KIDS OR CASH? EXPLORING CHARTER SCHOOL RESPONSES TO DECLINING GOVERNMENT REVENUES

While the literature is extensive on school districts' revenue sources, less research has been done on the impact of donations on school district funds. In this paper, we extend the theoretical literature on crowding out of private donations by government grants for one type of nonprofit firm, namely charter schools. The theoretical model leads us to focus on the key relationships among fundraising effort, enrollment (which is tied to federal and state funding) and donations. Using a dataset on Texas charter schools we adopt a two-stage approach to examine the empirical relationship between changes in nondonor revenues and the donations received by charter schools. Like the extensive empirical estimates of the effects of government grants on donations for other types of nonprofit firms, we find evidence of crowding-out with respect to our sample of charter schools. We also find a significant, positive effect of fundraising on donations with a $1 increase in fundraising associated to a $0.58 increase in donations, a pattern consistent with overinvestment in fundraising. Enrollments exhibit a robust inverse relationship to changes in nondonor revenues. (JEL H00, H32, H50)     

Health and Aging-in-Place: Implications for Community Practice

ABSTRACT

There is increasing interest in helping elders to remain independent in their homes. As the nation experiences the unprecedented growth among its oldest residents, public and private efforts are emerging to facilitate aging-in-place. However older people, particularly the oldest old, experience a myriad of issues impacting their health and ability to remain at home. This article presents the findings from a needs assessment of a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) (n?=?114) that revealed multiple health-related issues among older people residing in high-need neighborhoods. The study utilized a holistic perspective of health to measure physical, mental, and social well-being among the older residents. Implications for community-based health interventions to enhance aging-in-place are discussed.     

Trauma-informed care training in a child welfare system: Moving it to the front line

The use of trauma-informed practices in the child welfare system is critically important to prevent system-induced trauma and encourage timely assessment, triage and referral for care when indicated. Ultimately, such measures have the potential over time to decrease the risk for mental health problems in children exposed to a trauma. This study evaluates an initiative in Arkansas to train child welfare front-line staff members in trauma-informed care practices. We evaluated the impact of the training on knowledge and use of trauma-informed care practices among three types of child welfare staff (Caseworkers, Program Assistants and Other front-line staff). Results suggest that this training process was highly successful in improving knowledge of trauma-informed care practices, especially among staff with the least formal education and training. We also found a significant increase in staff use of trauma-informed care practices at the three-month follow-up with little difference observed across staff groups. Barriers that may prevent staff from full implementation of training concepts are described and strategies to address barriers are proposed.     

Disclosure of mental health

As today's workplaces strive toward a climate of inclusiveness for persons with disabilities, much work remains for employers in developing a process to achieve this ideal. While survivors of mental illness are encouraged to disclose related concerns to their employer, such sharing of personal information remains daunting. Similarly, employers attempting to assist the process are often awed by the extent of collaborations involved in integrating employees with mental health issues back to work as well as concern about compliance with human rights legislation. Needed accommodations in terms of approach to the work itself are often simple; however substantiating the need for adjustments is more complex. This case study introduces a model to support the development of shared goals and shared understandings for return to work (RTW) among workers with mental health concerns, employers, co-workers and therapists. The model of occupational competence is used as a basis to guide dialogue, identify challenges and generate solutions that take into consideration a worker's preferences, sensitivities, culture and capacities in relationship to the occupational demands in a given workplace environment. A case study is used to demonstrate the potential utility of the model in assisting stakeholders to strengthen collaborations and partnering to achieve a shared understanding of worker and workplace needs.     

Reunification outcomes among Mexican immigrant families in the child welfare system

This study examined reunification outcomes among Mexican immigrant families involved in the child welfare system, and compared characteristics of Mexican-origin and non-immigrant children involved in the child welfare system. An exploratory retrospective longitudinal design using administrative data from two counties in Northern California was utilized. The quantitative sample (N = 2152) included children entering the foster care system for 8 or more days between January 1, 2001 and December 31, 2007 in the two participating counties. Child welfare administrative data (CWS/CMS) were merged with eligibility data (CalWIN) in order to obtain parent and child place of birth and citizenship status. Quantitative measures drawn from the merged CWS/CMS and CalWIN dataset included the following: demographic characteristics, immigrant characteristics, case characteristics and reunification outcomes. Results indicated that a significantly higher proportion of Mexican immigrant families (70.7%) were reunified than non-immigrant families (43.1%). Significant correlates of reunification among Mexican immigrant families included the following: mothers with authorized citizenship status (vs. unauthorized citizenship status), mothers whose primary language was Spanish (vs. English), and children with two or fewer placements (vs. three or more placements). Differences between Mexican-origin and non-immigrant children were that Mexican-origin children were older on average than non-immigrant children, and they were more likely to experience physical abuse, sexual abuse or emotional abuse; they were also more likely to be placed in foster care or a group home (vs. relative care). Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.     

Fielding hot topics in cool settings: The study of corporate ethics

This paper describes the methods used to gain access and conduct research on corporate ethics in two large corporations. To date, only a small number of social scientists have pursued such sensitive and highly intrusive field research because of substantial obstacles to gaining access and completing meaningful investigations. Detailed discussion of how we framed the study and then sold the research to the two sites points to the conclusion that the merging of science and action is both difficult and fruitful. This study highlights the need to establish appropriate balance between scholarly and applied objectives, to build collaborative relations with research participants, and to bring an interdisciplinary approach to contextually based studies of corporate ethics and deviancy.We gratefully acknowledge both the Human Resources Policy Institute at Boston University and the Amsterdam Foundation for providing the funding and encouragement that made this research possible. We are also grateful for the excellent contributions of our research associates in this endeavor: Maria-Paz Avery, Wendy Handler, James Hunt, Kathleen Jordan, Jeanne Liedtka, and Gary Reed. In addition, we are indebted to many colleagues, executives and other professionals who have graciously contributed valuable ideas and feedback at various stages of the work: Chris Argyris, Lloyd Baird, John Braithwaite, Dave Brown, John Fleming, Fred Foulkes, Ken Goodpaster, Tim Hall, Don Hendler, Zeba Hyder, Steve Kerr, Alan Wertheimer, Ralph Kilmann, Harvey Kram, George Labovitz, Mark Leach, Barry Leskin, Steve Levin, Meryl Louis, Murray Melbin, Phil Mirvis, Henry Morgan, Marty Moser, Jim Post, Jim Rosenwald, John Russell, Barbara Toffler, Michael Useem and Jim Waters. We also benefitted from the advice and counsel of several anonymous reviewers. Finally, Yeager owes a debt of gratitude to Harvard University's Program in Ethics and the Professions for providing both the stimulation and the opportunity to more deeply pursue this research.     

Investigating the Effects of Pre‐school Provision: Using Mixed Methods in the EPPE Research

The Effective Provision of Pre‐school Education (EPPE) project is a longitudinal study of young children between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Research began in 1997 and both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to explore the effects of pre‐school education on children’s attainment and social/behavioural development at entry to school, and of any continuing effects on such outcomes at the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7). The sample included over 3,000 children and 141 pre‐school centres drawn from six different types of providers. In addition, a home sample of children who had not attended a pre‐school centre was included. In order to identify the processes that might influence centre effectiveness, observational data were collected and centre managers interviewed. In‐depth case studies of 12 more effective centres were used to explore and illuminate the processes, particularly in relation to pedagogy, associated with better child outcomes. A mixed method approach was adopted to simultaneously answer both confirmatory and exploratory questions, to support user engagement and provide triangulation. The paper argues that the mixed method approach supported the development of stronger research inferences.     

Experiencing Stigma and Exclusion: The Influence of Neoliberal Perspectives,Practices, and Policies on Living with Chronic Illness and Disability

Neoliberal perspectives, policies, and practices increasingly affect chronically ill and disabled people's embodied experiences of stigma and exclusion. Neoliberalism emphasizes individual responsibility and self-sufficiency, a limited social safety net, and narrow governmental accountability. Examining pivotal experiences of chronically ill people shows how neoliberalism can frame their alternatives, interactions, and actions. This examination prompts reconsidering Goffman's concept of stigma to include how larger social policies and practices affect experiencing stigma and exclusion and, also, illuminates temporal features of receiving a diagnosis, disclosing illness, and dealing with disabilities and unpredictable bodies. The analysis derives from an ethnographic story and published and unpublished personal accounts from first-hand and library research over the course of my career.