PRICELESS OR PRICEY? “ARBITRARY” CHOICES IN LOG-LINEAR MODELS AND THE “ARBITRARY” COST OF HAVING CHILDREN

A popular fix when dealing with zeros in the dependent variable, y, is to add a scalar value, a, within the log transformation, i.e. log (y+a). However, the choice of the scalar value is often seemingly arbitrary. Using data from the Current Population Survey, I step-by-step walk through an empirical investigation of how an additional child in the household affects childcare cost, and I show that the choice of the arbitrary scalar value significantly affects the estimates of a log-linear regression model. For those “special couples” who are mining through data from the Current Population Survey to inform them on life decisions, they can estimate a model to justify any decision by their choice of a. We demonstrate that the best practice may be to forgo the log-linear regression model when dealing with zeros and turn to a Poisson regression

A Mighty Event: Eight Lessons Learned by Bringing People Together Through Music to Support Our Mission

On the evening of November 7, 2025, the University Libraries at the University of Massachusetts Amherst held its annual Fall Reception, attended by an audience of 300. “An Evening with Folk New England: A Tribute to Eric von Schmidt” represented both a return to the longstanding tradition of an event held to showcase the Libraries while thanking our donors for all they make possible and an exceptionally successful and memorable version of that event. Celebrating the partnership of Folk New England and the Libraries\u27 Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, the event generated so much interest that it was ultimately moved to a larger venue, and the move impacted all aspects of the event. Although the planning team cannot count on replicating the event or its impact in the near future, the team took away many lessons from the planning and pivoting, as well as from the event itself.

Paws and Pedagogy: Using Pet Photos in a Learning Management System to Enhance Student Engagement

In an era of hybrid and digital learning, maintaining consistent student engagement presents a formidable challenge, particularly in an asynchronous environment where students learn at their own pace and on their own schedule. This paper outlines a creative, low-cost teaching intervention, delivered to an introductory-level Macroeconomics subject at Charles Sturt University in 2025. We use photos of staff pets to build rapport, foster a sense of community, and motivate students to regularly log into the online learning management systems (LMS) platform and read the subject content. This approach demonstrates how integrating light-hearted, emotionally resonant stimuli – such as pet photos – can serve as a behavioral nudge to deepen academic interaction and improve student engagement

See Like an Economist: Photo Assignments in Economics Courses

This paper explains the design and purpose of a photo assignment for economics courses. To make vital connections between their own world or lived experience and economic theory, students take pictures in familiar surroundings and explain them through concepts learned in economics courses. The students choose the subject of their photographs and process information from their familiar world through economic theory, communicating their ideas both visually and in writing. The goal of the assignment is to develop long-lasting skills and to ensure that each student is given a creative outlet, which is often not present in our quantitative assignments. The paper discusses the design of effective assignment instructions and selected student work is used to illustrate the benefits of using the photo assignment as a learning tool to enhance student understanding of economic concepts and theories

40 for 40: Celebrating Forty Years of Evans Library

Evans Library celebrated its 40th anniversary during the 2024–2025 academic year with “40 for 40,” a campaign blending commemorative events and fundraising. Highlights included interactive digital content, cultural programs, and community engagement initiatives that showcased the library’s evolution and impact. The celebration strengthened alumni connections, energized donors, and reaffirmed the library’s role as a dynamic, collaborative space for learning and innovation. 

Balancing Benefits and Barriers: Exploring the Impact of School Cellphone Bans on Student Engagement, Well-Being, and Learning

Students in 2025 classrooms represent some of the first individuals to grow up entirely in the smartphone era, never knowing a world without apps, notifications, and constant online access. In response to concerns about student academic performance, engagement, and mental health, many U.S. states and school districts have implemented restrictions or bans on the use of cellphones during the school day. This article examines the emerging evidence on the benefits and challenges of such policies on students, parents, and teachers. Reported advantages include more time spent reading for pleasure, increased physical activity, more free play, and reduced classroom distractions and cyberbullying. At the same time, obstacles arise: parents express safety concerns, students rely on phones for academic functions such as multifactor authentication for dual enrollment courses, and teachers face the strain of enforcing bans. Importantly, some scholars argue that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that banning cell phones will achieve all that is hoped

INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS IN ECONOMICS: UNDERSTANDING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT USING MENTIMETER

In this paper, I examine whether different types of non-game-based audience polls affect students’ in-class performance and participation. I administered two types of Mentimeter polls in small group classroom setting for two first-year undergraduate Economics courses, one timed quiz and the other an un-timed quiz. Using ordinary least squares methods, my analysis indicates that students seemed to perform 16-17% worse in timed quizzes. Interestingly, contrary to the existing literature, female students did not perform worse in these quizzes. Students were quite keen to participate in both types of quizzes with an overall average of approximately 80% completion. Finally, students’ gender does not affect their participation or performance conditional on the gender of the tutorial leaders

Predictors and Outcomes of Eighth Grade Math Acceleration in a Florida District

Students who take higher level math coursework during high school have increased chances of entering a four-year college or university, specifically in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) related fields (Miller 2012; Schneider et al., 1990). Students demonstrating exceptional mathematics performance are often encouraged to take algebra during Grade 8, setting them on a pathway to complete higher-level college-level mathematics coursework in high school (Clotfelter et al., 2015; Dougherty et al., 2017; McEachin et al., 2020; Penner et al., 2015). For several decades, there has been a nationwide push to increase student enrollment in advanced math coursework during middle school (Loveless et al., 2008). The impacts of math acceleration in Grade 8 (e.g., taking algebra or higher by Grade 8) has demonstrated heterogeneous effects across studies, with some demonstrating unintended negative consequences of acceleration (e.g., Clotfelter et al., 2015; Penner et al., 2015) compared with positive long-term impacts to math performance and even English language arts (Rickles, 2013; McEachin et al., 2020). Moreover, the relations of acceleration to later achievement may vary considerably across schools as acceleration decisions may be somewhat dependent on contextual factors that shape individual schools’ decision-making criteria (McEachin et al., 2020)

Introduction

This Fall issue provides readers with insight on the implications of cell phone bans in school, the impact of children growing up in digital world, and how school counselors can support AI literacy in rural school districts. Moreover, readers will have the opportunity to explore the outcomes of an eight-grade math acceleration program that is supported MTSS and understand the numerous definitions of play. Lastly, readers will experience the benefits of connecting art and social emotional literacy in an afterschool program and the power of inclusion for middle school students of color and first-generation immigrants. The International Journal of the Whole Child continues to be committed to promoting holistic learning and the development of the whole child

Back from the Brink: How to Save the Gift When a Donor Changes Their Mind and How to Keep it From Happening in the First Place

Working as a higher education fundraiser can be an exciting and fulfilling job, one that requires the ability to build relationships, to develop trust, to navigate the marrying of the desires of the donor and your institution’s regulations, and to acknowledge and steward what may be the donor’s biggest gift of their life. You can do everything right and sometimes things still go wrong. This article presents a case study of a gift that almost didn’t happen, how it was saved, and what was learned from the experience