This study investigates the relative roles of home and school variables in accounting for achievement gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Australia and New Zealand. Using data from the Programme for International Student Assessment [PISA] 2009, our findings show that achievement gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous…

This report is part of a series of reports that provides information on the structure, function, finances, taxation, employment, and pension systems of the United States' approximately 90,000 state and local governments. This report presents data on state and local government employment and payroll based on information collected by the 2013 Annual…

What happens to youth in foster care when they turn 18? Many face unprecedented challenges like homelessness, lack of financial resources, difficulty accessing educational opportunities, and unemployment. In this issue brief, The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) document these challenges and opportunities in three distinct yet overlapping areas…

A wide array of federal funding opportunities exists to help states build a secure infrastructure to support data use and ensure that students are prepared for college and careers. Because the reporting requirements for these programs are frequently developed without input from other programs and agencies, grantees are required to report data that…

Because one in three children is already overweight or obese, school-based interventions targeting secondary obesity prevention merit consideration. This study assessed parent interest in participating in a school-based, school nurse-led weight management program for young school-aged children. A random sample of parents ("n" = 122) of…

Due to the increase in students seeking remedial math classes at the community college level, coupled with declining revenues to the community colleges and a lack of classroom availability, the need to consider increasing class size has become a relevant and timely issue. This study is a mixed-method, quasi-experimental study testing effects of…

In recent years the number of PhDs in Italy has significantly grown and purposes of PhD courses have expanded from the traditional ones. The analysis of the contribution of PhD title for job placement and employment condition of PhDs is an important tool for evaluating the quality and the effectiveness of PhD courses. For this reason, knowledge of…

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of life (QoL) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to evaluate its association with disability and psychosocial factors especially depression and fatigue. Methods: Demographic characteristics, education level, disease severity, and disease duration were documented for each patient. QoL,…

This study investigated the impact of gender, the gender-related self-concept (agency and communion), and the timing of parenthood on objective career success of 1,015 highly educated professionals. Hypotheses derived from a dual-impact model of gender and career-related processes were tested in a 5-wave longitudinal study over a time span of 10…

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of appearance management training, work status, and plans after high school on students' opinions about appearance at school and at work. A nonprobability sample of 132 high school juniors and seniors in a consumer education class were administered the Appearance Management Survey before and…

The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) is frequently used as a measure of mental well-being. A consistent pattern across countries is that women report lower levels of mental well-being, as measured by the GHQ. This paper applies decomposition techniques to Irish data for 1994 and 2000 to examine the factors lying behind the gender differences in…

Using data from the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census from 2000 to 2007, we analyze the occupational distribution of Latino immigrants and their associated prestige ranking by degree status in comparison with U.S.-born Latinos. We find dramatic gaps in the occupational distribution and prestige rankings among Latinos with similar…

The aim of this work is to examine the role of communication and social presence in distance learning environments and their impact on the emotions of adult learners. A study was conducted at the Hellenic Open University (HOU), using a questionnaire that was completed by 94 undergraduate and postgraduate students. More than 94% of the students…

This study evaluates the influence of literacy on outcomes in college programs with defined course requirements. This overcomes the limitations of previous research by contextualizing literacy according to program requirements. Results suggest (a) learner literacy varies considerably among programs, (b) there are socio-demographic variables…

Background: The objectives of this study were to (i) determine the prevalence of and characteristics associated with tobacco smoking; (ii) identify the factors associated with tobacco smoking; and (iii) evaluate the association between tobacco smoking and khat chewing among intermediate and secondary school students in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.…