bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on the Adolescents 1 Hope and Mental Health
Authors: Hyun Mi Yeul , Lee Jong Eun , Park Sun Nam
Published: September 2024

Purpose: This study was to investigate the relationships between the hope and the mental health of high school students. Methods: The subjects of this study were 456 students who were first and second year of high school that located in Seoul. For the survey tool, it was used that the HSA and the simplified SCL-90-R. Results: 1) The hope in adolescents was significantly different according to their school record and father's educational background. 2) The mental health in adolescents was significantly different according to their father's employment status. Also, that was significantly different according to present financial status. 3) Significant negative correlation was found between hope and mental health. Conclusions: We need a fostering hope strategy to promote mental health.
Influencing Factors on Cognitive Function and Depression in Elderly
Authors: Won Jeong Sook , Kim Jeong Hwa
Published: September 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive study is to search correlation between degrees of depression and cognitive function for early finding out dementia. Methods: The measurements of this study were used with specific magazines for ordinary peculiarity in imbecility, Korean type MMSE-K for old aged man designed by Kwon Yang Chul(1989) and abridged measurement of old aged people's depression(Sheikl & Yesavage, 1986).Results:1. Cognitive function derived from ordinary characters showed considerable discrepancies in statistics. Here are ordinary characters ; gender(T=7.159, P=.000), age(F=31.099， P=.000), education level(F=62.659, P=.000)， resident form(F=9.950, P=.000), marriage fbrm(F=13.418, P=,000), body ailment(T=-2.261, P=.O24).2. Results extracted from cognitive function and depression by using Pearson's relation coefficient showed these data ; depression(R=-.254, P=.000), these data represented inverse relation.3. There are some prime variables that could predict the degree of cognitive function, in these variables, education(22.8%) showed most great explanation and the next age(6.9%). These variables were included in total data, the explanation presented 29.7%.4. Lifehood level showed most considerable explanation in predicting depression and here are descending series economic status(9.8%)， cognitive function(5.3%), These variables were included in total data, the explanation presented 15.1%.Conclusion: The problems of dementia concerned with old aged are issued in respect of social problem.Therefore at the each level, an effort to prevent the dementia, reinforcement of system, continuous research and development of proper program should be performed.
A Crisis Model for the Early Adolescent
Authors: Park Young Sook
Published: September 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify the influencing factors in a crisis state with considering the relationship between influencing factors, and to test its fitness empirically. Methods: A hypothetical model of this study was consisted of 8 theoretical variables and 11 measurable variables with 15 constructed paths. The data from the 229 middle school students at crisis state were analyzed to test the hypothetical model by using covariance structure analysis. Results: 1) The overall fitness indices of the hypothetical model indicate a good fitness; x 2 =47.06(df^28, p<.05), GFI=.96, AGFI=.92, RMR=.O4, NNFI=.95, NFI=.94, Normed x2이.68，and CN=234.88. Five paths had over 2.58 in Standardized Residual but no path is over 10 in Modification Index. 2) Crisis State was influenced directly by stress and coping strategy and was accountable for 31% of the variance by these factors. And the vulnerability of personality, the past history of dangerous events, the perceived home economics, the precipitating events, and social support affected crisis state by the interaction with these main factors directly and indirectly. Conclusion: I propose that the various school-based crisis prevention and intervention strategies should be developed based on the results of this study.
Accessibility and ergodicity for collapsed Anosov flows
Authors: Fenley Sergio R. , Potrie Rafael
Published: September 2024

abstract: We consider a class of partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms introduced by the authors with Barthelm\'{e} which is open and closed and contains all known examples. If in addition the diffeomorphism is non-wandering, then we show it is accessible unless it contains a $su$-torus. This implies that these systems are ergodic when they preserve volume, confirming a conjecture by Hertz-Hertz-Ures for this class of systems.
Modernizing San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez: How Evolving Supreme Court Jurisprudence Changes the Face of Education Finance Litigation
Authors: Saleh Matthew
Published: September 2024

This article aims to “modernize” the current legal debate over inequitable public school funding at the state and local level. The 1973 Supreme Court case of San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez established precedent, allowing for property-tax based education funding programs at the state-level—a major source of local inequality in funding. For a number of reasons discussed in this article, the jurisprudence utilized by the Supreme Court in Rodriguez is outdated and the time is ripe for education finance litigators to, once again, challenge state-level inequality in public school funding.
Adequate Yearly Progress as a Means of Funding Public Elementary and Secondary Education for Impoverished Students: Florida Funding
Authors: Escue Carlee Poston
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this research was to address the public policy of adequacy by the creation of a Florida state-wide poverty index model to assist in the distribution of state and local dollars in funding public education. This poverty index model would measure the amount and severity of poverty in every public school within the state each year and determine how much money should be allocated to each school beyond the basic allocation now in existence by using Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) data. This poverty index model would address the funding for schools with a disproportionate percentage of students living in poverty. A weighted formula was developed to increase funding to Florida students focused on addressing poverty and supplemental indicators. The creation of this funding index could be utilized by the state legislature in determining an adequate funding level for all public elementary and secondary students in the state and, thus, to enhance the Florida Education Finance Plan (FEFP).
A Comprehensive Model for Estimating the Financial Impact of Teacher Turnover
Authors: Synar Edwyna , Maiden Jeffrey
Published: September 2024

The purpose of this study was to develop a model that may be used to estimate the financial costs of teacher turnover in urban school districts. It is estimated that 50% of the beginning teachers leave the profession within the first five years on the job (Murname, Singer, Wilett, Kemple, and Olsen 1991; Colbert and Wolff 1992; Ingersoll 2003; Schlechty and Vance 1981). When teachers depart, they take with them their knowledge of instructional techniques, students’ learning styles, and professional development training (Chuong 2008). Teacher turnover creates many problems. The annual recruitment and placement of teachers is not only time-consuming and labor intensive, it is a costly burden on public school administrators (Boe, Bobbitt, Cook, Whitener, and Weber 1997) and the general tax-paying public. Furthermore, teachers hired to replace the teachers who have left often do not have the teaching experience and qualifications of the teachers they are replacing (Rollefson 1993), and the induction of replacement teachers disrupts instructional programs until the new teachers are assimilated to the culture, curriculum, and school community (Boe, Bobbitt, and Cook 1997). In the past ten years, educational researchers have been trying to put a price on teacher turnover using various business and education models—from Benner’s $2.1 billion annual costs in Texas to Alliance for Excellent Education’s $4.9 billion to National Commission of Teaching and America’s Future $7.3 billion price tag. This study presents a 4-component Teacher Turnover Cost Model (TTCM) that accounts for separation costs of a departing teacher, hiring and training costs of a new teacher, and the development of performance productivity in a new teacher.
From Statehouse to Schoolhouse: Education Finance Apportionment Systems in the United States
Authors: Verstegen Deborah A. , Knoeppel Robert C.
Published: September 2024

This research investigates state finance policies for public elementary and secondary education using survey methodology. The purpose is to update the existing knowledge base in the field as well as to provide a compendium of finance and policy options that are being used across the states to finance school for lawmakers, educators and others. Chief state school officers or their designee were queried; data were provided for all 50 states and posted on the web for verification. The data showed that states continue to use funding policies developed in the past but they are implementing weighted apportionment systems and other mechanisms that recognize the differential costs of students and districts. This research provides new knowledge about state apportionment policies for K-12 education, special student populations, capital outlay and transportation systems.
Challenges Confronting Public Elementary and Secondary Education in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Authors: Driscoll Lisa G. , Salmon Richard G.
Published: September 2024

This article examines three trends that challenge the provision of elementary and secondary education. Using the Commonwealth of Virginia as an example, this study compares national and state trends that threaten the stability and funding of public education. The following three trends are likely to present the greatest challenges to the institution of public schools: (1) demographic changes; (2) disparate and inadequate fiscal resources; and (3) a concerted and coordinated attack on the institution itself. Each trend is discussed and specific recommendations are made to those who lead and support public education.
The Achievement Impacts of Arkansas Open-Enrollment Charter Schools
Authors: Mills Jonathan N.
Published: September 2024

This article examines the impacts of Arkansas charter schools on the academic achievement of participating students. Our findings are that charter schools have small but statistically significant, negative impacts on student achievements for both math and literacy. Such negative effects, however, tend to decline with the number of years of charter operation. While Arkansas’s charter law dates back to 1995, few studies have attempted to systematically evaluate charter school effects on student performance. We use longitudinal data to generate unbiased impact estimates by focusing on within-student performance differences between charter and traditional public school (TPS) students. We run the model on a rich panel of data containing standardized student performance on the Arkansas benchmark exams for roughly 1.5 million students in grades three through eight between 2002–03 and 2010–11. These comprehensive data allow us to examine the average effect of charters, how their impacts vary over time, and how the impacts differ from general student transitions between schools. Our findings coincide with results from studies using similar methodologies in Florida, North Carolina, and Texas.
Higher Education Expenditures and State Balanced Budget Requirements: Is There a Relationship?
Authors: Serna Gabriel R. , Harris Gretchen
Published: September 2024

While recent research has shown that restrictive state fiscal policies, such as tax and expenditure limitations (TELs), matter for state spending to public higher education, no study has examined the impacts that other restrictive state fiscal policies might have on expenditures to this same sector. In this analysis we examine the relationship between state expenditures to public higher education and the stringency of balanced-budget requirements (BBRs). Using a Hausman-Taylor estimator which allows for estimation of parameter coefficients on time-invariant variables, our results show no systematic relationship between BBR stringency and expenditures to state-supported colleges and universities. We conclude that expenditures to this sector are influenced by a number of state-specific factors, including the state’s economic standing, the demand for enrollments, certain public services, budgetary processes, and TELs. We also suggest that by understanding the economic, political, and institutional contexts surrounding state expenditures to higher education, institutional policy makers may be better positioned to respond to changes in public policy, especially when it takes the form of state fiscal policy.
Supplemental Educational Services and Student Test Score Gains: Evidence from a Large, Urban School District
Authors: Springer Matthew G. , Pepper Matthew J. , Ghosh-Dastidar Bonnie
Published: September 2024

This study examines the effect of supplemental education services (SES) on student test score gains and whether particular subgroups of students benefit more from NCLB tutoring services. Our sample includes information on students enrolled in third through eighth grades nested in 121 elementary and middle schools over a five-year period comprising the 2003–04 to 2007–08 school years. A total of 17 elementary and middle schools were required to offer SES at some point during the period under study, and 9,861 student-year pairings in the sample were eligible to receive SES. Although our preferred analytic approach takes advantage of panel data to implement an analysis strategy with student fixed effect regression methods, we also test the robustness of these estimates to a number of alternative approaches, including a comparison of student test score gains between current and future SES participants. We find consistently significant and positive average effects of SES on test score gains in mathematics. Results in reading tend to be insignificant. SES tutoring does not appear to disproportionately benefit a particular racial/ethnic group or ability level. Female students and students with disabilities appear to benefit more from participating in SES. SES has a significant, cumulative effect on students in both mathematics and reading. We also demonstrate that not accounting for content area of tutoring can cause downward bias in estimates of the SES treatment effect. Our findings are qualified on a couple of dimensions.
An Exploratory Analysis of the Equity of Ohio School Funding
Authors: Sweetland Scott R.
Published: September 2024

This research briefly summarizes a series of Ohio Supreme Court litigation known as DeRolph v. State and then measures the equality of expenditures among Ohio school districts. DeRolph v. State was a high-profile school finance adequacy case. Nevertheless, the high court continuously expressed concern for the financial well-being of poor school districts and notated that school finance equity was important to the provision of educational opportunities. This exploratory study examines school district expenditures per pupil, taxable property valuations per pupil, and school district average incomes to reveal patterns of school district spending and local fiscal capacity. Analytical methods that were employed in the study included quartile analysis, ratio analysis, and the calculation of selected statewide measurements of equity. Results of the study demonstrate that the system of Ohio school funding was not equitable. The results also demonstrate that school finance equity decreased over time. Conclusive commentary proposes an equity intervention that would bring all school districts up to the statewide average expenditure per pupil. Speculation suggests that, at least in Ohio, the statewide average expenditure might prove to be a good estimate of the dollar amount required to provide adequate schooling.
Budget Stability, Revenue Volatility, and District Relations: Determinants of Georgia ELOST Distribution to Municipal School Districts
Authors: Reinagel Tyler P.
Published: September 2024

School districts across the United States are often forced into situations where limited public funds must be distributed among multiple districts. These are often reliant on distribution rates negotiated by district leadership and elected officials. An example of this is Georgia’s 1% Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST). The tax is collected at the county level, is limited to capital expenditures, and is subject to countywide referendum after a five-year sunset period. This frequently requires county and municipal districts to establish distribution of these sales tax funds. This study analyzes the district-level factors that influence those decisions.

The primary driver of this distribution is the proportion of students served by a particular district, but there are additional determinants. This study finds three key components for school districts to maximize receipt of shared revenue, specifically as applied to Georgia’s municipal school districts.

First, districts must have a comprehensive understanding of the stability of their own budget. Overreliance on a single source jeopardizes the long-term sustainability of their revenue streams and allows a “shock” to drastically affect the budget. Second, districts should acknowledge volatility of particular revenue streams. This includes fluctuating grants and state funds, property tax revenue influenced by property values, and sales taxes reliant on consumer spending. Finally, school district leaders must foster a healthy working relationship with fellow districts.

Because revenue sharing among multiple jurisdictions is a zero-sum game, there is potential for aggressive interjurisdictional competition. Achieving an amicable balance to protect budget stability and revenue volatility concerns is critical. When negotiating revenue distribution, there are common regional interests that should be identified and reflected in the distribution plan.
The Influence of Finance and Accountability Policies on Location of New York State Charter Schools
Authors: Bifulco Robert , Buerger Christian
Published: September 2024

This article identifies a set of location incentives created by New York’s charter school financing and accountability provisions. We then use regression models to examine the location of charter schools across and within districts. We find that charter schools (1) are significantly more likely to locate in districts with high operating expenses per pupil, and thus high charter school payments; (2) consistent with the incentive to attract high-achieving students, tend to locate in areas with higher levels of adult education; and (3) tend to serve fewer high-need students than the nearby traditional public schools, which is consistent with a strategy of targeting relatively low-cost students. In addition, we find that charter schools tend to locate in areas with lower teacher wages, lower rents, and higher commercial vacancy rates. This evidence suggests that charter school finance and accountability policy may well influence charter school location decisions, and more generally, that charter school supply is responsive to financial considerations.
Open Enrollment, Competition, and Student Performance
Authors: Babington Michael , Welsch David M.
Published: September 2024

Many papers have now examined the competitive effects of charter and voucher programs; relatively less attention has been paid to the potential competitive effects of other school choice programs. Our paper attempts to continue to fill this void, by examining the potential competitive effects of transfers within a statewide open enrollment program in Minnesota. We utilize a unique panel dataset and employ fixed effects techniques. Estimations provide some evidence that districts are responding to increased transfers out of their district by increasing student outcomes. Specifically, we find evidence that transfers out of a school district increase reading test scores in the subsequent year; this effect is statistically significant, but small in magnitude.
The Waning Impact of School Finance Litigation on Inequality in Per Student Revenue during the Adequacy Era
Authors: Condron Dennis J.
Published: September 2024

abstract:
Since 1989, most states have faced “adequacy” lawsuits that target state constitutions’ education clauses in aiming to boost funding provided to disadvantaged districts – which should reduce overall inequality in school funding. Using pooled time-series data on 44 states over 19 years spanning the adequacy era, this study examines how adequacy lawsuits affect inequality in total per-student revenue within states. Three main findings emerge from the analyses. First, across all states on average, inequality in revenue declined from 1990 to 2000 but then rose steadily from 2001 onward. Second, revenue inequality was substantially lower in years following the filing of an adequacy lawsuit compared to years preceding the lawsuit. Third, the inequality-reducing impact of adequacy litigation was limited to the years 1990–2000; litigation had no significant impact on revenue inequality during the period 2001–2011. I conclude that 1990–2000 was a much more active and impactful period compared to 2001–2011 in terms of adequacy litigation, raising questions about the future of school finance litigation.
The Price of High-Stakes Educational Testing: Estimating the Aggregate Costs of Florida’s FCAT Exam
Authors: Jakee Keith , Keller Erin
Published: September 2024

abstract: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) made schools accountable for student performance through standardized testing. Some claim high-stakes testing is an inexpensive vehicle through which to raise educational standards, however, these studies typically count only the administrative costs of test development, test delivery, and test grading. In contrast, we attempt to calculate the social costs of high-stakes testing as comprehensively as possible, in a single state, Florida. For example, previous research finds lower earnings and lower tax contributions for those who do not graduate from high school, and we know that Florida’s testing regime under NCLB has increased the number of students who do not graduate; combining these findings allows us to estimate how much the mandatory tests have cost students who do not graduate or who are held back at least one grade. We also briefly discuss several other non-quantifiable “costs” of the program, such as the tendency to re-classify more students as “disabled,” to cheat, and to narrow the curriculum. We find the direct and indirect costs of the program are considerable and should prompt further analysis into whether the benefits justify the sizable costs.
Do State Funded Merit Scholarships for Higher Education Improve High School Graduation Rates?
Authors: Klein Christopher C. , Perry-Sizemore Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2024

abstract: The effect of state funded merit aid for college tuition on student performance in high school has been largely ignored by the current literature on merit aid programs, even though one aim of these programs is to provide incentives for increased academic achievement in high school. To test for such effects, we employ a selection model for graduation rates using the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) on over 8,500 school districts for 1990 and 2000. The results show that graduation rates improved in merit aid states relative to non-merit aid states over this period. Perhaps surprisingly, African American students appear to have benefited from merit aid’s effect on graduation rates to the same or a greater extent than other students.
From Equitable Funding to Equality of Educational Opportunity: The Israeli Case
Authors: BenDavid-Hadar Iris , Duani Sigal
Published: September 2024

abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between the distribution of educational funds allocated by the central government and the educational achievement distribution (EAD) at the primary school level. To this end, the extent of equity in education funding, and the extent of the equality of educational opportunity (EEO) in the EAD is analyzed. Finally, the relationships between equitable funding and EEO are investigated. Regression models (for the overall population, the Hebrew-speaking schools, and the Arabic-speaking schools) were used to analyze equity. The Ministry-of-Education data sets consist of national examination scores and funds allocated by the central government, the background characteristics of fifth grade students in Israel, were matched at the school level. Findings reveal resources are allocated more equitably to the Hebrew-speaking schools compared with Arabic-speaking schools. Additionally, a low extent of EEO in the EAD of the entire student population was revealed, for all examined subjects, with the exception of literacy. Finally, a positive relationship was found between equitable funding and EEO, while controlling for students' demographics and background characteristics.
An Examination of School District Spending and Student Achievement in Oklahoma
Authors: Ballard Stephen C. , Maiden Jeffrey
Published: September 2024

abstract: From 2009 to 2014, school districts in Oklahoma faced the challenge of educating a growing population of students to high academic standards and increased accountability while total state aid had been restricted to flat or negative levels annually. This study presents new knowledge about how district spending of increasingly scarce dollars relates to student achievement as an indication of how money matters in education. The analysis compared two groups of school districts that were demographically similar yet displayed varying degrees of academic achievement in order to determine if there was a statistically significant difference in their spending.
Locating Equity: Implications of a Location Equity Index for Minnesota School Finance
Authors: Alexander Nicola A. , Holquist Samantha , Kim Hyunjun
Published: September 2024

abstract: Equity is an important feature of state education finance formulas. This article examines one aspect of equity, the equalization of purchasing power that is associated with geographic location. We applied two methods to the 2013-2014 Minnesota school finance system to equalize the purchasing power of districts for that year. The level of imparity in purchasing power depends on the index used, where cost disparities ranged from 25 to 41 percentage point differences between the highest-cost and lowest-cost districts. These cost disparities negatively affected several metropolitan districts, serving between 52.9% and 63.9% of Minnesota's 785,899 public school students in school year 2014. To equalize purchasing power for high-cost communities, Minnesota would have to supplement state education aid to between 47 and 76 districts depending on the equalizing method used. To equalize purchasing power in the state's basic general education revenue allocation would cost the state between $171.8 million and $229.9 million. This accounts for less than 3% of funds devoted to K-12 schools in fiscal year 2014.
Fiscal Policy, Demographic Transition and Public Spending on Education: New Macroeconomic Evidence for Higher Education from India
Authors: Narayana M. R.
Published: September 2024

abstract: This paper establishes the empirical relationship between the fiscal policy, demographic transition and public spending or expenditure on education in India with special reference to higher education. Public higher education spending is shown to be related to fiscal policy, if such expenditure is budgeted by the General Government and financed by general taxation and/or public debt. Demographic transition is analysed by population age structure transition and shown to impact on decline in enrollment in education through transition in Education Dependency Ratio. A forward-looking economic-demography model is used to forecast up to 2050 the interactive effects of demographic transition and public higher education expenditure within the framework of fiscal policy in 2011–12. Overall results indicate that, other things being equal including public expenditure commitment to education, demographic transition results in (a) additional budgetary resources for higher education without additional taxation, cut in expenditure benefits and new public debt and (b) decline in public education expenditure generosity by all levels of education in general and higher education in particular. This offers a new macroeconomic evidence for innovative public financing of higher education in India and lessons for other developing countries.
Origin of the Achievement Gap: Evidence from a League Table Analysis of 23 Interventions
Authors: Yeh Stuart S.
Published: September 2024

abstract: The conventional view is that the origin of the black-white student achievement gap can be traced to sociocultural and socioeconomic factors, plus variation in parental style and parental investment, and is maintained and perpetuated by variation in school and teacher quality. This article rejects the conventional view, drawing upon the results of a league-table evaluation of the cost-efficiency of 23 interventions to raise student achievement. While sociocultural and socioeconomic factors plus variation in parental style and parental investment contribute to initial disparities in performance, the results support the hypothesis that these disparities are maintained, perpetuated, and exacerbated by demoralizing grading, testing, and grouping practices throughout the K-12 years. The pattern of results is not consistent with any other explanation for the achievement gap.
The Effect of Higher Education Performance Funding on Graduation Rates
Authors: Larocca Roger , Carr Douglas
Published: September 2024

abstract: Since 1979 more than thirty states have adopted "performance funding" for public institutions of higher education. Under performance funding, a portion of the state appropriations for each institution is determined by the institution's achievement of performance goals on such metrics as retention and graduation. We argue that several characteristics of higher education institutions are likely to weaken the effect of performance incentives on graduation rates. To test these expectations, we develop a comprehensive database that identifies the institutions subject to graduation performance metrics. While most previous researchers have coded each state with a simple binary measure, indicating whether performance funding exists or does not exist in each year, we have determined for which exact institutions and in which years graduation metrics have been used to allocate state appropriations. We combine this detailed performance-funding data with institution-level data on graduation rates and other important factors from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System from 1997-98 through 2015-16. We estimate a difference-in-differences model that reveals no significant impact of performance funding on the graduation rates at 4-year institutions, but we find that performance funding is associated with a significant increase in graduation rates at 2-year institutions under certain conditions.
The Effects of California's School Finance Reform: Empirical Evidence from the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)
Authors: Fan Qin , Liang Jiaochen
Published: September 2024

abstract: Most previous empirical studies of school finance reforms focus on those that took place before 1990. We employ a difference-in-difference model using school district-level panel data from 2009 to 2016 to examine the effects of California's unique and most recent statewide school finance reform—Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), enacted in 2013. We find positive effects of LCFF on student achievement measured by percentage of graduates meeting university of California/California State University (UC/CSU) entrance requirements, and the effects are causal and non-random. Results suggest a delayed effect that became significantly positive two years after LCFF implementation. The positive effects likely result from LCFF-induced additional funding, while the effects of non-funding-related aspects of the reform tend to be arbitrary in the short run. In addition, we find that the marginal effect on student achievement tends to be higher in high-poverty school districts, relative to low-poverty school districts. The empirical results of a significantly positive effect of LCFF, especially in high-poverty school districts, support reduction of educational inequity as one LCFF target.
A Commentary on Critical Resource Theory: Increasing Resource Equity in Low-Income Schools and Beyond
Authors: Owings William A. , Kaplan Leslie S. , Whitfield Andrew
Published: September 2024

abstract: In an era of globalized education policy, the problems of equitably funding public schools have universal relevance. Critical Resource Theory (CReT), a conceptual extension of Critical Theory (CT), uses data generated from quantitative analyses of public funding to inform policy and produce more equitable resources and outcomes for low-wealth communities. Authors illustrate CReT’s conceptual antecedents and apply a CReT lens to two case studies. One describes two inequitably resourced urban schools within the same school district, and the second examines how experimentally adjusting one state’s school funding formula’s variables can mean more state monies for low-wealth communities’ schools. Although this paper addresses education finance, CReT’s conceptual lens is applicable to other public funding policies.
Providing Guidance: An Inter- and Intra-state Analysis of Adequacy and Equity in the Availability of School Counselors
Authors: DeAngelis Karen J. , Brent Brian O. , Xu Caiqun
Published: September 2024

abstract: There is mounting evidence that school counselors positively affect students’ academic and behavioral outcomes. Yet, federal policymakers do not seem to view school counselors as principal agents of school improvement, and state policies vary widely regarding their availability. Thus far, little empirical work documents the distribution of school counselors among and within states and the factors associated with these distributions. In this study, we use national population data and descriptive and multivariate, fixed-effects regression models to examine inter- and intra-state variation in districts’ use of school counselors. We reveal significant variation in students’ access to school counselors with the preponderance of variation occurring within states. Like many educational resources, school counselors are distributed inadequately and inequitably among districts and students.
The Effect of State Appropriations on College Graduation Rates of Diverse Students
Authors: Horn Aaron S. , Horner Olena G. , Tandberg David A. , Toutkoushian Robert K. , Williams-Wyche Shaun N.
Published: September 2024

abstract: This study estimates the effect of state appropriations on the graduation rates of freshman cohorts by race/ethnicity. Data were obtained for public four-year institutions (n = 415) representing six freshman cohorts between 2007 and 2012. Hybrid regression models indicated that a ten percent increase in appropriations would yield a percentage point increase in graduation rates of .59 for all students, .99 for Black students, .84 for Latinx students, and .59 for White students. However, the effect of state appropriations on graduation rates varied across institutions (-1.03 to 2.99 percentage point change) and was frequently larger at institutions with medium or high subsidy reliance (.70 to 1.39 percentage point change). Also, the effect of state appropriations on Black student graduation rates was 2.48 times larger at HBCUs. This study suggests that state appropriations can be an effective instrument for raising the graduation rates of diverse students to help meet state attainment goals.
Equity and Encroachment of Special Education Funding in North Carolina
Authors: Needham Chris
Published: September 2024

abstract: Determining the level and distribution of special education funding is an ongoing issue. Attempting to meet the extensive range of students' needs, while balancing funding coming from federal, state, and local sources leads to uneven funding burdens and questions about whether all student needs are being met. Traditionally, funding for special education has focused on providing some form of equity. However, with limited resources for education, especially at the local level, special education is sometimes perceived as being in competition with regular education for funding. Therefore, given the special education mandates, when an increasing portion of local funding is required for special education it may be perceived as encroachment taking funding away from regular education. Conducting a descriptive non-experimental analysis of the distribution of special education funding in North Carolina, I initially analyze levels of inequity, seeking to identify possible causes. I then analyze factors related to increased local funding for special education and therefore potential encroachment of local regular education funding. The findings reinforce prior studies suggesting that North Carolina's flat grant funding mechanism for students with disabilities appears to drive inequity. Moreover, North Carolina's funding cap exacerbates these imbalances. Further, encroachment of funding is occurring in districts with greater percentages of students with disabilities, and specifically those with higher needs. The lack of differentiation based on student needs in the state's flat-grant funding mechanism along with the funding cap suggest possible reasons for this.
‘Synonymization’ Threat, Equity, and the Funding of Districts with Relatively High Populations of Latinx Students
Authors: Alexander Nicola A. , Jang Sung Tae
Published: September 2024

abstract: This study explored the implications for education funding in districts when Latinx status and language learning needs (English learner status) are conflated (i.e., when all Latinx students are assumed to be English learners), or when poverty is conflated with Latinx status. Extending Alexander and Jang’s (2019) synonymization threat framework, we posited and tested three claims: (1) largely Latinx districts are not largely poor districts; (2) dollars appropriated to largely poor districts are not equivalent to dollars appropriated to largely Latinx districts; and (3) dollars appropriated to largely English learner (EL) districts are not equivalent to dollars appropriated to largely Latinx districts. We adopt cross-sectional multivariate regression analysis for the 15-year period between 2000 and 2014 to substantiate these claims. Focusing on Minnesota, we found relatively weak correlations between the percentages of poor students and the percentages of Latinx students served. Our findings also revealed that the only minoritized identity that has consistently received additional funding as their proportion of the population increases is poverty status. We discussed the implications of synonymization among three groups—Latinx, ELs, and students living in poverty—in practice and policy.
HyFormer: a hybrid transformer-CNN architecture for retinal OCT image segmentation
Authors: Jiang Qingxin , Fan Ying , Li Menghan , Fang Sheng , Zhu Weifang , Xiang Dehui , Peng Tao , Chen Xinjian , Xu Xun , Shi Fei
Published: September 2024

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become the leading imaging technique in diagnosing and treatment planning for retinal diseases. Retinal OCT image segmentation involves extracting lesions and/or tissue structures to aid in the decisions of ophthalmologists, and multi-class segmentation is commonly needed. As the target regions often spread widely inside the retina, and the intensities and locations of different categories can be close, good segmentation networks must possess both global modeling capabilities and the ability to capture fine details. To address the challenge in capturing both global and local features simultaneously, we propose HyFormer, an efficient, lightweight, and robust hybrid network architecture. The proposed architecture features parallel Transformer and convolutional encoders for independent feature capture. A multi-scale gated attention block and a group positional embedding block are introduced within the Transformer encoder to enhance feature extraction. Feature integration is achieved in the decoder composed of the proposed three-path fusion modules. A class activation map-based cross-entropy loss function is also proposed to improve segmentation results. Evaluations are performed on a private dataset with myopic traction maculopathy lesions and the public AROI dataset for retinal layer and lesion segmentation with age-related degeneration. The results demonstrate HyFormer's superior segmentation performance and robustness compared to existing methods, showing promise for accurate and efficient OCT image segmentation. .
Gain-managed nonlinear amplification in an Erbium-doped fiber
Authors: Sobon Grzegorz , Krakowski Mikolaj
Published: September 2024

To our knowledge, we report the first experimental demonstration of gain-managed nonlinear (GMN) amplification of femtosecond pulses in an Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). We investigated the GMN amplification using two different seed sources, operating at wavelengths of 1530 and 1560 nm. We obtained broadband output spectra spanning the entire C- and L-bands (1530-1620 nm). Our study shows that, in contrast to Yb-doped fiber amplifiers, it is not critical to choose a seed wavelength located at the short-wave edge of the gain bandwidth of the amplifier. Efficient and broadband GMN amplification can also be achieved with a seed located at 1560 nm wavelength.
Polygenic scores for complex traits are associated with changes in concentration of circulating lipid species
Authors: Tabassum Rubina , Mars Nina , Parolo Pietro Della Briotta , Gerl Mathias J. , Klose Christian ,   FinnGen, Pirinen Matti , Simons Kai , Widén Elisabeth , Ripatti Samuli
Published: September 2024

Understanding perturbations in circulating lipid levels that often occur years or decades before clinical symptoms may enhance our understanding of disease mechanisms and provide novel intervention opportunities. Here, we assessed if polygenic scores (PGSs) for complex traits could detect lipid dysfunctions related to the traits and provide new biological insights. We constructed genome-wide PGSs (approximately 1 million genetic variants) for 50 complex traits in 7,169 Finnish individuals with routine clinical lipid profiles and lipidomics measurements (179 lipid species). We identified 678 associations (P < 9.0 × 10−5) involving 26 traits and 142 lipids. Most of these associations were also validated with the actual phenotype measurements where available (89.5% of 181 associations where the trait was available), suggesting that these associations represent early signs of physiological changes of the traits. We detected many known relationships (e.g., PGS for body mass index (BMI) and lysophospholipids, PGS for type 2 diabetes and triacyglycerols) and those that suggested potential target for prevention strategies (e.g., PGS for venous thromboembolism and arachidonic acid). We also found association of PGS for favorable adiposity with increased sphingomyelins levels, suggesting a probable role of sphingomyelins in increased risk for certain disease, e.g., venous thromboembolism as reported previously, in favorable adiposity despite its favorable metabolic effect. Altogether, our study provides a comprehensive characterization of lipidomic alterations in genetic predisposition for a wide range of complex traits. The study also demonstrates potential of PGSs for complex traits to capture early, presymptomatic lipid alterations, highlighting its utility in understanding disease mechanisms and early disease detection.
Prevalence and determinants of evidence of silicosis and impaired lung function among small scale tanzanite miners and the peri-mining community in northern Tanzania
Authors: Mbuya Alexander W. , Mboya Innocent B. , Semvua Hadija H. , Mamuya Simon H. , Howlett Patrick J. , Msuya Sia E.
Published: September 2024

Limited data among miners in Tanzania suggests prevalence of silicosis, obstructive lung disease and restrictive lung disease to be around 1.6%, 1.9% and 8.8% respectively. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with silicosis and impaired lung function among tanzanite mining community in northern Tanzania. We conducted a cross-sectional study, involving 330 miners and 330 peri-mining community members in Mererani mines. Silicosis was defined based on study participants’ history of exposure to mining dust and digital chest radiological findings with reference to the 2011 ILO classification of pneumoconiosis. Impaired lung function was determined by spirometry using American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society recommended system 3. Association between evidence of silicosis/impaired lung function and presumed risk factors were determined using binary logistic regression analyses. The study found that 99/330 (30.0%) of miners had silicosis. Total of 65 (9.8%) participants had impaired lung function, of whom 29 (4.4%) had Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, 32 (4.8%) had restrictive lung disease and 4 (0.6%) had both obstructive and restrictive lung diseases. Unexpectedly, miners who have worked for more than 10years and those worked for 6 to 10 years had 64% (aOR 0.34, CI = 0.17–0.67, p = 0.002) and 48% (aOR 0.52, CI = 0.30–0.89, p = 0.018) lower odds of having silicosis respectively compared those worked for up to 5 years. Participants with more than 10 years of work duration had more than 3-times higher odds of impaired lung function compared to those who had worked for up to 5 years (aOR 3.11, CI = 1.53–6.34, p<0.002). We found a concerningly high prevalence of silicosis despite short durations of exposure to occupational silica dust. Immediate dust control measures including deployment of wet drilling, wearing of personal protective equipment and regular monitoring of dust exposure need to be enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Authority–Tanzania.