Lindsay Daugherty

Disparities in Detection and Treatment History Among Mothers With Major Depression in Los Angeles

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine disparities in detection and treatment histories among a group of racial and ethnically diverse mothers with major depression. METHOD Our sample included 276 racially and ethnically diverse mothers who participated in the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey and who were classified with major depression based on the Comprehensive International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form. We used logistic regression to assess the association between demographic factors and previous detection with major depression, mental health specialty use, and the use of a primary care physician among these women. The demographic factors examined included race and ethnicity, immigration status, marital status, education, income, body mass index (BMI), maternal age, number of children, childrens ages, history of emotional problems, and history of diabetes. RESULTS Results indicated that 69% of mothers had not been previously detected with major depression nor had they sought mental health treatment in the 12 months before the interview. The odds of having been previously diagnosed with major depression were significantly higher among White and single mothers, as well as among mothers with higher BMIs and those with a history of emotional problems. Nonimmigrant mothers without emotional problems had a higher odds of having seen a mental health specialist in the 12 months before the interview compared with immigrant mothers without emotional problems; no differences in mental health treatment were found between nonimmigrant and immigrant mothers with emotional problems. Finally, African-American mothers and those with a history of diabetes had significantly higher odds of seeing a primary care physician compared with Hispanic mothers and those with no history of diabetes, respectively. CONCLUSION Our analyses of a population of depressed mothers living in Los Angeles highlight the need for identification and treatment of racial minority and immigrant mothers.

Percent plans, automatic admissions, and college outcomes

Access to selective universities is highly coveted because of the perception that attending one provides opportunities otherwise difficult to obtain. To broaden access to the state’s flagship universities in a manner that does not rely on conventional affirmative action, Texas passed the Top Ten Percent Plan in 1997, which guarantees automatic admission to any public university in the state to students in the top decile of their high school class. We estimate the effect of eligibility for automatic admissions on college choice and persistence for students in a diverse urban school district. Regression discontinuity estimates show that eligibility for guaranteed admissions has a substantial impact on enrollments at Texas flagship universities and increases the number of semesters enrolled at flagships. The increase in flagship enrollments appears to displace enrollments in private universities but has no effect on overall college enrollment or the quality of college attended. The effects are concentrated in schools that have high college-sending rates (relative to other schools in the district), suggesting that automatic admissions may have little effect on students in the most disadvantaged schools.JelI2

Connecting College Students to Alternative Sources of Support: The Single Stop Community College Initiative and Postsecondary Outcomes

This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited. Permission is given to duplicate this document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial use. For information on reprint and linking permissions, please visit The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. RANDs publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. Preface Higher education in the United States faces challenges surrounding low rates of degree completion, particularly among low-income populations. Students face unmet financial needs and a lack of support in such critical areas as transportation and child care that can deter their chances for success in college. This report examines the effectiveness of a program that aims to improve college success by facilitating access to wraparound supports and alternative sources of financial resources. The report should be of interest to policymakers and institutions that are looking to programs that can better support college students and improve educational outcomes. Single Stop U.S.A.s Community College Initiative assists college students—at no cost to them—with applications for public benefit programs and other wraparound services that can provide support for housing, food, taxes, child care, legal services, and other essential resources. Under a Social Innovation Fund (SIF) grant provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service to New Profit (an organization that provides financial support to Single Stop U.S.A.), Single Stop services were funded at four community college systems: Bunker Hill Community College, City University of New York (established as separate sites at six institutions), Delgado Community College , and Miami Dade College. This report serves as an independent impact evaluation of the SIF-funded program. We examine the relationship between use of Single Stop services and key postsecondary outcomes, including credit accumulation and persistence in college. A prior implementation study of the program was published by Sara iv Connecting College Students to Alternative Sources of Support Goldrick-Rab and colleagues in 2014 and should be referenced for findings regarding implementation. a unit of the …

Innovative Pathways Through Developmental Education and Postsecondary Success: An Examination of Developmental Math Interventions Across Texas

ABSTRACT This study assessed alternative course delivery for developmental education (DE) math and student outcomes in community colleges in Texas. We examined 2 innovative interventions: (a) study skills courses offered alongside DE math and (b) DE math courses that are shorter than a full semester. Our model leveraged detailed demographic information and DE placement exam scores to compare students in these interventions to similar students in traditional DE math. We found that students in shorter courses were 12% more likely to pass DE math and 2% more likely to pass a first college-level (FCL) math course within a year. Likewise, students also enrolled in a study skills course were 4% more likely to pass DE math, 1% more likely to pass FCL math within a year, and 4% more likely to persist to the next college year. These findings suggest that emerging reforms to DE show promise and deserve further study.

2016 Assessment of the Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project: Executive Summary

• However, less than half of AcqDemo survey respondents perceived a link between contribution and compensation. Possible explanations include a perceived lack of transparency regarding how performance ratings are calculated and translated to pay; difficulty measuring employee performance objectively and inclusively, particularly for managers; and a narrowing spread in salaries resulting from pay caps and AcqDemo business practices.

Logic Models for Selecting, Designing, and Implementing Evidence-Based Leadership Interventions: Companion Guide to School Leadership Interventions Under the Every Student Succeeds Act

Many states and districts are engaged in efforts to design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based school leadership interventions. This guide supports these efforts by describing six types of school leadership interventions, summarizing evidence-based components of these interventions, and unpacking the relationships between the intervention activities and student outcomes. The tool also provides guidance on creating logic models.

Dual Credit Education in Texas: Interim Report

Dual credit (DC) education allows high school students to take college-level courses that simultaneously provide credit toward a high school diploma and a college degree. This report provides an initial perspective on the accessibility, diversity, quality, and efficiency of DC education programs in Texas. It also proposes areas of DC education to investigate in the second phase of the study.