Fiscal Spillovers between Local Governments: Keeping up with the Joneses' School District

Although there is a large theoretical literature concerning tax and expenditure competition between local governments, there is relatively little empirical evidence concerning whether such competition actually occurs. In the context of U.S. public school districts, the fiscal behavior of one district could affect the revenue decisions of other, nearby districts. Using financial and geographic data for every school district in the U.S. from 1972 to 2002, this paper estimates the magnitude of fiscal spillovers between districts. The results confirm that districts' revenues are influenced by exogenous shocks in their neighbors' revenues, especially for districts that are already outspending their neighbors. A one dollar increase in the mean revenues per pupil of nearby districts leads to about a 20-cent increase in a district's own revenues per pupil. These results have important implications for the optimal design of school finance programs

Tinkering Toward Accolades: School Gaming Under a Performance Accountability System

We explore the extent to which schools manipulate the composition of students in the test-taking pool in order to maximize ratings under Texas' accountability system in the 1990s. We first derive predictions from a static model of administrators' incentives given the structure of the ratings criteria, and then test these predictions by comparing differential changes in exemption rates across student subgroups within campuses and across campuses and regimes. Our analyses uncover evidence of a moderate degree of strategic behavior, so that there is some tension between designing systems that account for heterogeneity in student populations and that are manipulation-free.

High-risk Sexual Behavior is Associated with Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Non-adherence among Men who have Sex with Men Enrolled in a Combination Prevention Intervention.

Methamphetamine use among men who have sex with men (MSM) is associated with increased HIV prevalence, due to increased engagement in high-risk sexual behavior. Fifty-three HIV-negative, methamphetamine-using MSM were enrolled in a biobehavioral combination prevention intervention in Los Angeles, CA, to assess the feasibility of administering postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in combination with contingency management (CM) to prevent HIV seroconversion. The study combined a CM behavioral intervention targeting reductions in methamphetamine use with a PEP biomedical intervention for HIV prevention. Those who reported recent exposure to HIV were initiated on tenofovir/emtricitabine- (Truvada)-based PEP (n=35). This secondary analysis sought to determine whether recent and/or lifetime sexual risk taking was associated with PEP adherence. Regression analyses controlling for participant sociodemographics demonstrated that, at baseline, increased number of lifetime sexually transmitted diseases (STDs; Coef.=-0.07; 95% CI=(-0.12) - (-0.01)) and recent episodes of unprotected anal intercourse (UAI; Coef.=-0.01; 95% CI= (-.01) - (-0.002)) were each associated with reductions in medication adherence. Given these associations between baseline sexual risk and PEP adherence, providers working with high-risk MSM may look to target reductions in sexual risk taking; this will reduce direct risk of HIV infection and may work to optimize medication adherence in the case of PEP initiation. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00856323

Evaluating the provision of school performance information for school choice

We develop and implement a framework for determining the optimal performance metrics to help parents choose a school. This approach combines the three major critiques of the usefulness of performance tables into a natural metric. We implement this for 500,000 students in England for a range of performance measures. Using performance tables is strongly better than choosing at random: a child who attends the highest ex ante performing school within their choice set will ex post do better than the average outcome in their choice set twice as often as they will do worse

Harassment patterns and risk profile in Spanish trans person

This article describes the harassment patterns and the risk profile in trans people living in Spain. A sample of 212 trans persons,aged 10-62, participated in this cross-sectional study. Results showed a high percentage of harassment (59.9%) and frequency of daily harassment (12.6%), especially verbal attacks (59%) that occurred in public spaces (49.1%) and within educational contexts (46.2%). Harassment is more prevalent in trans women than men. Those who disclose their gender identities at a younger age experience higher percentages and frequency of harassment than those who disclose at an older age. They also suffer more harassment of different types. The risk profile of harassment indicates that older trans women are more likely to suffer harassment than younger ones, and the risk decreases each year they delay their gender identity disclosure. The elimination of transphobic attitudes and the promotion of gender justice should be priority strategies in Spain

Addressing the Barriers to Bicycling: A Bike Access Program in Lewiston and Auburn, ME

Efforts by municipalities and advocacy groups to encourage biking for transportation and recreation has been associated with improvements in emissions reductions, economic development, public health, and social equity (Gardner and Gaegauf 2014, 2013). The aim of this project was to identify barriers to biking in the towns of Lewiston and Auburn. Given this aim, the primary objective was to determine a strategy to overcome these barriers in the form of a bike access program. There are many methods that support biking as a viable form of transportation, including bicycling infrastructure (parking and bike lanes), promotional events, and educational initiatives. The primary focus of our group, however, was to determine the viability of some form of a “bike access” program in Lewiston and Auburn. In order to determine what an equitable bike access program might look like, we sought community feedback from local businesses and residents through interviews and surveys, discussed the project with government officials in both Lewiston and Auburn, consulted operators of other bike access programs in Maine and across the US, and identified some local leaders to champion this program. Such conversations and outreach provided a thorough understanding of the primary barriers to bicycling, the specific locations where people want access to bikes, and the existing bicycling culture of town. Additionally, our conversations with traditional bikeshare operators and other Maine bike access programs helped us gain a better understanding of the costs of these programs, as well as the logistics of implementation and maintenance. Our findings indicated a large interest in bicycling for both recreational and transportation purposes, as well as general interest in a program that would allow for greater access to bikes in the downtown Lewiston and Auburn areas. From an economic and equity standpoint, we found that a traditional ‘bikeshare’ program would be too costly and too much of an infrastructural investment. Rather, our outreach and research lead us to conclude that a ‘bike library’ or other type of public bike access program would be more effective at promoting ridership. A bike access program also serves as a proof of concept. If such a program is successful for a pilot period, perhaps it will generate support for a more comprehensive bikeshare program in the future. For the time being, energy and funding should be concentrated on developing and implementing a bike access program. We recommend developing bike access programs out of the public libraries at both Lewiston and Auburn, in which users can check out a bicycle for free, and in exchange for collateral that they will get back at the end of their rental. While users are free to take the bikes wherever they wish, we also recommend establishing a safe route that leads cyclists on low-stress paths away from car traffic where they are supported with signage and infrastructure. Such a route enables users to freely travel between the two libraries, thereby gaining confidence travelling on a bicycle. Encouraging bicycle transportation on one specific route is likely to result in a a significantly safer bicycling environment due to the phenomenon of “Safety in Numbers” (Jacobsen, 2003). Once this route is established and the program gains some visibility and credibility in the community, there is the possibility that this could extend to other venues. In its initial implementation, though, we suggest starting with just two locations with a protected “safe route”

The clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour after a negative human immunodeficiency virus test in men who have sex with men: systematic and realist reviews and intervention development

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience significant inequalities in health and well-being. They are the group in the UK at the highest risk of acquiring a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Guidance relating to both HIV infection prevention, in general, and individual-level behaviour change interventions, in particular, is very limited. Objectives: To conduct an evidence synthesis of the clinical effectiveness of behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour among MSM after a negative HIV infection test. To identify effective components within interventions in reducing HIV risk-related behaviours and develop a candidate intervention. To host expert events addressing the implementation and optimisation of a candidate intervention. Data sources: All major electronic databases (British Education Index, BioMed Central, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Educational Resource Index and Abstracts, Health and Medical Complete, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed and Social Science Citation Index) were searched between January 2000 and December 2014. Review methods: A systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions was conducted. Interventions were examined using the behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy, theory coding assessment, mode of delivery and proximity to HIV infection testing. Data were summarised in narrative review and, when appropriate, meta-analysis was carried out. Supplemental analyses for the development of the candidate intervention focused on post hoc realist review method, the assessment of the sequential delivery and content of intervention components, and the social and historical context of primary studies. Expert panels reviewed the candidate intervention for issues of implementation and optimisation. Results: Overall, trials included in this review (n = 10) demonstrated that individual-level behaviour change interventions are effective in reducing key HIV infection risk-related behaviours. However, there was considerable clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the trials. Exploratory meta-analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in behaviours associated with high risk of HIV transmission (risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.91). Additional stratified analyses suggested that effectiveness may be enhanced through face-to-face contact immediately after testing, and that theory-based content and BCTs drawn from ‘goals and planning’ and ‘identity’ groups are important. All evidence collated in the review was synthesised to develop a candidate intervention. Experts highlighted overall acceptability of the intervention and outlined key ways that the candidate intervention could be optimised to enhance UK implementation. Limitations: There was a limited number of primary studies. All were from outside the UK and were subject to considerable clinical, methodological and statistical heterogeneity. The findings of the meta-analysis must therefore be treated with caution. The lack of detailed intervention manuals limited the assessment of intervention content, delivery and fidelity. Conclusions: Evidence regarding the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions suggests that they are effective in changing behaviour associated with HIV transmission. Exploratory stratified meta-analyses suggested that interventions should be delivered face to face and immediately after testing. There are uncertainties around the generalisability of these findings to the UK setting. However, UK experts found the intervention acceptable and provided ways of optimising the candidate intervention. Future work: There is a need for well-designed, UK-based trials of individual behaviour change interventions that clearly articulate intervention content and demonstrate intervention fidelity

NEPC Review: New York City's Children First: Lessons in School Reform

New York City&rsquo;s Children First: Lessons in School Reform summarizes elementary and secondary level education policy reforms in New York City during Mayor Michael Bloomberg&rsquo;s tenure. Education policy changes in New York City during this time frame, from 2002 through 2013, are collectively known as &ldquo;Children First&rdquo; reforms. The report reviews the elements of these reforms and analyzes their effectiveness both collectively and individually. The New York City school system experienced dramatic changes during this era, and the report does a very nice job of synthesizing important events and facts into a single narrative. The report occasionally goes too far in classifying various policies as successes or failures. In particular, the report overhypes research examining the success of small high schools and of charter schools; a more balanced interpretation of this research literature should lead to a far more neutral tone concerning the success of these schools. To its credit, the report also discusses important questions of systemic governance and policy implementation. Management and accountability systems set up during Children First likely had a tremendous impact on how other reform components were implemented and are also likely to continue to affect how education policies are implemented under the new mayoral regime.</p

Jewish education in early childhood : its impact on Jewish family values and observances

This paper will discuss what impact Jewish education in the early years has upon the child, the family, and the home. To gather information about the effect of nursery school and kindergarten upon Jewish family values and observances in the home, a questionnaire was designed specifically for the Jewish school being studied. In addition, interviews were conducted with twenty fathers and mothers (ten couples), and their statements were recorded by tape recorder and analyzed in a later chapter. The questionnaires and interviews of this research study indicated that the Early Childhood Education program at the Jewish Community Center has affected the child, the family, and the home both qualitatively and quantitatively. The families chose to attend the nursery school and kindergarten because of its fine reputation, a competent and caring staff, and the high quality of general and Jewish education. The study revealed that as a result of the Jewish education the following types of changes occurred in most of the families: (1) greater awareness of and dedication to Jewish traditions; (2) more meaningful celebration of the Sabbath and Jewish holidays; and (3) renewed interest and pride in their Jewish heritage. A positive approach for ensuring the continuity of Judaism is to provide more opportunities for quality early childhood education in a nurturing Jewish environment where the young child can build a positive Jewish identity and where the family can reaffirm its commitment to a Jewish way of life.California State University, Northridge. Department of Education.Includes bibliographical references (pages 52-55