School Accountability, Postsecondary Attainment and Earnings

We study the impact of accountability pressure in Texas public high schools in the 1990s on postsecondary attainment and earnings, using administrative data from the Texas Schools Project (TSP). We find that high schools respond to the risk of being rated Low-Performing by increasing student achievement on high-stakes exams. Years later, these students are more likely to have attended college and completed a four-year degree, and they have higher earnings at age 25. However, we find no overall impact - and large declines in attainment and earnings for low-scoring students - of pressure to achieve a higher accountability rating

Identifying deep-sea target areas for a pilot Atlantic seabed mapping project using GIS techniques

The shape of the seafloor, which primarily reflects the geological processes which have occurred there, influences both ocean circulation and seafloor habitats. A prerequisite for sustainable ocean governance, including the designation of marine protected areas to conserve threatened ecosystems or habitats, is, therefore, the availability of good bathymetric maps. Despite decades of ocean mapping, we still lack this detailed bathymetric information over large parts of the Atlantic seafloor. In an effort to change this situation, the US, Canadian and EU governments, under the “Galway Statement on Atlantic Ocean Cooperation,” established an Atlantic Seabed Mapping International Working Group (ASMIWG) to develop plans to map the entire Atlantic. A first step in this effort is to define 400 x 400 km target areas for a pilot mapping project. Here we present the selection algorithm used to define these pilot areas based on carefully chosen and publicly available parameters of the marine environment that are of interest to various stakeholders. The methodology involved a GIS-based overlay technique that included the parameters of the marine environment as individual layers and combined them in order to obtain information about the suitability of a location as a target area. The results reveal the suitability of areas throughout the North Atlantic and highlight three potential pilot mapping sites

A GIS case study from the Atlantic: Where do we map next?

Mapping the world's oceans is a tremendous task that would benefit from a prioritisation strategy. In this article, an in-depth presentation of one such approach is given: a GIS-based analysis that identified potential target areas for future mapping efforts in the North Atlantic Ocean. The authors state that more knowledge about the seafloor could be significantly accelerated if all bathymetric data were publically available

Seafloor mapping – the challenge of a truly global ocean bathymetry

Detailed knowledge of the shape of the seafloor is crucial to humankind. Bathymetry data is critical for safety of navigation and is used for many other applications. In an era of ongoing environmental degradation worldwide, bathymetry data (and the knowledge derived from it) play a pivotal role in using and managing the world’s oceans in a way that is in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 – conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. However, the vast majority of our oceans is still virtually unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored. Only a small fraction of the seafloor has been systematically mapped by direct measurement. The remaining bathymetry is predicted from satellite altimeter data, providing only an approximate estimation of the shape of the seafloor. Several global and regional initiatives are underway to change this situation. This paper presents a selection of these initiatives as best practice examples for bathymetry data collection, compilation and open data sharing as well as the Nippon Foundation-GEBCO (The General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans) Seabed 2030 Project that complements and leverages these initiatives and promotes international collaboration and partnership. Several non-traditional data collection opportunities are looked at that are currently gaining momentum as well as new and innovative technologies that can increase the efficiency of collecting bathymetric data. Finally, recommendations are given toward a possible way forward into the future of seafloor mapping and toward achieving the goal of a truly global ocean bathymetry

Citizen-Science for the Future: Advisory Case Studies From Around the Globe

The democratization of ocean observation has the potential to add millions of observations every day. Though not a solution for all ocean monitoring needs, citizen scientists offer compelling examples showcasing their ability to augment and enhance traditional research and monitoring. Information they are providing is increasing the spatial and temporal frequency and duration of sampling, reducing time and labor costs for academic and government monitoring programs, providing hands-on STEM learning related to real-world issues and increasing public awareness and support for the scientific process. Examples provided here demonstrate the wide range of people who are already dramatically reducing gaps in our global observing network while at the same time providing unique opportunities to meaningfully engage in ocean observing and the research and conservation it supports. While there are still challenges to overcome before widespread inclusion in projects requiring scientific rigor, the growing organization of international citizen science associations is helping to reduce barriers. The case studies described support the idea that citizen scientists should be part of an effective global strategy for a sustained, multidisciplinary and integrated observing system

The International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean Version 2 (IBCSO v2)

The Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica is a region that is key to a range of climatic and oceanographic processes with worldwide effects, and is characterised by high biological productivity and biodiversity. Since 2013, the International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO) has represented the most comprehensive compilation of bathymetry for the Southern Ocean south of 60°S. Recently, the IBCSO Project has combined its efforts with the Nippon Foundation – GEBCO Seabed 2030 Project supporting the goal of mapping the world’s oceans by 2030. New datasets initiated a second version of IBCSO (IBCSO v2). This version extends to 50°S (covering approximately 2.4 times the area of seafloor of the previous version) including the gateways of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the Antarctic circumpolar frontal systems. Due to increased (multibeam) data coverage, IBCSO v2 significantly improves the overall representation of the Southern Ocean seafloor and resolves many submarine landforms in more detail. This makes IBCSO v2 the most authoritative seafloor map of the area south of 50°S

The inter-relationship of trauma, depression, anxiety, and male juvenile delinquency

Researchers have been trying to explain why some male adolescents become juvenile sexual offenders or juvenile delinquents. While there is no one formula that explains the full progression, many individual and comorbid factors have been identified which help to explain what happens for some of these adolescents. In this study I examined several areas of interest related to this process, specifically: a) Does childhood trauma predict current depression for male juvenile sexual offenders? (If so, do different types of trauma predict depressive affect better than others? Does extent of trauma exposure predict depression?), b) How does current depression relate to type and frequency of self reported delinquency for male juvenile sexual offenders?, and c) How does current mixed anxiety and depression explain the self reported degree of delinquency among adolescent male sex offenders? Method: Previously collected data of incarcerated male juvenile sexual offenders was analyzed (n= 379): a) Multiple regressions of types of trauma onto depression were conducted; b) Multiple regressions of depressive affect scores onto delinquency subscale scores were conducted; c) The sample was divided into four categories based on different levels of anxiety and depression, then mean scores between groups were compared using multiple ANOVAS. Results: a) Emotional abuse was the strongest predictor of depressive affect for this sample, and multiple exposures to trauma were the second strongest predictor. b) Depressive affect was most related to general delinquency, property damage, and public disorderly offenses and not to the characteristics of sexual crime. c) Both low anxiety groups had greater total delinquency scores, and both high depression groups had greater use of force during sexual acts. The high depression low anxiety group had the highest overall rates of delinquency and use of force