scholarly journals The National Project on Achievement in Twins

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 761-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara A. Hart ◽  
Kim Martinez ◽  
Patrick C. Kennedy ◽  
Colleen M. Ganley ◽  
Jeanette Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
The United States ◽  
Math Performance ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
National Project ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Health And Development ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Funding Cycle ◽  
Critical Developmental Period

AbstractThe National Project on Achievement in Twins (NatPAT) began in 2017 as part of the third funding cycle of the Florida Learning Disabilities Research Center, a program project grant funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Development. NatPAT will have a nationally representative sample of elementary school-aged twins in the United States. The overall goal of the project is to uncover salient factors, including genetic and environmental influences, which contribute to the co-development of reading and math performance during the critical developmental period of elementary school. Here we present the specific aims, methods and materials, and future directions of the project.

Classroom Music Experiences of U.S. Elementary School Children

2014 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Miksza ◽  
Brent M. Gault
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
School Children ◽  
Students Of Color ◽  
Elementary School Children ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Music Instruction ◽  
School Year ◽  
Representative Study ◽  
Nationally Representative

The primary purpose of this study was to describe the music experiences elementary school children in the United States receive in the academic classroom setting. The data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the Kindergarten Class of 1998–1999 (ECLS-K), a nationally representative study that followed kindergarteners through to their eighth-grade school year with the last data collection wave in 2006–2007. The variables pertaining to music experiences in the academic classroom that were available in the ECLS-K were (a) the frequency and duration with which children received music instruction, (b) the frequency that music was used to teach math, and (c) the percentage of children receiving formal music instruction outside of school. Each of these variables also was analyzed as a function of child urbanicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and race. Statistically significant ( p < .001) disparities among children based on urbanicity, SES, and race were found on each of the music experience variables. Overall, White suburban students of high levels of SES tended to receive significantly more music experiences than students of color from urban and rural settings and of low SES. The findings support the need to advocate for high-quality music programs for all students and particularly for those from traditionally underserved populations.

Does the Victim–Offender Relationship Matter? Exploring the Sentencing of Female Homicide Offenders

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 898-914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bitna Kim ◽  
Jurg Gerber ◽  
Yeonghee Kim
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
International Research ◽  
Comparative Research ◽  
Female Offenders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Male Offenders ◽  
International Comparative Research ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
International Comparative

Empirical research pertaining to sentencing of homicide offenders has been restricted almost exclusively to samples of male offenders in the United States. To fill this void in international research and to explore questions regarding the treatment of female homicide offenders further, we examined the extent to which victim–offender relationships and motives independently affect the length of sentences imposed by analyzing a nationally representative sample of female offenders adjudicated guilty of homicide in South Korea, over the period 1986-2013. In contrast to previous studies conducted in Canada, the Netherlands, and the United States, the current study found that the victim–offender relationship has no affect on sentence lengths. Rather, the most significant predictor for the sentence lengths of the female homicide offenders was the motive for killing. We discuss future directions for international comparative research on the roles of victim–offender relationships and motives in sentencing outcomes of female offenders.

Peer Effects and Policy: The Relationship between Classroom Gender Composition and Student Achievement in Early Elementary School

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 937-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Gottfried ◽  
Jennifer Graves
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Peer Effects ◽  
First Grade ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Formation ◽  
Math Performance ◽  
Elementary Grades ◽  
Early Elementary ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
Early Elementary School

Abstract The existence of gender peer effects has been well-documented, yet regarding estimates that are best-suited for policy formation, the literature finds somewhat mixed results. This article builds on the gender peer effects literature in a number of ways. First, we focus on early elementary school students, for which fewer studies exist. We also test whether effects in early elementary grades are subject-specific. Contrary to findings for older grade levels, we find that estimates by gender are subject-specific for the early elementary grades. Second, previous studies using similar estimation have focused on very different geographical areas, while this study makes use of nationally representative elementary school data for the United States. Third, we explore whether effects vary across grades, for which the existing literature finds mixed results. We find that the negative subject-specific effects of having a higher proportion of boys in the classroom increases in magnitude across grades, with insignificant effects in kindergarten, negative and significant by first grade, and larger negative and significant effects by third grade. Our findings suggest that a more balanced gender mix in the classroom is optimal for both reading and math comprehension for both boys and girls. However, regarding math performance, there is also suggestive evidence that a 100% separation of genders could improve girls’ math performance without consequences for boys’ math performance, motivating further research into single-gender subject-specific instruction.

scholarly journals An Update on the Florida State Twin Registry

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 471-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanette E. Taylor ◽  
Sara A. Hart ◽  
Amy J. Mikolajewski ◽  
Christopher Schatschneider
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Florida State University ◽  
State University ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Executive Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Health And Development ◽  
Adult Twins ◽  
Funding Cycle ◽  
Disability Research

The Florida State Twin Registry began in 2002 through a pilot study of personality disorders and executive cognitive functioning in adult twins. Since 2006, the registry has grown substantially as part of the Learning Disability Research Center at Florida State University that recently began its second funding cycle through the National Institute of Child Health and Development. An update on the Florida State Twin Registry sample, focus, and measures is provided, as well as future directions.

scholarly journals Reach and Implementation of Physical Activity Breaks and Active Lessons in Elementary School Classrooms

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Turner ◽  
Frank J. Chaloupka
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Elementary School ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Adjusted Odds Ratio ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
Predominantly White Schools ◽  
Nationally Representative

The integration of physical activity into elementary school classrooms, through brief activity breaks (ABs) and lessons that incorporate movement into instruction as active lessons (ALs), are key parts of school physical activity programming and can improve children’s health and academic outcomes. With nationally representative survey data from 640 public elementary schools in the United States, we examined the use of these practices and the extent of implementation within classrooms. ALs were used in 71.7% of schools, and ABs were used in 75.6% of schools. In multivariate models, ALs were significantly less likely to be used in majority-Latino schools (adjusted odds ratio = 0.48, 95% confidence interval [0.25, 0.93], p < .05) than in predominantly White schools. ABs were significantly less likely to be used in lower socioeconomic schools (adjusted odds ratio = 0.57, 95% confidence interval [0.34, 0.95], p < .05) than in higher socioeconomic schools. At schools where ABs were ever used, they were used by 45.6% of teachers, but fewer teachers used them at larger schools (β = −.08, p < .01) and at lower socioeconomic schools (β = −.09, p < .05). The reach of ALs and ABs is modest and classroom-level implementation is quite low. Additional dissemination and support is warranted to improve the reach and implementation of these strategies in elementary schools. Such efforts could improve the school-day experience in ways that benefit millions of young children.

Worker Voice in America: Is There a Gap between What Workers Expect and What They Experience?

ILR Review ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas A. Kochan ◽  
Duanyi Yang ◽  
William T. Kimball ◽  
Erin L. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Significant Variation ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Workplace Issues ◽  
Non Union ◽  
National Surveys ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
State Of Research

This article is the fifth in a series to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the ILR Review. The series features articles that analyze the state of research and future directions for important themes this journal has featured over many years of publication. The decline in unionization experienced in the United States over the past 40 years raises a question of fundamental importance to workers, society, and the field of industrial relations: Have workers lost interest in having a voice at work, or is there a gap between workers’ expectations for a voice and what they actually experience? And if a “voice gap” exists, what options are available to workers to close that gap? The authors draw on a nationally representative survey of workers that both updates previous surveys conducted in 1977 and 1995 and goes beyond the scope of these previous efforts to consider a wider array of workplace issues and voice options. Results indicate that workers believe they should have a voice on a broad set of workplace issues, but substantial gaps exist between their expected and their actual level of voice at work. Nearly 50% of non-union workers say they would vote for a union, compared to approximately one-third in the two prior national surveys, which points to continued interest in unions as a voice mechanism. Additionally, the authors find significant variation in the rates of use of different voice options and workers’ satisfaction with those options. The results suggest that a sizable voice gap exists in American workplaces today, but at the same time, no one voice option fits all workers or all issues.

Preschool attendance and school readiness for children of immigrant mothers in the United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
RaeHyuck Lee ◽  
Wen-Jui Han ◽  
Jane Waldfogel ◽  
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Head Start ◽  
School Readiness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Math Skills ◽  
Preschool Attendance ◽  
Immigrant Mothers ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Nationally Representative

We examined the associations between preschool attendance and academic school readiness at kindergarten entry among 5-year-old children of immigrant mothers in the United States using data from a US nationally representative sample (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Birth Cohort, N = 1650). Comparing children who were in preschool (Head Start, prekindergarten, or other center-based preschool) to children being cared for exclusively at home, analyses using both ordinary least squares regressions with rich controls and with propensity score weighting consistently showed that attending preschool was associated with higher reading and math skills. Analyses focused on specific type of preschool revealed that children attending prekindergarten (but not Head Start and other center-based preschool) had higher reading and math skills than those in parental care. Analyses focused on hours of preschool attendance indicated that children’s reading skills benefited from attending more than 20 hours per week of Head Start or prekindergarten. Attending preschool, especially for full days, increases the school readiness of children of immigrants.

The Racial and Economic Context of Trump Support: Evidence for Threat, Identity, and Contact Effects in the 2016 Presidential Election

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Knowles ◽  
Linda Tropp
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Racial Identification ◽  
White Americans ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Neighborhood Diversity ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
To Come ◽  
Neighborhood Level ◽  
Support Evidence

Donald Trump's ascent to the Presidency of the United States defied the expectations of many social scientists, pundits, and laypeople. To date, most efforts to understand Trump's rise have focused on personality and demographic characteristics of White Americans. In contrast, the present work leverages a nationally representative sample of Whites to examine how contextual factors may have shaped support for Trump during the 2016 presidential primaries. Results reveal that neighborhood-level exposure to racial and ethnic minorities is associated with greater group threat and racial identification among Whites, as well as greater intentions to vote for Trump in the general election. At the same time, however, neighborhood diversity afforded Whites with opportunities for intergroup contact, which is associated with lower levels of threat, White identification, and Trump support. Further analyses suggest that a healthy local economy mutes threat effects in diverse contexts, allowing contact processes to come to the fore.

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