Estimating returns to education: three natural experiment techniques compared

Andrew Leigh and Chris Ryan compare three quasi-experimental approaches to estimating the returns to schooling in Australia: instrumenting schooling using month of birth, instrumenting schooling using changes in compulsory schooling laws, and comparing outcomes for twins. Abstract With annual pre-tax income as our measure of income, we find that the naïve (OLS) returns to an additional year of schooling is 13%. The month of birth IV approach gives an 8% rate of return to schooling, while using changes in compulsory schooling laws as an IV produces a 12% rate of return. Finally, we review estimates from twins studies. While we estimate a higher return to education than previous studies, we believe that this is primarily due to the better measurement of income and schooling in our dataset. Australian twins studies are consistent with our findings insofar as they find little evidence of ability bias in the OLS rate of return to schooling. Our estimates of the ability bias in OLS estimates of the rate of return to schooling range from 9% to 39%. Overall, our findings suggest the Australian rate of return to education, corrected for ability bias, is around 10%, which is similar to the rate in Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States

Psychosocial Influences on Young Australian University Students Decisions to Ride with a Drink Driver

Drink driving is a well established road safety risk factor, targeted through legislation, education, and an increasing array of technology-based initiatives in an effort to reduce the incidence and impact on Australian roads. However, evidence suggests that most drink drivers do not drive alone. This study examined the incidence of drink riding behaviour in a sample of 294 young Australian drivers (average age 20 years), as well as a number of social and psychological influences associated with the behaviour. Results indicated that 56% of participants reported ever having ridden as a passenger of a drink driver, with just over 36% having done so within the previous twelve months. With respect to the previous twelve month period, attitudes toward drink riding was moderately correlated with actual behaviour (r = .43), whereas subjective norms (r = .19), perceived behavioural control (r = -.27) and the personality construct of sensation seeking (r = .23) were weakly correlated. Drink riding was moderately correlated with self-reported drinking behaviour, including frequency of drinking occasions (r = .38) and particularly occasions where two or more drinks were consumed (r = .44). Drink riders were significantly more likely than non-drink riders to report having engaged in other drug and alcohol related driving and riding behaviours, yet were less likely to have reported risky driving practices generally, such as driving through a red light. These results suggest that alcohol consumption and attitudes play an important role in drink riding behaviour, whereas risky driving history appears to be less important. The implications and future directions are discussed

Estimating Returns to Education: Three Natural Experiment Techniques Compared

We compare three quasi-experimental approaches to estimating the returns to schooling in Australia: instrumenting schooling using month of birth, instrumenting schooling using changes in compulsory schooling laws, and comparing outcomes for twins. With annual pre-tax income as our measure of income, we find that the naïve (OLS) returns to an additional year of schooling is 13%. The month of birth IV approach gives an 8% rate of return to schooling, while using changes in compulsory schooling laws as an IV produces a 12% rate of return. Finally, we review estimates from twins studies. While we estimate a higher return to education than previous studies, we believe that this is primarily due to the better measurement of income and schooling in our dataset. Australian twins studies are consistent with our findings insofar as they find little evidence of ability bias in the OLS rate of return to schooling. Our estimates of the ability bias in OLS estimates of the rate of return to schooling range from 9% to 39%. Overall, our findings suggest the Australian rate of return to education, corrected for ability bias, is around 10%, which is similar to the rate in Britain, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and the United States.returns to education, instrumental variables, compulsory schooling, twins, Australia

How and Why has Teacher Quality Changed in Australia?

International research suggests that differences in teacher performance can explain a large portion of student achievement. Yet little is known about how the quality of the Australian teaching profession has changed over time. Using consistent data on the academic aptitude of new teachers, we compare those who have entered the teaching profession in Australia over the past two decades. We find that the aptitude of new teachers has fallen considerably. Between 1983 and 2003, the average percentile rank of those entering teacher education fell from 74 to 61, while the average rank of new teachers fell from 70 to 62. One factor that seems to have changed substantially over this period is average teacher pay. Compared to non-teachers with a degree, average teacher pay fell substantially over the period 1983-2003. Another factor is pay dispersion in alternative occupations. During the 1980s and 1990s, non-teacher earnings at the top of the distribution rose faster than earnings at the middle and bottom of the distribution. For an individual with the potential to earn a wage at the 90th percentile of the distribution, a non-teaching occupation looked much more attractive in the 2000s than it did in the 1980s. We believe that both the fall in average teacher pay, and the rise in pay differentials in non-teaching occupations are responsible for the decline in the academic aptitude of new teachers over the past two decades.test scores, teacher salary, occupational choice

Long-Run Trends in School Productivity: Evidence From Australia

Outside the United States (U.S.), very little is known about long-run trends in school productivity. We present new evidence using two data series from Australia, where comparable tests are available back to the 1960s. For young teenagers (aged 13-14), we find a small but statistically significant fall in numeracy over the period 1964- 2003, and in both literacy and numeracy over the period 1975-1998. The decline is in the order of one-tenth to one-fifth of a standard deviation. Adjusting this decline for changes in student demographics does not affect this conclusion; if anything, the decline appears to be more acute. The available evidence also suggests that any changes in student attitudes, school violence, and television viewing are unlikely to have had a major impact on test scores. Real per-child school expenditure increased substantially over this period, implying a fall in school productivity. Although we cannot account for all the phenomena that might have affected school productivity, we identify a number of plausible explanations.education production function, literacy, numeracy

Effects of Ultrasonic Scaling and Hand-Activated Scaling on Tactile Sensitivity in Dental Hygiene Students

This study was conducted in order to determine if tactile sensitivity varies in dental hygiene students who use the ultrasonic scaler as compared to those who scale with handactivated instruments. A convenience sample of 40 consenting, first year dental hygiene students were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The 40 students had not yet used the ultrasonic scaler nor had any history of injuries or disabilities to the dominant arm, wrist or hand. After establishing a baseline tactile sensitivity score with the Vibratory Sensory Analyzer (VSA), experimental group subjects used the ultrasonic scaler to remove 4cc\u27s of artificial calculus from a typodont in a controlled, simulated clinical setting for 45-minutes while each control subject manually scaled 4cc\u27s of artificial calculus on a typodont in a controlled, simulated situation for 45-minutes. Tactile sensitivity scores were obtained using the VSA immediately following exposure to either the ultrasonic scaler or hand-activated scaling instruments. Analysis of variance with one repeated measures factor was used to determine between group and within group differences on the pretest and post-test tactile sensitivity scores. Results revealed that following a 45- minute scaling session with the ultrasonic scaler, tactile sensitivity increased. Pre to posttest changes in tactile sensitivity for the ultrasonic scaling group exhibited a much larger threshold as compared to those in the hand-activated scaling group, supporting a gain in students\u27 level of sensitivity with stimulus (vibration). Tactile sensitivity decreased in those who used hand-activated scaling instruments. The thumb, index and middle fingers of students in both groups showed similarities in tactile sensitivity, with the index finger being the most sensitive. Ultrasonic scalers allow the hygienist to exert less pressure and decrease pinching and gripping forces, therefore implying a potential long-term reduction in musculoskeletal disorders. Results also underscore the potential importance of the index finger in detecting calculus and tooth surface irregularities. It was concluded that tactile sensitivity decreases with hand-activated scaling and increases with ultrasonic scaling over a 45-minute period. Short term vibration exposure from the ultrasonic scaler is insufficient to negatively affect tactile sensitivity. The long term effects of scaling with hand-activated and mechanized instruments on tactile sensitivity warrants further testing on clients in a clinical setting

Conceptos y conclusiones de la “Sesión 2010 del Instituto Panamericano de Estudios Avanzados en Dinámica y Control de Vehículos Marinos tripulados y no tripulados”

In the summer of 2010, the first ever NSF’s Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute (PASI) in Colombia was held in Barranquilla and Cartagena. The two-week institute brought together researchers of the Americas to discuss topics related to dynamics and control of manned and unmanned marine vehicles. This paper presents a summary of the program organization and findings, along with lecturer and participant feedback. It is intended to serve as a lead-in to the technical papers by PASI participants contained in this special edition of Ship Science & Technology.Entre los meses de Junio y Julio de 2010 se realizó por primera vez en Colombia el Instituto Panamericano de Estudios Avanzados (PASI, del inglés Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute) de la National Science Foundation (NSF), en las ciudades de Barranquilla y Cartagena. Este instituto a lo largo de dos semanas congregó a investigadores de todo el continente para discutir temáticas relacionadas con dinámica y control de vehículos marinos tripulados y no tripulados. Este artículo presenta una síntesis de los principales elementos de dicho instituto, los resultados de la organización del evento, así como la retroalimentación recibida por conferencistas y participantes. Además, este artículo pretende servir como prólogo a artículos técnicos preparados por los participantes del PASI en esta edición especial de Ciencia y Tecnología de Buques

Exoplanet atmospheres with EChO: spectral retrievals using EChOSim

We demonstrate the effectiveness of the Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory mission concept for constraining the atmospheric properties of hot and warm gas giants and super Earths. Synthetic primary and secondary transit spectra for a range of planets are passed through EChOSim (Waldmann & Pascale 2014) to obtain the expected level of noise for different observational scenarios; these are then used as inputs for the NEMESIS atmospheric retrieval code and the retrieved atmospheric properties (temperature structure, composition and cloud properties) compared with the known input values, following the method of Barstow et al. (2013a). To correctly retrieve the temperature structure and composition of the atmosphere to within 2 {\sigma}, we find that we require: a single transit or eclipse of a hot Jupiter orbiting a sun-like (G2) star at 35 pc to constrain the terminator and dayside atmospheres; 20 transits or eclipses of a warm Jupiter orbiting a similar star; 10 transits/eclipses of a hot Neptune orbiting an M dwarf at 6 pc; and 30 transits or eclipses of a GJ1214b-like planet.Comment: 13 pages, 15 figures, 1 table. Accepted by Experimental Astronomy. The final publication will shortly be available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10686-014-9397-

Rainfall erosivity attributes on central and western Mauritius

Rainfall can be the most erosive agent with respect to rainfall induced erosion, particularly within the context of a tropical maritime environment. Mauritius provides an example of such an environment, which, due to its location and elevated topography, is subject to frequent erosive rainfall events as well as occasional cyclones which potentially threaten loss of soil and may accelerate land degradation. Such intense rainfall forms a key part of the “R-factor” in the USLE and RUSLE soil loss equations, which are commonly used worldwide in deriving the soil loss of an area. This project focuses on various attributes of rainfall erosivity on the central and western parts of Mauritius over a six year assessment period. A steep rainfall gradient exists; 600mm in the western plains and 4000mm per year in the higher central region. Rainfall and erosivity attributes are investigated in these two regions on the island to assess the role that topographic elevation has on rainfall erosivity. Using the EI30 method to find the “R-factor”, erosivity is calculated for the period of 2003 – 2008. Varying time intervals were used in calculating EI30 to determine the value that high resolution data has in erosivity calculations and is compared to the use of the Modified Fournier Index. This project also speculates on the potential impacts of changing rainfall intensity and erosivity associated with climate change in the future. A difference was found in the erosivity experienced in the elevated central interior and the rain-shadowed western lava plains. Stations on the western plains recorded 25% of the erosivity experienced by stations in the interior and large differences were found in the number of erosive events, rainfall, erosive rainfall totals, seasonality, and annual erosivity totals of erosivity. The central interior showed greater variability in R-factor values; however these remained similar in extent despite the large difference in total annual rainfall and the number of events that each station recorded. High resolution data did account for erosivity that lower resolution does not, but the extent of erosivity for all stations within the respective regions were markedly similar. Use of the Modified Fournier Index caused erosivity to be overestimated on the island when compared to the EI30 method. Changes in erosivity are speculated to occur with changes in rainfall intensities but the central interior of the island will notice fluctuations in climate (with respect to rainfall erosivity) more than the western plains.Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Geography, Geoinformatics and MeteorologyUnrestricte

Scaffolding patient counselling skills in Australian university pharmacy programs.

This paper presents the results of an appraisal of the extent of, and approaches to, scaffolding for development of counseling skills of pharmacy students across Australian universities. There were two stages in the work. The first involved mapping of university pharmacy program and examination of placement handbooks from all but two of the fourteen universities offering pharmacy programs in Australia. The second involved a series of consultations and interviews with key representatives of various pharmacy stakeholder groups and individuals at a national level and in each state and territory of Australia. University academics and preceptors described significant roles in supporting students to build these skills especially within the pre-placement and during placement phases. Across Australian pharmacy schools, scaffolding for development of counseling skills through a range of approaches is evident. There appears to be support for this approach from both students and preceptors. The results of this research will have relevance both for other health professional programs and other programs which include experiential workplace learning with respect to the preparation of students for workplace activities