Kathryn Hynes

THE QUALITY OF MALE FERTILITY DATA IN MAJOR U.S. SURVEYS

Researchers continue to question fathers’ willingness to report their biological children in surveys and the ability of surveys to adequately represent fathers. To address these concerns, this study evaluates the quality of men’s fertility data in the 1979 and 1997 cohorts of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79 and NLSY97) and in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Comparing fertility rates in each survey with population rates based on data from Vital Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, we document how the incomplete reporting of births in different surveys varies according to men’s characteristics, including their age, race, marital status, and birth cohort. In addition, we use Monte Carlo simulations based on the NSFG data to demonstrate how birth underreporting biases associations between early parenthood and its antecedents. We find that in the NSFG, roughly four out of five early births were reported; but in the NLSY79 and NLSY97, almost nine-tenths of early births were reported. In all three surveys, incomplete reporting was especially pronounced for nonmarital births. Our results suggest that the quality of male fertility data is strongly linked to survey design and that it has implications for models of early male fertility.

Measuring Collective Efficacy Among Children in Community-based Afterschool Programs: Exploring Pathways toward Prevention and Positive Youth Development

Collective efficacy refers to a perceived sense of connectedness and willingness to intervene among youth, and is a potential aspect of positive youth development (Larson in Am Psychol 55:170–183, 2000; Lerner et al. in Child Dev 71:11–20, 2000; Sampson et al. in Science 277:918–924, 1997). Theoretically, those who feel connected to a group that is empowered to positively influence the behavior of their peers may demonstrate fewer problem behaviors. Few studies, however, have measured the impact of youth perceptions of collective efficacy. As a relatively new child-related research topic, there is much to be learned. One contribution to the foundation of this research agenda begins by evaluating the reliability and validity of a measure of collective efficacy with elementary children attending community-based afterschool programs. This paper describes the internal consistency reliability and various indicators of construct and concurrent validity of the Collective Efficacy Among Children Scale. The measure was found to have high internal consistency reliability. Construct validity was tested using exploratory factor analyses of collective efficacy including the dimensions of willingness to intervene and cohesion found in previous research (Sampson et al. in Science 277:918–924, 1997). Concurrent validity assessed relations between the scale and other measures in theoretically congruent ways. Using Hierarchical Linear Models to account for childrens nestedness in after-school programs, connectedness was found to be more related to emotional adjustment, particularly children’s prosocial attitudes (caring about others and sharing). Children’s perception of the willingness of the group to intervene was found to be related to less problem behavior, (i.e. smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, vandalism, and stealing). The implications suggest that future research should further explore children’s collective efficacy, and ways to foster its development in youth-serving afterschool settings.

State Welfare Policies and Children’s Living Arrangements

Changes in welfare legislation throughout the 1990s attempted, among other things, to promote marriage and decrease single parenthood. However, little research considers how such policies influence children’s living arrangements. This article uses data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to relate welfare reform policies to the likelihood that children live in one of three living arrangements: with married parents, with a single parent, or with a parent and another adult. Unlike previous work, the study differentiates the ways in which various types of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies, such as time limits, sanctions, and income disregards, predict children’s living arrangements. Overall, results show very few robust associations between welfare policies and children’s living arrangements.

Piloting a classroom-based intervention in after-school programmes: a case study in science migration.

Policy-makers are looking to after-school programs to improve family and child well-being and are searching for evidence-based ways to improve the quality of after-school programs. This study examines whether the Good Behavior Game, a behavior management curriculum designed for school classrooms, can be easily migrated to academically-focused after-school programs. Our results are based on program observations, qualitative interviews, and ratings of implementation fidelity. We provide a description of the structure and activities in these after-school programs, then identify challenges to implementing and evaluating classroom-based interventions in the after-school setting.

Next steps for research and practice in career programming

The articles in this volume of New Directions for Youth Development highlight the broad research base relevant to career programming from which policy and practice can draw. This concluding article integrates these findings to highlight next steps for research and practice related to career programming.