores American colonial education in Micronesia from the final months of World War Two to the late 1970s. The primary research question concerns American usage of education to pursue political and military goals, and how this affected multiple dimensions of Indigenous life. Although the dominant narrative at the time blamed Indigenous people for difficulties in implementing American education, the Western values permeating the American consciousness significantly inhibited the possibility of success as Americans defined it. This article details American motivations and efforts to implement an educational system as part of a larger goal of “economic development” and analyzes …

Essays On Economic Development And Environmental Sustainability, Rohan Ray

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The first chapter is a randomized controlled trial study that uses loss framing and information nudges to increase secondary school attendance in Bangladesh. Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) have become one of the most common policy interventions to increase school attendance, but the cost-effectiveness of such interventions has not attracted the attention it deserves. Hence, in addition to a standard CCT implementation, our rich unique dataset on daily attendance allows us to experimentally study two potential ways to improve the cost-effectiveness of school attendance interventions: (i) SMS information nudges and (ii) loss framing in CCTs. The former provides school attendance information …

Brain Drain And Higher Education Capacity: A Case Study Of Nevada And The Western Undergraduate Exchange, Marie A. Falcone

Student Research

Policy initiatives such as the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), a regional tuition saving agreement among colleges and universities operating in the western states, have the ability to increase mobility and promote human capital attainment. This brief will be focusing exclusively on how Nevada’s higher education system and related programs, specifically the WUE, can be improved to further attract and attain a higher-skilled workforce. This paper will cover a literature review of brain drain and its effects, investigate Nevada’s relationship with human capital and the WUE, as well as offer policy recommendations to improve attainment.

From Preschool To Prison: How School Resource Officers Produce Criminality, Brenda Vargas Tapia

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Police officers were introduced in the American school system to provide White communities with a sense of safety. However, these police officers are not well trained to provide students with support and instead are trained to deal with situations with force. The implicit bias of police officers criminalizes and punishes Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) students unfairly. School shootings have continued to enforce the idea that officers are needed. However, this notion is untrue. Policing in schools builds a school-to-prison pipeline that is now, in the online schooling era, translating to the Zoom-to-prison pipeline, which reveals that BIPOC …

The Issue Of Unemployment Among People With Disabilities, Angelina C. Pagano

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The rate of unemployment for people with disabilities continues to rise greatly above that of people without disabilities. The issue seems to be exacerbated by employer biases and concerns which are not supported in the face of evidence. A lack of employer education on disability related subjects causes this misconception among both employers and the public as a whole. To resolve the underlying problem of miseducation, an increase in the self-identification of people with disabilities is necessary to provide researchers with data to assist in the formation of a revised curriculum.

Mental Health In Music: Why Are We Not Talking About It?, Christian Pence

English Department: Research for Change - Wicked Problems in Our World

The music business has taken many hits over the past 20 years, and we are seeing musicians slowly going extinct. There are so many factors that are hurting musicians, and workers in the music business. Back in the 80’s and 90’s, we were investing in music like no tomorrow. So many concerts were happening, and so many Broadway shows were going on. We were really supporting our musicians, and we were helping them in any way we could. But society, has not been investing in musicians, causing certain problems, like financial stability, mental health problems, and making music more of …

Hazardous Weather Communication En Español: Challenges, Current Resources, And Future Practices, Joseph E. Trujillo-Falcón, Orlando Bermúdez, Krizia Negrón-Hernández, John Lipski, Elizabeth Leitman, Kodi Berry

NOAA Technical Reports and Related Materials

According to recent Census data, the Hispanic or Latino population represents nearly 1 in 5 Americans today, where 71.1% of these individuals speak Spanish at home. Despite increased efforts among the weather enterprise, establishing effective risk communication strategies for Spanish-speaking populations has been an uphill battle. No frameworks exist for translating weather information into the Spanish language, nor are there collective solutions that address this problem within the weather world. The objective of this article is threefold. First, the current translation issue in Spanish is highlighted. Through research conducted at the NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, situations are revealed where regional …

Reimagining Post-Secondary Training, Community College, And Welfare Supports, Aaron Azerad

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper seeks to study the income patterns at the sub-bachelorette level through community colleges and workforce training programs. Using 2018 U.S. Census PUMA microdata, this thesis not only explores which fields of study, industries, and occupations have a sufficient number of observations to determine whether they provide incomes which are commensurate with a middle class livelihood but, also whether these jobs are plentiful in number.

The second goal is to evaluate the effects of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (the Clinton era welfare reform) and how it has influenced Giuliani era ‘work requirement’ initiatives tied …

Internet Connectivity Among Indigenous And Tribal Communities In North America - A Focus On Social And Educational Outcomes, Christopher S. Yoo, Leon Gwaka, Muge Haseki

All Faculty Scholarship

Broadband access is an important part of enhancing rural community development, improving the general quality of life. Recent telecommunications stimulus projects in the U.S. and Canada were intended to increase availability of broadband through funding infrastructure investments, largely in rural and remote regions. However, there are various small, remote, and rural communities, who remain unconnected. Connectivity is especially important for indigenous and tribal communities to access opportunities for various public services as they are generally located in remote areas. In 2016, the FCC reported that 41% of U.S. citizens living on tribal lands, and 68% of those in the rural …

Collaborative Governance In Public Education Through Democratic Management Of Polarities, Michele Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a democratic society the use of inter- and intraorganizational collaboration as a pragmatic approach to addressing social issues germane to sustaining that democracy is a challenge, especially in the realm of public education reform. The Common Core State Standards Initiative, an attempt at collaboration to reform public schools initially adopted by more than three fourths of U.S. states, created an ongoing response that included proponents and opposers. The opposition in Pennsylvania led to the State reneging on its original commitment to the Common Core State Standards created by the initiative. Research revealed a gap regarding the ability of the …

Education On My Healthevet To Increase Access To Psychiatric Healthcare For Veterans, Roxann Hackbarth

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Practice Innovation Projects

Introduction: Access to mental health care can be challenging for many veterans. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) developed the patient portal My Healthevet (MHV) to increase access to healthcare services. Despite this program, many veterans still do not take advantage of the portal. The goal of this literature review was to gain knowledge on benefits and barriers of using patient portals, identification of patients who use and do not use patient portals, and interventions to increase the use of patient portals.
Evidence Summary: The use of patient portals, including the VHA portal MHV, helps to increase interactions between clinicians and …

Education And Peaceful Coexistence Among Urban Refugee Children, Brenda Aleesi

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Education is a salient aspect of the peaceful coexistence of any society that cannot be ignored. This paper examines the role of education in aiding the peaceful coexistence of urban refugees in Uganda. Uganda continues to host refugees fleeing conflict, war and instability from countries in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa. Refugees are given basic assistance in rural settlements. Urban refugees who choose to live in the urban areas amongst the host community do not receive basic assistance except a few on the urban caseload (with security and health problems). The information is drawn from qualitative …

Education Towards Attaining Sustainable Development In Developing Nations: Nigeria As A Case Study, Ezeifekwuaba Tochukwu Benedict

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This Research Paper is a contribution towards highlighting the underdevelopment challenges in Nigeria by applying Education as a tool. In the present decades, there has been a Paradigm Shift in emphasizing on Sustainable Development and the way it been practised. All over the country, there is evidence of a failed leadership attributed by a dwindling economic, educational, political and social fortune. All these challenges are due to the incapability of the leadership to effectively plan for development and apply the necessary educational tools that can produce great leaders that can control the helms of Government and the private sectoral industries. …

Barriers In Implementing A Unified Collaborative Policy To Combat Female Sex Trafficking In Edo-State,Nigeria., Grace Chikaodili Uzochukwu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractHuman trafficking has been a historical and global concern as well as a global crime against humanity that violates individual rights, freedom, and privileges. Human trafficking has become a growing phenomenon in Edo State, Nigeria, while the existing policy to combat it has proved ineffective. There was a gap in understanding strategies for the unification of the policies at the level of Edo State, Nigeria, and the level of the United Nations (UN) to ensure better outcomes in the fight against human trafficking. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceived barriers to implementing collaborative policy unification …

Development Of A Pilot Training Program For Middle School Students To Reduce End-User Cyber Vulnerabilities, Connie D. Howard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study contributes to the limited body of knowledge on cybersecurity in middle schools beyond awareness programs. The purpose was to develop a pilot training module for middle school students comprising an analysis of public documents to examine what topics should be included in a pilot training program to reduce problematic cyber practices. Attitude functional theory was used as the conceptual framework to provide insights into the process of persuading a positive behavioral change in a targeted group that is sustainable. A systematic analysis of national, state, and local public documents was conducted to compare practices, including a K–12 …

Juvenile Probation Officers’ Perspectives On The Success Factors Of Youth Diversion Programs, Kya Tanique Robertson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The goal of youth diversion programs includes reducing recidivism while granting opportunities for youth to refocus their paths. Although juvenile probation officers' role is vital to supervised probation in youth diversion programs, the problem is that there is a lack of literature that assesses the success of the factors of mentoring, education, and mental health treatment that directly connect youth with social services. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perceptions of juvenile probation officers on the success factors of youth diversion programs as they relate to mentoring, education, and mental health treatment. Becker's labeling theory …

Education Amid Stabilization: The Varied Effects Of Military Intervention On Public Schooling In Mali, Niger, And Burkina Faso, Arjun S. Mehta

Honors Projects

At the intersection of international relations, comparative politics, and war consequence studies, this paper seeks to evaluate the effects of supportive foreign military intervention on education provision in three neighboring Central Sahel countries: Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. In the wake of a Tuareg insurgency and a 2012 coup d’état in Mali, the proliferation of jihadist violence in the tri-border Liptako-Gourma region has been met by a proliferation of foreign interveners. Does stabilization— the form of intervention in the Central Sahel— improve education provision, as measured by diminishing jihadist attacks on schools and school closures due to violence? This paper …

Supporting Highly Mobile Literacy Learners : Examining How An Elementary School Provided Support To Mobile Students In An Urban School District, Rebecca L. Benjamin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation explores the academic and social-emotional supports and constraints that impact the literacy learning of highly mobile students in an urban elementary school, utilizing interview, questionnaire, and achievement data from transient students and educational professionals who work with them. It examines a school year of highly mobile student experiences in literacy-learning across a wide range of factors and environments, considering student and educator observations, reflections, and participation, through different schools and across various settings in their current/newest school (in classrooms, at lunch, recess, rehearsals, and specials, working with social or academic service providers, etc.). This study’s theoretical framework was …

"Folks Like Us" : Exploring State Education Policy In New York's Rural School Districts, Nicole Lennon

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Diversity has been a major topic in education in recent years. However, often missing from the conversation is consideration of geographic diversity across urban, suburban, and rural school districts. Research shows that geographic place influences educational capacity, opportunities, and trajectories, as well as social life, cultural values, and individual identity. The policy process is influenced by dominant ideologies that tend to problematize rural places and favor the interests of metropolitan places. This metro-centric ideology may continue to influence educational policymaking in the United States today, as scholars have found policymakers often reuse similar urban-favored tools and solutions in the design …

Advancing Veteran Entrepreneurship Through Education, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This presentation provides an overview of how veteran entrepreneurship can be bolstered by education.

Instructing Normalcy, Anna R. Derosa

Senior Projects Spring 2021

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Multidisciplinary Studies of Bard College.