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May 31, 2006
NCES Newsflash: Two New Publications Released by NCES
NCES has just released two new publications from the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES:2005).
'Adult Education Participation in 2004-05,' presents selected data on adults’ participation in adult educational activities in the United States, excluding full-time college/university or vocational/technical credential programs, over a 12-month period from 2004-05. These data are from the Adult Education Survey of the 2005 National Household Education Surveys Program. Interviews for the survey were conducted with a nationally representative sample adults. A wide range of statistics is included in the report. For example, 44 percent of adults reported having participated in formal adult educational activities (excluding full-time college programs) in this time period.
To download, view and print the report as a pdf file, go to: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006077
'After-School Programs and Activities: 2005,' presents data on participation in after-school activities and programs in the United States. The data are from the After-School Programs and Activities Survey (ASPA) of the 2005 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES:2005). The data presented in the report are based on a nationally representative sample of students in kindergarten through grade 8. In 2005, 40 percent of students in kindergarten through eighth grade participated in after-school care arrangements that occurred at least once each week.
To download, view and print the report as a pdf file, go to: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006076
Posted by ronbo at 03:53 PM
May 30, 2006
Roper Center Data Acquisitions Update, April 2006
Click here for a list of new additions to the Roper Center data archive that are now available to Center Members via Roper Express.
Stanford University Libraries maintains a membership to the Roper Center and Stanford faculty, staff, and students can now download data directly accessible via Roper Express. For instructions on requesting data not available via Roper Express, click on the "Data Services - Roper" link on our SSDS web site.
This month the attached PDF contains:
• The American Muslims Poll sponsored by The Project MAPS: Muslims in American Public Square, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (CMCU), Georgetown University conducted by Zogby Group International, August 5-September 15, 2004.
• 2 new Time Magazine polls conducted by Schulman, Ronca, & Bucuvalas, Inc. in March, 2006.
• Los Angeles Times poll conducted in January of 2006.
• 5 new ABC News/Washington Post Poll conducted from October to December, 2005.
• Pew studies conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International: 8 in 2005 and 11 in 2004.
• 12 new Opinion Dynamics/Fox News polls conducted from September, 1999-June 2000.
These notices have been archived on the Roper Center website at:
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/dataacq/yeartodate.html
Posted by ronbo at 07:11 PM
May 24, 2006
NCES Newsflash: New Release! - National Indian Education Study, Part I: NAEP 2005 Performance by American Indian and Alaska Native Students
The National Indian Education Study (NIES) is a two-part study designed to describe the condition of education for American Indian/Alaska Native students in the United States. The study was conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education (OIE).
Part I of the study presents the performance of American Indian/Alaska Native students at grades 4 and 8 on the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics assessments. Approximately 7,200 American Indian/Alaska Native students participated in reading and 7,300 in mathematics. This national sample includes students from both public and nonpublic schools. In addition to the national sample, states with relatively large populations of American Indian/Alaska Native students as a percentage of the state's total population are included in the report (Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota).
Findings are detailed and discussed in the report, including these for the NAEP 2005 reading assessment:
* At both grades 4 and 8, American Indian/Alaska Native students had lower average scale scores compared to all other students in the nation.
* The percentages of students performing at or above Basic and at or above Proficient were also lower for American Indian/Alaska Native students than those for all other students at both grades.
* At grades 4 and 8, American Indian/Alaska Native students in Oklahoma had higher average reading scores than all American Indian/Alaska Native students in the nation.
Findings for the NAEP 2005 mathematics assessment include these:
* At both grades 4 and 8, American Indian/Alaska Native students had lower average scale scores than all other students in the nation.
* The percentages of students performing at or above Basic and at or above Proficient were also lower for American Indian/Alaska Native students than for all other students at both grades.
* At grade 4, the average scores for American Indian/Alaska Native students in Montana and Oklahoma were not significantly different when compared to American Indian/Alaska Native students in the nation. At grade 8, American Indian/Alaska Native students in New Mexico and South Dakota had lower average scores than all American Indian/Alaska Native students in the nation.
Part II of the study, which is a survey of the educational experiences of American Indian/Alaska Native students, their teachers, and their schools, will be released in the summer of 2006.
To see complete results, go to:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/NIES
You may download the full report from:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/studies/2006463.pdf
Posted by ronbo at 10:12 PM
NCES Newsflash: The Nation's Report Card - Science 2005 Results Released
Results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) 2005 science assessment were just released, detailing national performance at grades 4, 8, and 12 and state performance for most states at grades 4 and 8.
National findings since the previous assessments in 1996 and 2000 show:
* Fourth-grade students scored higher than either previous year, and lower-performing students made the largest gains since 2000.
* Eighth-graders’ overall performance remained unchanged compared with either previous year; gains by lower-income students narrowed the gap since 2000.
* Scores for twelfth-graders remain unchanged since the last assessment, but are lower than in 1996. However, the White-Black gap has widened since 2000.
At both grades, 37 states and jurisdictions participated in both 2000 and 2005:
* Fourth-graders in 9 states showed increases in scores since 2000.
* Eighth-graders in 11 states posted increases for 2000, 4 declined.
Full results for the nation and states are available at: http://nationsreportcard.gov
Browse the Executive Summary of the report:
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main2005/2006466.asp
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006466
Posted by ronbo at 09:59 PM
May 23, 2006
NCES Newsflash: NEW REPORT! - 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) Methodology Report & Restricted-Use Data File
2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) Methodology Report
This report is designed to give readers an accurate picture of this important study and the data generated by its methodology. The report is organized into 6 chapters, including information about the purpose of the study, the sample design, the data collection instruments, data collection and data processing procedures, an evaluation of data quality, and weighting and variance estimation. Of the 34,330 eligible sample members, 26,110 (76 percent) completed the faculty questionnaire during a field period from January to October of 2004. Seventy-six percent of respondents completed the self-administered web questionnaire, and 24 percent were interviewed by telephone. The average time to complete the survey was 30 minutes. Of the 1,070 eligible institutions, 980 (91 percent) provided faculty lists and 920 (84 percent) completed the institution questionnaire. Evaluations of operations and procedures focused on the institution contacting endeavor, the timeline for data collection from institutions (faculty lists and institution questionnaires) and faculty (CATI and self-administered interviews), tracing and locating procedures, refusal conversion efforts, the effectiveness of incentives, and the length of the faculty interview. Item nonresponse was below 15 percent for 87 of the 90 items in the institution questionnaire and for 141 out of the 162 items in the faculty questionnaire.
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006179
--------------------
Restricted-Use Data File: 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04)
Included on this CD-ROM are data files from approximately 920 institutions and 26,100 faculty and instructional staff included in the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04). Also included are electronic codebook systems for using these data files. Your organization must apply for and be granted a restricted data license in order to obtain these data.
To obtain a Restricted Use Data License, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006183
Posted by ronbo at 01:25 AM
May 19, 2006
Recent ICPSR updates and additions - May 19, 2006
Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:
NEW ADDITIONS:
4122 ABC News/Washington Post Republican Convention Closer Poll, September 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04122.xml
4207 California Work Pays Demonstration Project: County Welfare Administrative Data, 1992-1998, Public Use Version 4.1
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04207.xml
4315 ABC News/Washington Post National Traffic Poll, January 2005
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04315.xml
4373 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04373.xml
13635 Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): Life History Calendar, Wave 2, 1997-2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/13635.xml
13644 Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): Prenatal and Early Health, Wave 2, 1997-2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/13644.xml
13651 Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): Routine Activities, Wave 2, 1997-2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/13651.xml
13654 Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): School Interview, Wave 2, 1997-2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/13654.xml
13656 Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): Service Use, Wave 2, 1997-2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/13656.xml
UPDATES:
1317 Computer Use and Compactness in Congressional and Legislative Redistricting 1990-2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/01317.xml
2477 Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 1997
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/02477.xml
2751 Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 1998
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/02751.xml
2939 Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 1999
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/02939.xml
3184 Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03184.xml
3753 Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 2002
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03753.xml
4019 Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 2003
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04019.xml
9286 International Crisis Behavior Project, 1918-2002
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/09286.xml
You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/.
Posted by ronbo at 11:28 PM
NCES Newsflash: StatChat on The Nation's Report Card: Results from the 2005 NAEP Science Assessment, May 24 at 2 p.m. EDT
Join Associate Commissioner Peggy Carr at 2 p.m. EDT on May 24 for a StatChat—a live online discussion--about the results of the 2005 national and state science assessment, scheduled for release on May 24 at 10 a.m. EDT. Submit your questions ahead of time at http://nces.ed.gov/WhatsNew/statchat/index2.asp
The Nation's Report Card: Results from the 2005 NAEP Science Assessment will provide information on the performance of our nation’s fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-graders and include comparisons to performance in 1996 and 2000. State data will also be available at grades 4 and 8. Visit http://nationsreportcard.gov at the time of the release for full results.
Posted by ronbo at 11:24 PM
MEPS Data Users'' Workshop
AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY
MEPS Data Users' Workshop
AHRQ is conducting a two-day workshop to facilitate the use of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) by the health services research community. The workshop, designed for those with an interest in using national health surveys, will be held at the Eisenberg Building, located on 540 Gaither Road in Rockville, MD. 20850. At this workshop participants will have the opportunity to bring up specific research and policy questions of interest to them.
Two-day Overview of MEPS-HC and Computer Hands-on: July 24-25, 2006
This workshop combines lecture (1st day) and hands-on (2nd day) with a maximum of 20 participants (Cost $50). The 1st day will consist of lectures on practical information about the survey design, file content, and the construction of analytic files by data users and the knowledge necessary to formulate research plans utilizing the various MEPS-HC files and linkage capabilities. The focus of the workshop will be health care utilization, expenditures, and medical conditions.
In addition, there will be an overview presentation on H-CUP data (Healthcare Costs and Utilization project). For more information, click on the link below:
www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/
The 2nd day will consist of an opportunity to construct analytic files with the assistance of AHRQ staff. A PC will be available for each participant. Attendees should have some exposure to MEPS and the ability to use SAS.
Coming Soon: Full program Description, Registration Form and Logistical Information
Please check http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/workshop/WSSchedule.htm
For any other questions, email workshop06@ahrq.hhs.gov
Posted by ronbo at 06:56 AM
May 17, 2006
NCES Newsflash: 2005 Digest of Education Statistics Tables are now Available
New tables from Digest of Education Statistics, 2005 provide a wide array of data covering prekindergarten through graduate school. Topics include: numbers of institutions; teachers; enrollments; graduates; educational attainment; finances; federal funds for education; employment and income of graduates; libraries; and international comparisons.
To view the new 2005 Digest of Education Statistics tables, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/
Posted by ronbo at 02:54 PM
May 16, 2006
NCES Newsflash: NEW REPORT! - Calories In, Calories Out: Food and Exercise in Public Elementary Schools, 2005
This study, prompted by concern over the rate of obesity among school-age children, was designed to obtain current national information on availability of foods and opportunities for physical activity in public elementary schools. The report includes findings on the types of food sold at one or more locations in schools and in their cafeterias or lunchrooms; the types of food sold at vending machines and school stores or snack bars, and times when foods were available at those locations; food service operations and contracts with companies to sell foods at schools; scheduled recess, including the days per week, times per day, and minutes per day of recess; scheduled physical education, including the days per week, class length, and average minutes per week of physical education; activities to encourage physical activity among elementary students; and the physical assessment of students.
To browse the report, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/Pubs2006/nutrition/
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006064
Posted by ronbo at 07:42 PM
May 15, 2006
NCES Newsflash: NEW REPORT! - The Early Reading and Mathematics Achievement of Children Who Repeated Kindergarten or Who Began School a Year Late
This report examines the association between kindergarten enrollment status (e.g., repeating kindergarten or delaying entry into kindergarten) and children’s first grade reading and mathematics achievement. Based on the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), the statistics in brief reports that in the fall of 1998 5 percent of all children in kindergarten were repeating kindergarten and 6 percent were attending kindergarten for the first time even though they were age-eligible to do so a year earlier (i.e., delayed entry). In terms of children’s first grade performance by kindergarten enrollment status, at the end of first grade, children who repeated kindergarten have lower reading and mathematics knowledge and skills than those who started on time. At the end of first grade, children whose kindergarten entry was delayed, in general, demonstrate slightly higher reading knowledge and skills than those who started on time. In mathematics at the end of first grade, children whose kindergarten entry was delayed kindergarten are behind their classmates who began kindergarten on time.
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006064
Posted by ronbo at 06:49 PM
NCES Newsflash: New version of the College Opportunities Online Locator (COOL) website
NCES announces the release of a new version of the College Opportunities Online Locator (COOL) website, a consumer information tool for students, parents, high school counselors, and others interested in postsecondary education in the United States. The site allows users to see and compare profiles of nearly 7,000 colleges and universities throughout the nation. Users can search by location, program or major, and a variety of institutional characteristics to identify postsecondary institutions that fit their preferences. In addition, up to four institutions can be compared side-by-side on areas including:
- Estimated student expenses;
- Financial aid availability;
- Admissions information;
- Enrollment details;
- Retention and graduation rates; and,
- Awards and degrees.
Links to institution websites as well as to additional information about campus security, federal student loan default rates, and accreditation are also provided.
To visit the COOL website, go to http://collegesearch.nces.ed.gov.
Posted by ronbo at 06:00 PM
May 11, 2006
Call for 2007 ISA MAR Panel Paper Proposals
The Minorities at Risk Project (MAR), housed in the Center for International Development and Conflict Management at the University of Maryland, College Park, invites scholars to submit abstracts for presentation during panels at the annual convention of the International Studies Association, to be held February 28 * March 3, 2007 in Chicago, Illinois. Please see below for panel themes and indicate in your submission to which panel your abstract is addressed. The deadline is May 27, 2006.
Please note:
(1) Submissions do not need to include MAR data for them to be considered and do not need to be quantitative; we base decisions on the merit of the proposal itself, with the only condition that submissions relate to minority politics.
(2) MAR will make its decision on the papers to be included in our submission by May 30th (you will be notified by the evening of May 30th), ensuring that those proposals not selected by MAR can still be submitted by the authors directly to ISA on either May 31st or June 1st.
PANEL TITLES
Panel 1: IR, Globalization and Minority Politics
Global transformations and pressures appearing in a variety of forms affect ethnic politics and conflict, including diaspora groups, transnational and international organizations, as well as the rapid, penetrative spread of information, arms, and ideas. This panel will bring together scholars working in the realm identity politics, globalization, and international or transnational relations.
Panel 2: Low-level ethnic conflict
Increasingly, scholars are shifting away from predicting and explaining “ethnic civil war”, with the realization that we must focus on understanding the lower-level conflicts, the repression-dissent nexus that can build to larger forms of conflict. This panel will focus on exploring, explaining, and understanding lower-level forms of conflict, including repression, dissent, riots and pogroms.
Panel 3: Differences between Identity and Non-Identity Conflicts
The field of ‘ethnic conflict’ is often challenged by scholars asking whether there is, in fact, anything unique about ‘ethnicity’ and conflict. Some research has demonstrated differences in the duration of civil wars or the means by which civil wars end but, equally, other scholars have found no differences at all. Is there something unique about identity? If so, what is the theoretical basis and what patterns are seen empirically? Is identity one of many tools used to overcome the problem of collective action in rebellion or is something else at work?
Panel 4: Territorial Conflicts, Separatism, and Ethno-political Conflict
This panel will bring together scholars interested in ethno-nationalist territorial and separatist conflicts. Themes can include, among others, which conflict regulating mechanisms are most appropriate and effective for these conflict, under what conditions separatism succeeds, strategic choices by organizations to choose autonomy or independence as a goal, international norms regarding autonomy.
Panel 5: Terrorism and Ethnic Politics
Many of the world’s “terrorist organizations” claim to represent ethnic minority groups and have been studied extensively for decades. How can this previous scholarship inform the recent surge of academic interest in the field of terrorism studies? When and why do minority organizations choose to use political violence as a strategy and when does this involve the deliberate targeting of civilians? Do different ‘minorities’ (eg linguistic, religious, social) have different strategies vis-a-vis terrorism?
Posted by ronbo at 07:04 PM
Announcement of new 2006 ICPSR Summer Program workshop
The Health and Medical Care Archive, a project of ICPSR sponsored by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is offering a new workshop, "Health Care Change in the United States: Working With the Community Tracking Study," which will be held in Ann Arbor on August 7-11. The workshop will focus primarily on the household and physician surveys conducted by the Community Tracking Study, a large-scale longitudinal investigation of health system change and its effects on people. There is no fee for this workshop and stipend support of up to $1,000 is available for those admitted. Applications are due by May 30, 2006. Details are posted at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/training/summer/courses/2006-03-45.html.
Posted by ronbo at 05:11 PM
NCES Newsflash: NEW NCES REPORT! - Initial Results From the 2005 NHES Early Childhood Program Participation Survey
This report presents selected data on the nonparental care arrangements and educational programs of preschool children, consisting of care by relatives, care by persons to whom they were not related, and participation in day care centers and preschool programs including Head Start or Early Head Start. It focuses on children under age 6 who have not yet entered kindergarten. For example, the report shows that 60 percent of such children were in some type of nonparental care arrangement on a weekly basis in 2005. The data are drawn from the Early Childhood Program Participation Survey (ECPP) of the 2005 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES:2005).
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006075
Posted by ronbo at 05:00 PM
May 09, 2006
Recent ICPSR updates and additions - May 09, 2006
Below is a list of new data collection additions to the ICPSR data archive along with a list of released data collections that have been updated:
NEW ADDITIONS:
4159 CBS News/New York Times Monthly Poll, July 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04159.xml
4324 Washington Post: DC-Region Moms Poll, April 2005
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04324.xml
4442 National Hospital Discharge Survey, 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04442.xml
13659 Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): Substance Use, Wave 2, 1997-2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/13659.xml
UPDATES:
3402 Chronic Illness and Caregiving, 2000: [United States]
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03402.xml
3428 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992-2001
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03428.xml
3672 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2000
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03672.xml
3691 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992-2002
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03691.xml
3884 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2001
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03884.xml
3995 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992-2003
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/03995.xml
4022 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2002
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04022.xml
4248 ACTIVE (Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly), 1999-2001 [United States]
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04248.xml
4257 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 2003
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04257.xml
4276 National Crime Victimization Survey, 1992-2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04276.xml
4349 National Health Interview Survey, 2004
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/04349.xml
7523 Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior, Spring 1974
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/07523.xml
7525 Survey of Consumer Attitudes and Behavior, Fall 1973
http://webapp.icpsr.umich.edu/cocoon/ICPSR-STUDY/07525.xml
You can also view a list of all studies added and updated in the last ninety days by visiting the ICPSR Web site at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/.
Posted by ronbo at 03:40 PM
May 04, 2006
NEW NCES REPORT! - A Comparable Wage Approach to Geographic Cost Adjustment
In this report, NCES extends the analysis of comparable wages to the labor market level using a Comparable Wage Index (CWI). The basic premise of a CWI is that all types of workers—including teachers—demand higher wages in areas with a higher cost of living (e.g., San Diego) or a lack of amenities (e.g., Detroit, which has a particularly high crime rate) (Federal Bureau of Investigation 2003). This report develops a CWI by combining baseline estimates from the 2000 U.S. census with annual data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Combining the Census with the OES makes it possible to have yearly CWI estimates for states and local labor markets for each year after 1997. OES data are available each May and permit the construction of an up-to-date, annual CWI. The CWI methodology offers many advantages over the previous NCES geographic cost adjustment methodologies, including relative simplicity, timeliness, and intrastate variations in labor costs that are undeniably outside of school district control. However, the CWI is not designed to detect cost variations within labor markets. Thus, all the school districts in the Washington, DC metro area would have the same CWI cost index. Furthermore, as with other geographic cost indices, the CWI methodology does not address possible differences in the level of wages between college graduates outside the education sector and education sector employees. Nor does the report explore the use of these geographic cost adjustments as inflation adjustments (deflators.) These could be areas for fruitful new research on cost adjustments by NCES.
To download, view and print the publication as a PDF file, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2006321
Posted by ronbo at 10:29 PM
ICPSR Summer Workshop on Child Development
ICPSR and its Child Care and Early Education Research Connections project would like to announce a new workshop being offered as part of the 2006 Summer Program. The workshop will feature data that can be used to analyze the development of young children. There is no fee for the workshop and stipends are available to defray travel costs. Please share this course announcement with your campus community. In particular, faculty and graduate students in the following areas might find the course of particular interest: early education, child development, family studies, sociology, social work, psychology and pediatrics.
Understanding the Development of Young Children from an Ecological Perspective
The Child Care and Early Education Research Connections project (www.childcareresearch.org) is offering a four-day workshop, Understanding the Development of Young Children from an Ecological Perspective, to be held August 1-4, 2006 in Ann Arbor, MI as part of the ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research. This workshop is sponsored by Research Connections, with support from the Child Care Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is designed as an introduction to key datasets that can be used to analyze the development of young children in multiple contexts and to assess the impact of early experiences on child outcomes. The workshop will feature the following four datasets:
* Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)
* Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (EHSRE)
* Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES)
* National Center for Educational Development and Learning Multi-State Study of Pre-Kindergarten, 2001-2003
Enrollment in this workshop is limited. Admitted graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, and junior faculty/researchers will also be considered for one of a limited number of monetary awards to help offset travel expenses. Applications are due by Wednesday, May 31, 2006. To learn more about the workshop, as well as to register, please visit: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/training/summer/courses/2006-03-47.html. Additional questions may be directed to contact@childcareresearch.org
Shawn Marie Pelak
Research Associate
Child Care and Early Education Research Connections
Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research
University of Michigan
330 Packard Street, Room 2217
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 615-7685
(734) 647-8700 (fax)
spelak@icpsr.umich.edu
www.childcareresearch.org
Posted by ronbo at 10:21 PM
Roper Center Newsletter, May 2006
Tip of the month!!
Don’t forget the stockpile of topics!
Each month Public Opinion Matters! explores a topic in polling with samples of iPOLL results, relevant datasets, and other links, articles, or online analysis tools on the subject matter. These topical examinations—all 47 of them—are saved and since the iPOLL searches are live, the information is current.
Visit the POM! Archive at: http://roperweb.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/Roperweb/pom/pom.htx;start=HS_pom_list
Public Opinion Matters!--"Environment"
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/roperweb/pom/pom.htx;start=HS_special_topics?Topic=environment
Should the government be spending more money on the environment? How do people feel about regulations to protect the environment? How concerned are you with Gobal Warming? Find out how others feel about these environmental issues and more in this month's POM topic--Environment.
Based on a new topic each month, POM offers a generous free sampling of related polling data and details of survey datasets held by the Roper Center, along with articles previously published in Public Perspective magazine.
Experience the depth of information housed in the Roper Center archives - The complete list of "Public Opinion Matters!" topics. http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/Roperweb/pom/pom.htx;start=HS_pom_list
Newly spotlighted datasets http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/cgi-bin/hsrun.exe/roperweb/Catalog40/Catalog40.htx;start=HS_surveyspot
Updated as of May 1, 2005
Special studies of interest recently added to iPOLL. The database now contains nearly a half million questions!
http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/ipoll.html
Title: Environmental Issues Survey [February, 2006]
Source:
Methodology: Conducted by Ayers, McHenry & Associates, February 27-March 2, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national registered voters sample of 1,200.
Search for: Topic: 'environment'; Date: '02/27/2006 to 02/27/2006'
Title: Retirement Confidence Survey 2006 [January,2006]
Source: Survey by Employee Benefit Research Institute, The American Savings Education Council.
Methodology: Conducted by Mathew Greenwald & Associates, January 3-January 29, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,252. For some questions there were variations in question wording between the retired and non-retired respondents which are shown. The status was determined by taking into account the respondent's and spouse's retirement status.
Search for: Keywords: ' money & retire%'; Date: '01/03/2006 to 01/03/2006'
Title: Public Agenda Confidence in US Foreign Policy Index Poll [January,2006]
Source:
Methodology: Conducted by Public Agenda Foundation, January 10-January 22, 2006 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 115.
Search for: Topic: 'diplomacy'; Date: '01/10/2006 to 01/10/2006'
Title: AARP Foundation Women's Leadership Circle Survey
Source:
Methodology: Conducted by AARP, August 17-November 14, 2005 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult women age 45 and over sample of 1,200. Interviews were conducted by Roper Public Affairs. Interviews took place August 17-30, 2005 and September 29-November 14, 2005 with a one month suspension August 31-September 28, 2005 due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In addition to the national sample of 1200 there were additional oversamples of 500 African Americans, 500 Hispanics, and 500 Asian/Pacific Islanders.
Search for: Topic: 'women'; Organization: 'AARP'; Date: '08/17/2005 to 08/17/2005'
Additional resources - Web sites with special survey samples
Medicare RX Education Network Survey of Seniors on Medicare
http://www.medicarerxeducation.org/survey/survey.htm
Harvard University 's Institute of Politics College Student Spring 2006 Survey
http://www.iop.harvard.edu/
ARRP Survey of Medicare Enrollee's Perceptions of Medicare Part D
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/health/medicare_enrollees.pdf
Posted by ronbo at 10:07 PM