| Principal Investigator: | Christopher T. King, PhD |
| Sponsor: | Goodwill Industries of Central Texas |
| Research Partners: | Goodwill Industries of Central Texas and Goodwill Industries International |
| Project Duration: | August 2010 – January 2011 |
| Description: | The Strategic Positioning Project was a collaborative effort of Goodwill Industries of Central Texas (GICT), Goodwill Industries International (GII), and the Ray Marshall Center. T he Workforce Development Services division at GICT has three main program areas – Youth Services, Community Rehabilitation Services, and Job Source – targeting populations whose needs and circumstances tend to undermine their ability to navigate labor markets and develop successful livelihood strategies.
The Ray Marshall Center measured the effects of existing GICT programs and services, and mapped participants, services, and job placements in Central Texas in order to assess the effectiveness of GICT’s existing workforce services for youth, disadvantaged adults and persons with disabilities. In addition, based on a national scan of innovative and successful programs and services around the country, the project formulated mechanisms for improving outcomes and community impacts by intensifying and/or expanding current services, extending geographic and/or target group coverage, or introducing new options to the current array of services offered. |
| Reports Available: | Strategically Positioning Goodwill Industries of Central Texas Authors: Christopher T. King and Daniel O’Shea Date: June 2011 Publication Type: Report, 156pp. Also Available: Presentation of Strategically Positioning Goodwill Industries of Central Texas: Recent Research Results, which was prepared for and presented at GICT Board of Directors May 2011 meeting. |
Jobs to Careers: Promoting Work-Based Learning for Quality Care (R. W. Johnson)
| Principal Investigator: | Christopher T. King, PhD |
| Sponsor: | Robert Wood Johnson Foundation |
| Research Partners: | Johns Hopkins University and University of Baltimore |
| Project Duration: | December 2007 – December 2009 |
| Description: | Researchers at the University of Texas’ Ray Marshall Center, in combination with those at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Baltimore propose to advance the understanding of work-based learning (WBL) and career advancement strategies and bolster the business case for these strategies by applying a rigorous return-on-investment (ROI) approach to two Jobs-to-Careers Projects, the Austin Healthcare Collaborative and the Baltimore Alliance for Careers in Healthcare. The research will offer a framework for applying state-of-the-art ROI to frontline health/healthcare worker efforts, compute initial ROI estimates for participants (e.g., employees, employers), taxpayers and society and address their implications. Questions to be addressed are:
The research will feature theoretical/conceptual analysis and fieldwork in year one, and data collection, impact and ROI estimation in year two. It will contribute to understanding the business case for WBL and career advancement strategies for frontline health/healthcare workers, guide future investments in frontline worker strategies, and increase understanding of the burden sharing of costs. |
Jobs to Careers: Promoting Work-Based Learning for Quality Care (WorkSource) – Christopher T. King
| Principal Investigator: | Christopher T. King, PhD |
| Sponsor: | WorkSource – Greater Austin Area Workforce Board |
| Project Duration: | October 2006 – September 2009 |
| Description: | The Ray Marshall Center will participate in the Jobs to Careers: Promoting Work-Based Learning for Quality Care project by assisting with evaluation and analysis of project activities. The University of Texas at Austin will advise and assist with the conduct an independent evaluation of the project, considering both process issues and outcomes. The evaluation will monitor the implementation the project, examining whether implementation was carried out as planned and, if changed, how and why. The evaluation will document the project’s results, assess the extent to which the goals and outcomes of the project are accomplished, how well the project serves its targeted audiences and constituencies, measurable returns on investment of the project, and lessons learned from the experience.
The Ray Marshall Center will collect information through examining documents created by the project, interviews with project staff, and other sources as needed. Ray Marshall Center staff will especially focus on monitoring the project’s activities and accomplishments in achieving its outcomes through project reports and staff interviews with participating organizations (e.g., Austin Community College, Seton Healthcare Network, and St. David’s HealthCare, all in Austin, Texas). |
Achieving Change for Texans Demonstration Waiver Evaluation
| Principal Investigator: | Deanna Schexnayder, MBA |
| Sponsor: | U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Texas Health and Human Services Commission (formerly Texas Department of Human Services) |
| Research Partner: | Texas Health and Human Services Commission (formerly Texas Department of Human Services) |
| Project Duration: | 1997-2002 |
| Description: | Using random assignment in sites around the state of Texas, this evaluation project analyzes the net impact of time limits, the personal responsibility agreement, increased resource limits and other features of the 1995 Texas welfare reform legislation (HB 1863) on a number of outcomes. Impacts of these reforms will be measured for the following client and family outcomes: welfare dynamics, economic self sufficiency, participation in workforce development services, education and immunization of children, access to subsidized child care, and use of child protective services. Net impacts will be measured over a five-year period. |
| Reports Available: | Achieving Change for Texans Demonstration Waiver Evaluation: Net Impacts Through December 1997 Authors: Deanna T. Schexnayder, Jerome A. Olson, Daniel G. Schroeder, Alicia Betsinger, and Shao Chee Sim Date: December 1998 Publication Type: Report, 69pp. Achieving Change for Texans: Evaluation of the Texas Welfare Reform Waiver: Final Summary Report Achieving Change for Texans: Evaluation of the Texas Welfare Reform Waiver: Final Summary Report (presentation) Achieving Change for Texans: Evaluation of the Texas Welfare Reform Waiver: Final Impact Report Achieving Change for Texans: Evaluation of the Texas Welfare Reform Waiver: Final Process Evaluation Report, by the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Project Management, Texas Department of Human Services (January 2003). For printed copies, contact Debora Morris, Texas Department of Human Services, (512)438-3353. Achieving Change for Texans: Evaluation of the Texas Welfare Reform Waiver: Understanding Time Limits: Supplement to the Final Process Evaluation Report, by the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Project Management, Texas Department of Human Services (January 2003). For printed copies, contact Debora Morris, Texas Department of Human Services, 512/438-3353. Achieving Change for Texans: Evaluation of the Texas Welfare Reform Waiver: Texans Who Receive a One-time Benefit: The Year After, by Laura Lein, Karen Douglas, Susan Jacquet, Audrey Steiner, Greg Ellis, and Veronica De La Garza, Center for Social Work Research, School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin (January 2003). For printed copies, contact Debora Morris, Texas Department of Human Services, (512)438-3353. Achieving Change for Texans: Evaluation of the Texas Welfare Reform Waiver: Texans Who Timed Out of Welfare: The Year After, by Laura Lein, Karen Douglas, Audrey Steiner and Greg Ellis, Center for Social Work Research, School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin (January 2003). For printed copies, contact Debora Morris, Texas Department of Human Services, (512)438-3353. |
Demonstration of Administrative Records Improving Surveys (DARIS)
| Principal Investigator: | Daniel G. Schroeder, PhD |
| Sponsors: | U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce |
| Research Partner: | Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago |
| Project Duration: | July 2008 – December 2013 |
| Description: | The Demonstration of Administrative Records Improving Surveys (DARIS) research project will show the value of administrative records to Census Bureau demographic surveys. Initially, the project will focus on the two test states of Illinois and Texas. Later, the project may expand to other states. The objective of the project is to demonstrate methods of integrating data from surveys and administrative records, produce data sets that more accurately represent the target population’s characteristics than survey data alone, conduct experiments in disclosure-proofing hybrid data sets, and document feasibility. Results of the analysis will also be used to improve Census surveys, which many program administrators and researchers use to estimate the shares of eligible populations that actually participate in the government programs. |
Study of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Impact on Workforce Services and Policies
| Principal Investigator: | Christopher T. King, PhD |
| Sponsor: | U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration |
| Research Partners: | Capital Research Corporation, Johns Hopkins University, Institute for Policy Studies, National Association of State Workforce Agencies/Center for Employment Security Education and Research, The Urban Institute |
| Project Duration: | April 2009 – June 2012 |
| Description: | States face a range of policy and fiscal challenges as they try to meet the demands of the severe economic recession and implement the recently enacted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This project examines the types of policy actions states take in their workforce development and unemployment insurance systems to meet these challenges. The goal is to measure state progress and challenges in implementing the workforce and unemployment insurance provisions of ARRA, to highlight new and promising practices, and to provide technical assistance.
The Ray Marshall Center and its partners are conducting this research through several mechanisms. First, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies conducted online surveys in fall 2009 and will conduct a second round in fall 2010. Second, researchers will conduct two rounds of site visits to 20 states and two local workforce investment agencies per state. Finally, researchers will analyze data that states provide to the Department of Labor on the delivery of workforce services to determine differences between pre- and post- ARRA implementation. |
| Reports Available: | Implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Workforce Development and Unemployment Insurance Provisions Date: October 2012 Publication Type: Final Report, 374 pp. Publisher: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration Early Implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Workforce Development and Unemployment Insurance Provisions Interim Report |
NCHS Data Linkage with Food Assistance and Other Related Data in Texas
| Principal Investigator: | Daniel G. Schroeder, PhD |
| Sponsor: | National Center for Health Statistics |
| Project Duration: | March 2009 – September 2012 |
| Description: | The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has conducted the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) continuously since 1999. One of the major components of NHANES is the nutrition and dietary component. A recent National Academies panel on Enhancing the Data Infrastructure in Support of Food and Nutrition Programs recommended linking the NHANES data with food assistance and other related program records to more fully understand decisions that the population makes on food consumption and to guide policy makers. NCHS has decided to link 2005-2008 NHANES data with Food Stamp Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families administrative records in Texas. If additional funds become available, NCHS will also link 2005-2008 NHANES data with Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Unemployment Insurance Wage File Reports in Texas.
Under the project, the Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources at the University of Texas in Austin will perform the linkage of records. After the linkage has occurred, statistical analyses will be conducted. The analyses will assess the participation in food program assistance and the effects of long term participation as it relates to food consumption and nutrition. In addition, the analyses will assess the accuracy of collecting this information in a self reported survey compared to the results of record linkage to an administrative database. The results from this linkage analysis will help gain understanding for future food and nutrition-related policy planning in the United States and perhaps future linkage projects. |
Texas Workforce Return-on-Investment Analysis Plan
| Principal Investigator: | Christopher T. King, PhD |
| Sponsor: | Texas Association of Workforce Boards |
| Project Duration: | September 2007 – August 2008 |
| Description: | Researchers at the Ray Marshall Center are providing research and technical expertise to the Texas Association of Workforce Boards (TAWB) to update and refine the methodology for estimating the return on investment (ROI) from workforce services and to produce ROI estimates for Texas as a whole and up to 26 of the 28 workforce areas in the state. As part of the project, the researchers will also develop a guide to ROI estimation for use by the boards subsequent to this analysis. Center researchers demonstrated the feasibility of using a simple ROI estimation methodology and in 2003, producing “first-approximation,” taxpayer-perspective ROI estimates for 18 participating workforce areas as well as a composite board ROI estimate. The current project will improve on the earlier work in a number of important respects:
|
| Reports Available: |
Returns from Investments in Workforce Services: Texas Statewide Estimates for Participants, Taxpayers and Society Authors: Christopher T. King, Ying Tang, Tara Carter Smith, and Daniel G. Schroeder; with assistance from Burt S. Barnow Date: August 2008 Publication Type: Report, 50pp. |
Biotech Workforce Evaluation
| Principal Investigators: | Robert W. Glover, PhD |
| Sponsor: | WorkSource: The Greater Austin Workforce Development Board |
| Research Partners: | Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Austin Community College |
| Project Duration: | September 2006 – August 2008 |
| Description: | The Ray Marshall Center is conducting an evaluation of a pilot project to enhance educational offering in biotechnology at Austin Community College. Specializations in biotechnical instrumentation and in molecular diagnostics are being developed and implemented in collaboration with industry through a series of teacher externships. In addition, the college is developing a one-semester program in Biotechnology Preparation to provide job applicants with applied skills to access entry-level jobs in biotechnology. Faculty from three ACC departments are involved in this initiative: Electronics, Biotechnology, and Medical Laboratory Technician.
The Ray Marshall Center evaluation is considering both process issues and outcomes of the demonstration. The project will monitor implementation of the project, examining whether implementation was carried out as planned, and if changed, how and why. The evaluation will document the project’s results, assess to what extent the goals and outcomes of the project were accomplished, how well the project served its targeted audiences and constituencies, the measurable returns on investment of the project, and what lessons can be learned from the experience. This pilot project is funded by the Texas Workforce Commission under its program “Meeting Industries’ Critical Workforce Needs” in biotechnology and administered by WorkSource: The Greater Austin Workforce Development Board. The program aims to foster workforce development for jobs in industry clusters targeted for economic development by Texas and by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. |
| Reports Available: | Evaluation of the Austin Biotech Workforce Education Consortium Author: Robert W. Glover Date: February 2009 Publication Type: Report, 68pp. Austin Biotech Workforce Education Consortium: First Year Report |
Welfare and Employment Dynamics Using Matched Data
| Principal Investigators: | Daniel Schroeder, PhD |
| Sponsor: | National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture |
| Research Partners: | The Johns Hopkins University, The George Washington University |
| Project Duration: | November 2005 – July 2008 |
| Description: | The project will conduct studies of food stamp, welfare, and employment dynamics using matched data from the “Three City Study” and administrative records from various governmental welfare and employment sources. It has a data collection goal and an analysis goal. The data collection goal is to gather administrative records from TANF, Food Stamps, Unemployment Insurance earnings records, and several other public assistance and social service agencies on the families in the survey, to match them to the survey, and to develop a restricted use file that could be made available to other authorized researchers. The analysis goal is to use the matched data to conduct primary analyses of food stamp, welfare, and employment dynamics using state of the art econometric methods and to conduct a series of additional substantive and methodological analyses. These additional analyses include a study of methods of efficient estimation models which use the survey data and the universe of administrative data; a study of the seam problem in event history surveys; an examination of the effects of work requirements, time limits, and sanctions on welfare use and employment outcomes; studies of food and financial hardships among families; and studies of welfare participation of children of immigrants, employment patterns of Latinas, aging low income mothers, and social service use. The researchers at the Ray Marshall Center will participate mainly in data collection tasks, using administrative data from the state of Texas to: (1) develop research files describing families’ food stamp, welfare, and other program experiences and histories of their UI-covered earnings, and (2) link these data to information from the “Three City Study.” The researchers will also assist with other analysis tasks, as time and interest allow, and may develop their own analysis projects with the data. |
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