Equity Gap Research Articles

The Landscape of Career and Technical Education Faculty Data Use for Decision-Making and Program Improvement in National Science Foundation–Advanced Technical Education Programs in Washington State

Over the last ten years, in Washington community and technical colleges (CTC) there has been a great leap forward in access and use of data for setting and measuring goals, monitoring progress, and identifying equity gaps. Despite much progress, faculty members in career and technical education (CTE) programs still often have difficulty accessing and using data that would drive program improvements. The purpose of this research is to gain knowledge about the current state of affairs surrounding technical education faculty access to and use of student-level data; second, we seek to shed light on the constraints CTE faculty face in accessing and using data for data-informed decision making. Our research revealed much variation in faculty access and use of data, with some creating customized solutions for daily use and others only accessing data for external needs such as accreditation or mandated program review processes. While the need for data may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis, faculty report data use on campus has dropped during the crisis and been replaced by immediate concerns over financial health, enrollment and instructional delivery challenges. Rather than continue to advance data-driven decision-making, we may be seeing colleges retrench to past organizational norms and customs.

Immunization status of children in Nepal and associated factors, 2016

BackgroundNepal has made substantial improvements in childhood immunization uptake. However, vaccination levels are still below the country-specific Sustainable Development Goal target of 94.8% coverage by 2025 for children aged 12–23 months who received all immunizations recommended in the national immunization schedule by their first birthday. A better understanding of the predictors of full immunization can inform successful programmatic interventions to improve coverage while also guiding resource allocation to ensure all children are fully vaccinated. This study estimates childhood immunization coverage in Nepal and characterizes the association between immunization status and various sociodemographic predictors. MethodsData from the 2016 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey were used to examine the immunization status of children aged 12–23 months. Immunization status was categorized as fully immunized (receiving all recommended doses), under-immunized (receiving at least one, but not all, recommended doses), and un-immunized (not receiving any doses of any vaccine). Associations between full and under-immunization and potential sociodemographic predictors were assessed using logistic regression. ResultsAmong 976 children, 78.2% were fully immunized, 21% were under-immunized, and 0.8% were un-immunized. Retention of an immunization card was significantly associated with full immunization status. Mothers who had completed a formal education above secondary school and mothers who were working at time of interview had increased odds of full immunization. Birthing in an institutional setting was also associated with higher odds of full immunization. ConclusionsOverall, immunization coverage in Nepal is relatively high, although it varies by dose and sociodemographic factors. Almost 25% of Nepalese children were not fully immunized, leaving them at increased risk for vaccine-preventable disease related morbidity and mortality. Nepal must continue focused efforts to reach every child and minimize the equity gap; programs may focus on advocating for the use of immunization cards, education and empowerment for girls, and delivery in institutional settings.

Best practices for recruiting, retaining diverse adult students at community colleges

A new report points out the disparity in earning a bachelor's degree between white Americans and Americans of color, and offers solutions for campuses looking to close equity gaps in degree attainment in higher education. The report, “Strategies for Improving Postsecondary Credential Attainment Among Black, Hispanic, and Native American Adults,” was produced by the Community College Research Center and the Lumina Foundation, and examines data from three different studies.

Close the Metacognitive Equity Gap: Teach All Students How to Learn

In his seminal book, Toward Excellence with Equity: An Emerging Vision for Closing the Achievement Gap, Ferguson (2008) persuasively argued that the achievement gap between students from different racial groups is not the result of a difference in ability, attitudes or work ethic between groups, but rather a difference in the academic skills acquired. Often, we in the academic community use the term educational equity when referring to closing the achievement gap between different groups of students, such as majority versus minoritized, lower socioeconomic versus higher socioeconomic, or students from well-resourced versus under-resourced schools (Harris & Herrington, 2006). I have recently begun using a parallel term, metacognitive equity, to describe closing the gap between students who use metacognition (effective thinking and learning strategies) and those who do not. I posit that it is the gap in metacognitive strategies that contributes most to the persistent achievement gap and that all students must be taught how to learn.

Health equity and quantifying the patient experience: A case study

The COVID-19 pandemic has invigorated efforts to address health inequities disproportionately burdened by racial/ethnic groups and individuals of low socioeconomic status. Measuring and monitoring patient experience is crucial to understanding why the gaps exist and identifying mechanisms necessary to close them. Electronic health records and digital health tools hold much promise in this regard and can lead to change. We present a case study describing the innovative efforts undertaken at Sutter Health, a large integrated health network in Northern California, to quantify gaps in health equity using electronic platforms and visualization modalities. More work is needed to identify and address barriers rooted in social context and structural inequities and ultimately impact health equity.

Invisible and unequal: Unincorporated community status as a structural determinant of health

Despite increasing awareness of the importance of political determinants of health, place-based research has not interrogated one of the most common political statuses: the impact of living in a community without municipal incorporation. In 2010 an estimated 37% of the U.S. population lived in an unincorporated area; despite their ubiquity, unincorporated communities are largely absent from the public health literature. Residents of unincorporated areas typically do not have their own local (e.g., city or municipal) government. This lack of representation leads to political exclusion and diminished access to resources, especially for low-income communities of color, Furthermore, by not disaggregating health data to unincorporated communities, residents are subsumed into county or census tract data that may not be reflective of their community's composition or context. Without jurisdictional distinction in research, there is no accountability for the manufacturing of health inequities in unincorporated communities . In the absence of empirical research on unincorporated communities, this paper uses the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) Framework of the World Health Organization to argue that lack of municipal status is a structural determinant of health responsible for social conditions which generate cumulative health risks for residents. This includes using existing evidence on social conditions typical of unincorporated communities to describe patterns of residential segregation, neighborhood disadvantage, and environmental hazards that may increase residents' exposure to unhealthy environments in unincorporated communities. Finally, we provide an agenda for future public health research that can begin to address this health and racial equity gap for low-income unincorporated communities of color who have, until now, been absent in health equity discourse.

The Willingness of PVCs to Invest GVCs Backed Ventures: The Role of Institutional Logics

It is important to evaluate whether public direct intervention in the form of governmental venture capitalists (GVCs) have bridged the equity gap by stimulating more investments from private venture capitalists (PVCs). However, empirical evidence for this relationship is inconclusive. Drawing on institutional logic perspective and organizational tensions literature, we hypothesize that PVCs are less likely to invest in a venture whose prior round is backed by GVCs, owing to the conflicts or tensions between PVCs’ professional logic and GVCs’ state logic. To substantiate our argument, we further examine two moderators that revise either GVCs’ or PVCs’ conformity to their logics: limited partnership (LP) and VC status. We hypothesize that the negative relationship between GVCs’ investments and follow-on PVCs’ investments will be weakened when the GVC is less complied with the state logic by taking the form of LP and delegating the investment decisions to professional fund managers. In contrast, the negative relationship will be strengthened when the follow-on PVC holds a superior status in the VC industry which reinforces its professional logic. The results based on a sample of 2,680 VC investment deals rendered strong support to our hypotheses. Our study adds to the literature by providing a nuanced perspective of logic tensions to explain why public direct intervention in entrepreneurial finance may impede follow-on investments from private sectors.

Do disadvantaged schools have poorer teachers? Rethinking assumptions about the relationship between teaching quality and school-level advantage

Improving educational performance, including narrowing equity gaps, is frequently touted as a matter of improving the quality of teachers in the lowest performing, often disadvantaged, schools. However, the assumption that teaching is of poorer quality in disadvantaged schools is largely unsubstantiated. Using the Quality Teaching Model of pedagogy, we observed 832 lessons in 193 New South Wales primary schools and found a small relationship between teaching quality and school-level advantage. However, when 174 teachers from across the school spectrum participated in Quality Teaching Rounds we found equivalent, and substantial, gains in teaching quality across all levels of school advantage. This result indicates that differences in teaching quality are less a reflection of teacher capabilities than of the challenging circumstances in disadvantaged schools. We argue that policies seeking more equitable achievement should address wider social inequities, rather than unfairly blaming teachers for being unable to level an unequal playing field.

Best practices for recruiting, retaining diverse adult students at community colleges

A new report points out the disparity in earning a bachelor's degree between white Americans and Americans of color, and offers solutions for campuses looking to close equity gaps in degree attainment in higher education.

Allied health students as service providers in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood education programs: Perceptions of parents and educators

Early childhood education programs contribute significantly to children’s health and educational outcomes. Responsive service delivery approaches that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families to access allied health services in the early years are needed to reduce the health/education equity gap in Australia, particularly given the high prevalence of otitis media in this population. This study investigated perspectives of parents and early childhood educators regarding speech pathology and occupational therapy student-delivered services in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood settings. Thirteen early childhood educators and nine parents participated in focus groups or interviews following delivery of interprofessional services. Data were analysed using descriptive qualitative analysis. Findings suggest parents and early childhood educators perceived allied health student-delivered services to be effective, and enabled conceptualisation of a community-centred model for allied health service delivery in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander early childhood settings. This model supports communities to directly and collaboratively influence the provision of allied health services, and highlights approaches that involve relationship-building and respectful collaboration.

Closing Equity Gaps with Intrapersonal Competency Outcomes‐Based Assessment

Assessment UpdateVolume 33, Issue 4 p. 1-16 Article Closing Equity Gaps with Intrapersonal Competency Outcomes-Based Assessment Marilee Bresciani Ludvik, Marilee Bresciani LudvikSearch for more papers by this authorStephen Schellenberg, Stephen SchellenbergSearch for more papers by this authorNina Salcedo Potter, Nina Salcedo PotterSearch for more papers by this authorSandra Kahn, Sandra KahnSearch for more papers by this authorRey Monzon, Rey MonzonSearch for more papers by this authorRandall Timm, Randall TimmSearch for more papers by this author Marilee Bresciani Ludvik, Marilee Bresciani LudvikSearch for more papers by this authorStephen Schellenberg, Stephen SchellenbergSearch for more papers by this authorNina Salcedo Potter, Nina Salcedo PotterSearch for more papers by this authorSandra Kahn, Sandra KahnSearch for more papers by this authorRey Monzon, Rey MonzonSearch for more papers by this authorRandall Timm, Randall TimmSearch for more papers by this author First published: 20 July 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/au.30260Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume33, Issue4July/August 2021Pages 1-16 RelatedInformation

Tracking immunization coverage, dropout and equity gaps among children ages 12-23months in Malawi - bottleneck analysis of the Malawi Demographic and Health Survey.

BackgroundBetween 2010 and 2016, the proportion of children 12–23 months of age who received full immunization in Malawi decreased from 81% to 76%. Most studies on immunization have mainly focused on the risk factors of vaccination coverage while data on dropouts and equity gaps is very scanty. Thus the aim of the present study was to describe the trend in immunization coverage, dropout rates and effective immunization coverage (EIC) among children ages 12–23 months in Malawi.MethodsSecondary analyses of the cross-sectional data obtained from the three waves of the Demographic and Health Surveys (2004, 2010 and 2015–16) were conducted. Using bottleneck analysis, outputs were generated based on service coverage, demand/equity (service utilization) and quality (full immunization). The World Health Organization benchmarks were used to assess gaps in the immunization coverage indicators.ResultsThe coverage was >90.0% in most of the antigens while full immunization status was estimated at 65%, 84% and 73% in 2004, 2010 and 2015, respectively. The highest coverage was observed in Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) and lowest in oral polio vaccine 1 (OPV1). OPV1 coverage was <90% in the 2004 cohort year, while pentavalent 3 (Penta3) and measles-containing vaccine 1 (MCV1) coverages were <90% in 2004. Dropout rates of Penta3 and MCV1 were significantly >10% in 2004. The logistic regression analyses showed that children were significantly less likely to be immunized with Penta3 and MCV1 in all cohort years compared with Penta1.ConclusionsAlthough immunization coverage was in line with the national and district targets for various antigens, full vaccination coverage (FVC) is still lagging behind. Furthermore, the dropout rates for Penta3 and MCV1 showed upside U-shaped patterns. Thus health education, supervision and orientation of service providers are urgently needed to address disparities that are existing in FVC.

Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Urban Climate Plans in the UK and Japan: A Text Analysis

Cities are increasingly adopting potentially sustainable climate plans. Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into these plans could help stabilize the climate while generating jobs, narrowing equity gaps, fostering innovation, and delivering other sustainability benefits. Yet, how much cities are integrating the SDGs into climate plans remains poorly understood. This article shed light on this question with a text analysis of SDG “keywords” in climate plans for two British and two Japanese cities. The results revealed that none of the surveyed cities have connected climate with socioeconomic priorities covered in SDG1 (poverty), SDG8 (employment), SDG5 (gender), and SDG10 (inequalities). Meanwhile, the United Kingdom cities made more connections between climate and responsible consumption and production (SDG12) than the Japanese cities. Further, Kyoto, Japan shares a climate-SDGs linkages profile that resembles the United Kingdom cities more than Kawasaki. Though not without limitations, text analysis can facilitate the city-to-city peer learning needed to make urban climate plans sustainable within and across countries.

An analysis of the reach and effectiveness of distance learning in India during school closures due to COVID-19

In India, more than 276 million children and youth were out of school for extended periods since March 2020 due to school closures in response to COVID-19. A key challenge has been how to measure the impact of responses to continuity of learning both to ensure more effective responses in the event of further disruptions, but also to help the education community conceptualize more creative and effective approaches to learning, through blended and flexible approaches. This study reflects on the findings from a UNICEF survey targeting parents and adolescents across 6 states in India, and identifies lessons learned for addressing learning inequities during future school closures. We focus on measuring three key variables – access to technology, their utilization, and perceived learning for different profiles of children. As students began learning from home, technology access rates in households were initially used to determine the estimated maximum reach of different distance learning modalities during school closures. Beyond access, we find significant variations in adolescents’ use of technology for learning purposes and their perceptions of learning, linked to the type of remote learning modality, gender, location and type of school. We discuss the implications for government strategies and policies to ensure better utilization of technologies which are available in households and to address equity gaps in learning opportunities.

Access to Maternal Healthcare in Rural Bangladesh: A literature-based Analysis on Factors Affecting Maternal Healthcare Utilization in Bangladesh

In the last decade, Bangladesh has made substantial improvements of maternal and newborn mortality, such the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) had dropped from 574 per thousand live births in 1990 to 170 per thousand live births in 2013. Despite these improvements, Bangladesh is still lagging in achieving equity in service utilization. Literature manifested significant healthcare inequities across different socio-demographic factors and religious and cultural views. The primary aims of this analysis are – i) to assess the disparities in the quality and availability of maternal healthcare in Bangladesh and its relation to the service utilization in rural Bangladesh, ii) to identify demand-side interventions implemented in developing countries and relevant considerations to promote maternal healthcare utilization in rural Bangladesh. A narrative literature review was conducted using Rudolph Matas Library, Tulane University online resources, Google Scholar and PUBMED. Articles published between January 1st, 2015 and December 31st, 2018 describing quality, availability and utilization of maternal healthcare services; existing disparities and barriers in healthcare utilization in rural Bangladesh are included in the analysis. This analysis also includes articles describing the impact of demand-side interventions on healthcare utilization in developing countries. A total of 10 articles met the selection criteria. Bibliographies of selected articles were also searched to include additional information in this analysis. Reviews of the literature revealed a significant healthcare equity gap according to place of residences, wealth status, age at birth, and parity of mothers in Bangladesh. According to available study findings, the level of mothers’ education, cultural and social views, women’s employment status, distance of health facility, and perceived quality of care act as significant factors influencing maternal healthcare utilization in rural Bangladesh. Studies have shown that demand-side interventions considering cultural context and other existing barriers result in improved uptake of maternal healthcare and improved health outcome. Only availability of services cannot translate into better outcomes, unless those services are of acceptable quality and the population irrespective of their socio-demographic status can attain those services without any perceived barrier. The analysis suggested, along with ensuring availability and quality of healthcare, the need for demand-side interventions addressing existing barriers make services accessible to the rural communities in Bangladesh. JAFMC Bangladesh. Vol 15, No 1 (June) 2020: 848

Inclusive Online Teaching and Digital Learning: Lessons Learned in the Time of Pandemic and Beyond

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world in 2020 and into 2021, the entire system of education faced the most challenging task to provide education to students using virtual instruction. Within the United States specifically, the pandemic transformed teaching. Teachers were and have continued to be compelled to learn digital technology and integrate varied digital tools into their instruction. As guest editors, Eric and I had the opportunity to reflect on the many instructional challenges and valuable lessons learned about virtual teaching and learning in k-12 and higher education. One of the biggest lessons observed was exposure of huge equity gaps between the tech haves and have nots, regarding access to digital devices and reliable Wi-Fi. It was from this observation that the call for proposals of this special issue was developed. What does inclusion look like in the era of digital and virtual teaching? With this in mind, we were tasked to coedit this special issue of JCSR focusing on the theme “Inclusive Curriculum in the Era of Digital &amp; Virtual Learning.” We had the opportunity to review five exemplary articles responding to the theme.

909-P: Telemedicine Visits Attendance and Perception among Pediatric Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

COVID-19 pandemic has triggered the widespread adoption of Telemedicine (TM). As physical distancing measures were established, we rapidly shifted our outpatient appointments to TM. Here we show findings regarding patient TM perception and attendance. Patient demographics and attendance to in person and TM outpatient encounters from January to July 2020 were reviewed. A survey evaluating TM perceptions was distributed to patients and their families following an encounter between March and July 2020. Our diabetes clinic currently cares for 1504 unique patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) with 46% being publicly insured. A total of 1,653 encounters including in person and TM were included in the analysis. TM visits became available in March 2020, with a total of 571 encounters by July 2020. There was a significantly lower number of completed TM encounters by publicly insured patients when compared with privately insured (p value=0.03523) and a threefold increase in no-shows and same day cancelations by the publicly insured group. Perception of TM was addressed with a survey completed by 40 patients. TM perception was positive with 86% of patients being very satisfied with the visit. TM encounter was thought to be the same as in person encounter by 60% and better than in person visit by 37% of patients. Reported benefits associated with TM included: overall time saved, no missed school day for the patient or workday for the parent, decreased childcare and transportation costs. In conclusion, although TM is perceived as positive by patients with T1D, low-income families showed lower TM visit attendance rate when compared to privately insured families. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted disparities related to access to and use of technology to improve diabetes care. More research is needed to identify the specific causes for the disparities. Patient centered approach to increase education and help navigate the processes required for utilizing TM technology may help decrease the health equity gaps. Disclosure C. Demeterco-berggren: None. M. Gottschalk: None.

Free tuition plan helps close equity gaps

“I've seen the gaps in access to education,” said B. Donta Truss, Vice President for Enrollment Development and Educational Outreach at Grand Valley State University. Truss began his current role at GVSU in July 2020 and helped launch the university's free tuition program, the Grand Valley Pledge. Before he came to GVSU, Truss's 20‐year career in higher education centered around helping low‐income and first‐generation students achieve their academic goals. After graduating as a first‐generation student, Truss worked as an educational advisor with the federal TRIO programs and in institutional research, which ignited his love for data as a big part of the change‐making process. Working as a VP at several institutions, Truss has integrated data analysis with retention, recruitment, and student life.

The TIME Trial Network to facilitate rapid clinical trial activation, patient screening, and enrollment in molecularly targeted trials.

1563 Background: Clinical trials that require patients to have specific actionable mutations based on next generation sequencing (NGS) present unique problems, such as recruiting patients with rare mutations, low enrollment rates, and distance between patients and trial sites. Such barriers can slow the pace of trial enrollment and delay the development of new therapeutic options. Methods: Tempus Labs has partnered with experienced research sites and pharmaceutical companies with molecularly targeted clinical trials to create the TIME Trial Network. The study portfolio includes pharmaceutical sponsored phase I-III clinical trials across solid tumors and hematological malignancies, targeting actionable mutations. This network was established to ensure rapid just-in-time (JIT) activation of trials by streamlining start-up activities (i.e., execution of CTAs and study budgets/financial exhibits, regulatory paperwork, SIV planning and conduct, drug and study supply shipments, submission to the central IRB, and sponsor-specific requirements). Rapid activation begins upon receipt of an activation form from a site partner. “Site Activated” describes a site that has fulfilled all regulatory, documentation, contracting requirements, and has sponsor approval to screen and enroll patients. Results: In Q4 2020, JIT activations were completed for 6 unique interventional clinical trials across 10 sites in 8 US states in the TIME Trial Network. On average, sites were activated in 9.4 business days. Patients enrolled had rare NGS mutations and were from geographically diverse locations. In one urgent case, trial activation, patient consent, screening, and treatment were achieved in 5 business days. In total, 91.7% of patients consented to trial. The average timeline from activation to consent was 4.5 days (range 0 - 24 days), with half of patients consenting within 1 business day. 45.5% of patients who consented to trial received the study drug within 1 day of consent; 2 patients dosed on day of consent. Conclusions: Over a 3-month period, on average, TIME Trial sites were activated in 9.4 days (compared to the 20+ week industry-wide average), and patient consent was completed in 4.5 days. Rapid JIT activations through the TIME program provide significant improvements in trial enrollment timelines and increase access to therapies nationwide. JIT activations may be especially useful for rural, underserved communities, as sites can enroll diverse patient populations and help address the equity gap in clinical trials across ethnic groups.[Table: see text]

Examining the concept of equity in community psychology with natural language processing.

Large amounts of text-based data, like study abstracts, often go unanalyzed because the task is laborious. Natural language processing (NLP) uses computer-based algorithms not traditionally implemented in community psychology to effectively and efficiently process text. These methods include examining the frequency of words and phrases, the clustering of topics, and the interrelationships of words. This article applied NLP to explore the concept of equity in community psychology. The COVID-19 crisis has made pre-existing health equity gaps even more salient. Community psychology has a specific interest in working with organizations, systems, and communities to address social determinants that perpetuate inequities by refocusing interventions around achieving health and wellness for all. This article examines how community psychology has discussed equity thus far to identify strengths and gaps for future research and practice. The results showed the prominence of community-based participatory researchand the diversity of settings researchers work in. However, the total number of abstracts with equity concepts was lower than expected, which suggests there is a need for a continued focus on equity.