School absenteeism is linked to household food insecurity in school catchment areas in Southern Nevada

Objectives: Food security and school attendance are both important for health, well-being and academic performance of children and adolescents. However, their intersection remains underexamined, especially in the USA. The current study considered the association between elementary school-level absenteeism and household food insecurity. Design: The current study linked school-level absenteeism and household food insecurity rates using geographic information system mapping and applied the tobit regression model to examine their association. Setting: The Clark County, Nevada, public school district – the fifth largest in the USA and in a state with disproportionate food insecurity and chronic school absenteeism rates. Participants: Data consisted of school-level absenteeism rates from 185 elementary schools and census tract-level household food insecurity rates. Results: Average daily attendance rates were lower for schools with catchment areas that had higher average household food insecurity (FI), decreasing by −0·0232 % per 1 % increase in FI rate (P-value = 0·022). They were also significantly associated with most absenteeism risk factors. Average daily attendance rate was negatively associated with Free and Reduced Lunch eligibility percentage (−0·010 per 1 % increase in FI, P-value < 0·001) and Individualized Education Program participation percentage (−0·039 % per 1 % increase in FI, P-value = 0·033), but positively associated with parent–teacher conference participation rate (0·006 % per 1 % increase in FI, P-value = 0·025) and white student percentage (0·011 % per 1 % increase in FI, P-value = 0·022). Conclusions: The current study suggests a link between household food insecurity and elementary school-level absenteeism. Understanding this link is important for policy and practice because schools are frequent settings for food insecurity mitigation interventions.

Effectiveness of an Adapted Behavioral Education Program Targeting Attendance Improvement

This study describes the effectiveness of an adapted behavioral education program for students defined as “chronic absentee.” The intervention focused on building positive student–adult relationships through data monitoring, daily check-ins, and group reinforcements. Although it resulted in a 0.43% ( p = .635) decrease in average daily attendance, a promising result was participants’ decrease in absences during the intervention. The intervention also may be preventative for absentee students. The paper explores implications for practice and research.

Water consumption in a public swimming pool

Swimming pools are heavy consumers of potable water and energy in cities. Despite this, the lack of monitoring requirements produces a lack of references for their water consumption. This paper aims to fill this gap by presenting a case-study water consumption analysis of a public swimming pool in the city of Bologna (Italy). After upgrading the water fixtures and filters in summer 2012, consumption and attendance at the Cá Selvatica swimming pool were monitored. With an average daily attendance of 88.6 people/day, taking into account both personal and technical consumption, an overall per capita consumption of about 96.1 l/person/day was determined. The water demand for personal uses only (showers, toilets, etc.) was found to be about 44.6 l/person/day. These values can be used to assess retrofitting benefits and water consumption benchmarks.

Can Health Insurance Reduce School Absenteeism?

Enacted in 1997, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) represented the largest expansion of U.S. public health care coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid 32 years earlier. Although the program has recently been reauthorized, there remains a considerable lack of thorough and well-designed evaluations of the program. In this study, we use school attendance as a measure of the program’s impact. Utilizing state-level data and the use of fixed-effects regression techniques, we conclude that SCHIP has had a positive and significant effect on state average daily attendance rates, as measured by both SCHIP participation and eligibility rates. The results support the renewal and expansion of the program.

Stability of a Model Explaining Selected Extramusical Influences on Solo and Small-Ensemble Festival Ratings

This is the third study in a line of inquiry whose purpose has been to develop a theoretical model of selected extramusical variables' influence on solo and small-ensemble festival ratings. Authors of the second of these (Bergee & McWhirter, 2005) had used binomial logistic regression as the basis for their model formulation strategy. Their final model included as statistically significant variables time of day (morning/afternoon), type of event (solo/ensemble), performing medium (vocal/instrumental), school size classification (Larger/smaller), district level of expenditure per average daily attendance (high/middle/low), and type of event by performing medium interaction. For the present study, we examined the stability of their model for a different data set (the following year's ratings) by means of a similar but modified strategy. Among other modifications, we used multinomial instead of binomial logistic regression. Utimately, the present study's model converged strongly on Bergee and Mc Whirter's preliminary one. Time of day, type of event, school size, district expenditure per average daily attendance, geographical district (metropolitan/nonmetropolitan), and the time of day by geographical district interaction contributed significantly to the present study's multinomial model. Theoretical modeling thus far suggests that performing as a soloist later in the day and entering from a large, metropolitan-area, relatively high-expenditure school serve as success influences. The multinomial model showed a gradation of influences from ratings of I through II to < III.

Selected Influences on Solo and Small-Ensemble Festival Ratings

With this study, we replicated and extended the work of Bergee and Platt (2003). Analyzing ratings outcomes of 7,355 small-ensemble and solo events from two consecutive midwestern state festivals (2001 and 2002), Bergee and Platt found statistically significant differences in the main effects of time of day, type of event (solo/ensemble), and school size. In the replication phase of the present study, we used their procedures to analyze data from the 2003 festival ( N=3,853), finding significant differences in the same three main effects and also performing medium (vocal/instrumental). In both studies, the type of event by performing medium interaction was significant. The extension phase consisted of applying logistic regression techniques to the fitting of a theoretical model of prediction. Two variables were added to the original four-geographical location and district level of expenditure per average daily attendance. All main effects except geographical location (eliminated owing to high collinearity), plus the type of event by performing medium interaction, emerged as strong predictors of ratings outcomes. Afternoon scheduling, entering from a large, relatively high-expenditure school, and performing as a vocalist and a soloist significantly predicted the highest rating. January 18, 2005 March 15, 2005.

PL 94-142 and New Mexico: Perceived impact on programs for rural students with severe handicaps

Two postcard survey studies were conducted to determine perceptions of administrators and teachers regarding the impact of PL 94-142 on programs for students with severe handicaps in New Mexico's small (average daily attendance <1000), rural school districts. A preliminary survey indicated that immediately after implementation (academic year 1984-85), improvement was projected by both groups of respondents for 100% of the program/classroom considerations. Participants in a follow-up survey responded to the same Likert-scale items one year after implementation (1985-86). With one exception (“classroom materials and supplies”), the original five considerations achieved less than projected status. The highest and lowest total mean ratings in the follow-up were achieved for “student referral and identification” and “new services.” These two areas were not addressed in the preliminary survey. One year after the infusion of federal funding, 55% of the respondents perceived no improvement in the level of services.

Fertility, IQ and School Achievement

All Georgia children in Grades 4, 8, and 12 (250,000) were given mental ability and reading and arithmetic achievement tests in the Fall of 1971. Four demographic variables from the 1970 census, the educational expenditure per child, average daily attendance, and 12 test variables were inter-correlated. All correlations between mental ability and fertility ratios are negative. All are significant. Also, all correlations between fertility ratios and measures of school achievement are negative and significant. Per capita expenditure does not have a significant effect on school achievement at any grade level.