Parental Valuation of Charter Schools and Student Performance

This paper reports evidence that parental value of charter schools is primarily determined by the schools’ academically effectiveness. Data on the New Jersey charter schools indicate that not all charter schools are equally effective, measured by student test scores, or equally valued, measured by the number of students on their waiting list. The charter school value model estimates the effect of tests score, student demographics and school characteristics for both the charter school and the home district traditional public schools. The estimates indicate that the charter school test scores have the largest and most robust effect on the size of the waiting list. Neither the charter school students’ race or income nor traditional public school students’ test scores affect charter school parental value. Thus this research supports a basic tenet for competitive, market based public school improvement--parents choose academically effective schools.Charter Schools, School Choice

Mortgage Default Rates and Borrower Race

We estimate a mortgage default model with national data on conventional mortgages that were current from 1986 to 1992. Our analysis confirms the results of previous analyses of Federal Housing Authority mortgages: Black households have higher marginal default rates, controlling for differences in borrower and property characteristics. Further, we do not find that Black borrowers have significantly more home equity. These results do not provide evidence of racial discrimination in mortgage lending and suggest that differences in default costs or transaction costs may explain differences in default rates.

The Effects of County Population Diversity on Contributions, Membership, and Adherents in the Presbyterian Religion and on Adherence in Mainline Protestant Religions

In this research we use data from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 2005-2007 to study the effects of race and ethnic diversity in the county on religious membership and religious giving in Presbyterian congregations. We also use data from the Religious Congregations Membership Study 2000 to study the effects of race and ethnic diversity in the county on religious adherence in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and in other mainline Protestant denominations. We have found that the percent of the county population non white is positively and significantly related to contributions per member by Presbyterians and to membership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at the congregation level and at the county level in multivariate statistical models. We have also found these results to hold at the county level for religious adherence in mainline Protestant denominations. These results are at odds with the view that increases in population diversity at the county level may lead to a decline in religious participation.religious membership, religious giving, population diversity, social capital

A Primer in Data Visualization using Tableau

Are you interested in data visualization but don’t know where to start? This workshop is designed to teach new Tableau users how to prepare their data, understand the Tableau interface, create basic visualizations (i.e., bar chart, heat map, etc.), and combine visualizations into a dashboard

Development of stable low-electroosmotic mobility coatings

Long-time rinsings of the Z6040-methlycellulose coating used successfully on the ASTP MA=011 experiment indicate the permanency of this coating is inadequate for continuous flowing systems. Two approaches are described for developing coatings which are stable under continuous fluid movement and which exhibit finite and predictable electroosmotic mobility values while being effective on different types of surfaces, such as glass, plastics, and ceramic alumina, such as is currently used as the electrophoresis channel in the GE-SPAR-CPE apparatus. The surface charge modification of polystyrene latex, especially by protein absorption, to be used as model materials for ground-based electrophoresis experiments, and the preliminary work directed towards the seeded polymerization of large-particle-size monodisperse latexes in a microgravity environment are discussed

Postcard: 9104A. Cellar of VanBuskkirk Where 5 Lives were Saved, Hiawatha, Kansas

This black and white photographic postcard depicts the aftermath of a tornado in April of 1911 at Hiawatha, Kansas. A house is completely destroyed and bricks and rock are around the foundation. A basement, or cellar space, is in the center of the card. A well is to the right of the foundation. Men stand behind the foundation. A man on the left stands next to an uprooted tree. Five men stand in the background. One man on the right stands on an unrecognizable item that was once inside the house. Written text is at the bottom of the card. Handwriting is on the back of the card.https://scholars.fhsu.edu/tj_postcards/1954/thumbnail.jp

WVUL 2020 Graduate Student Library Immersion Assessment Summary & Findings

This report summarizes the assessment findings from the 2020 Graduate Student Library Immersion Program held at the Downtown Campus Library from Monday, January 6, 2020 to Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Analysis of Factors Contributing To Early Adoption of Multi- Municipal Comprehensive Plans in Pennsylvania

On the cusp of entering the 21st century, after decades of unchecked development of available land which exceedingly outpaced population growth, Pennsylvania was facing an impending land crisis. In a statewide response to reduce sprawl and preserve land, the Pennsylvania legislature passed Act 67 and Act 68, amending the Pennsylvania Municipal Planning Code. These amendments gave more power and tools to municipalities for developing multi-municipal comprehensive plans with neighboring municipalities. In this study, I use logistic regression to examine whether there are commonalities among municipalities which have developed multi-municipal comprehensive plans following the passage of Acts 67 and 68. My research shows that municipalities that have previously developed a municipal comprehensive plan and municipalities with a planning commission are more likely to participate in the development of multi-municipal plans

Evaluation of rotating-cylinder and piston-cylinder reactors for ground-based emulsion polymerization

The objectives of this program are to apply ground-based emulsion polymerization reactor technology to improve the production of: monodisperse latex particles for calibration standards, chromatographic separation column packing, and medical research; and commercial latexes such as those used for coatings, foams, and adhesives