Longitudinal Data System Research Articles

Kindergarten Readiness Assessment Scores in Children who Received Early Life Mechanical Ventilation in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

AbstractThe impact of prolonged sedative medication usage on cognitive outcomes of young pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) patients has been incompletely assessed. We aim to assess the feasibility of linking an electronic medical record (EMR) system and a regional database to evaluate performance on standardized testing among PICU survivors. This is a single-center data-linkage study between EMR records and the Child and Household Integrated Longitudinal Data (CHILD) system, which links individual-level data across 35 administrative systems including Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) scores. The study was performed at a tertiary PICU in Cleveland, Ohio, United States with children born in 2011 or 2012 who received invasive mechanical ventilation and sedation before the age of 3 years in our PICU. We evaluated rate of “on-track” KRA scores, chronic absenteeism, and repeat kindergarten in the study population compared with a propensity score matched cohort from CHILD. Of 182 eligible PICU patients, 98 (54%) had a record identified in CHILD, and 32 had KRA scores available and sufficient data for propensity score matching. Compared with 160 matched controls, PICU patients had a lower rate of “on-track” scores (7/32 [22%] vs 102/160 [64%], p < 0.001) and more chronic absenteeism (14/32 [44%] vs. 34/160 [22%], p = 0.007). There was no difference in rates of repeat kindergarten (8/32 [25%] vs. 36/160 [23%], p = ;−0.759). We determined that linking hospital EMR records to regional databases is a feasible method to explore PICU outcomes. Additional studies are needed to confirm our preliminary finding of poor performance compared with matched controls.

The Workforce Entry and Teaching Responsibilities of New Music Education Graduates: Evidence From a State Longitudinal Data System

The purpose of this study was to investigate Maryland music teacher education program completers’ background and transition into the K–12 public school music teacher ( N = 700). Using data from the Maryland Longitudinal Data System between 2008 and 2020, I examined characteristics associated with music teacher employment in the public schools, the job responsibilities of new music teachers, the characteristics of schools in which new music teachers were employed, and how the school in which new music teachers were employed was similar or dissimilar to the high school from which they graduated. Overall, approximately 59% of music education graduates subsequently taught in Maryland K–12 public schools. Most new teachers taught in elementary (60%) or middle schools (30%). Teaching responsibilities of new teachers included general music (59%), chorus (29%), band (26%), and orchestra (22%). Implications for music teacher education and policy recommendations for music teacher shortages are discussed.

Including transgender populations in mathematical models for HIV treatment and prevention: current barriers and policy implications.

Mathematical models of HIV have been uniquely important in directing and evaluating HIV policy. Transgender and nonbinary people are disproportionately impacted by HIV; however, few mathematical models of HIV transmission have been published that are inclusive of transgender and nonbinary populations. This commentary discusses current structural challenges to developing robust and accurate trans-inclusive models and identifies opportunities for future research and policy, with a focus on examples from the United States. As of April 2024, only seven published mathematical models of HIV transmission include transgender people. Existing models have several notable limitations and biases that limit their utility for informing public health intervention. Notably, no models include transgender men or nonbinary individuals, despite these populations being disproportionately impacted by HIV relative to cisgender populations. In addition, existing mathematical models of HIV transmission do not accurately represent the sexual network of transgender people. Data availability and quality remain a significant barrier to the development of accurate trans-inclusive mathematical models of HIV. Using a community-engaged approach, we developed a modelling framework that addresses the limitations of existing model and to highlight how data availability and quality limit the utility of mathematical models for transgender populations. Modelling is an important tool for HIV prevention planning and a key step towards informing public health interventions, programming and policies for transgender populations. Our modelling framework underscores the importance of accurate trans-inclusive data collection methodologies, since the relevance of these analyses for informing public health decision-making is strongly dependent on the validity of the model parameterization and calibration targets. Adopting gender-inclusive and gender-specific approaches starting from the development and data collection stages of research can provide insights into how interventions, programming and policies can distinguish unique health needs across all gender groups. Moreover, in light of the data structure limitations, designing longitudinal surveillance data systems and probability samples will be critical to fill key research gaps, highlight progress and provide additional rigour to the current evidence. Investments and initiatives like Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States can be further expanded and are highly needed to prioritize and value transgender populations across funding structures, goals and outcome measures.

Multiple prenatal exposures and acute-care clinical encounters for asthma among children born to mothers living near a Superfund site.

Prenatal exposures are associated with childhood asthma, and risk may increase with simultaneous exposures. Pregnant women living in lower-income communities tend to have elevated exposures to a range of potential asthma risk factors, which may interact in complex ways. We examined the association between prenatal exposures and the risk of childhood acute-care clinical encounters for asthma (hospitalizations, emergency department visits, observational stays) using conditional logistic regression with a multivariable smoothing term to model the interaction between continuous variables, adjusted for maternal characteristics and stratified by sex. All births near the New Bedford Harbor (NBH) Superfund site (2000-2006) in New Bedford, Massachusetts, were followed through 2011 using the Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal (PELL) Data System to identify children aged 5-11 years with acute-care clinical asthma encounters (265 cases among 7787 children with follow-up). Hazard ratios (HRs) were higher for children living closer to the NBH site with higher umbilical cord blood lead levels than in children living further away from the NBH site with lower lead levels (P<.001). HRs were higher for girls (HR=4.17; 95% CI, 3.60-4.82) than for boys (HR=1.72; 95% CI, 1.46-2.02). Our results suggest that prenatal lead exposure in combination with residential proximity to the NBH Superfund site is associated with childhood asthma acute-care clinical encounters. This article is part of a Special Collection on Environmental Epidemiology.

Experiences of Adversity and Validity of Baseline Concussion Testing.

Neurocognitive testing is a critical tool in the management of sport-related concussions. Adversity during childhood and adolescence affects cognitive tasks, behavioral outcomes, and academic performance. Adversity may be important in baseline concussion test validity as well; however, the influence of these experiences is not well understood. To examine the relationship between individual-level experiences of adversity and baseline test validity of Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT). We hypothesized that experiences of poverty, maltreatment, or extreme neighborhood deprivation would be associated with lower odds of baseline test validity. Case-control study. Cuyahoga County, Ohio. A total of 6495 student-athletes born from 1995 through 2005 who completed a baseline ImPACT test between 10 and 18 years old and were identified in the Child-Household Integrated Longitudinal Data system, a comprehensive data system with demographic and social service usage outcomes for children in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Baseline concussion test validity was determined using the ImPACT built-in validity measure. Experiences of adversity during the sensitive developmental periods of early childhood and adolescence were key independent variables. Our findings suggested that social mobility may play an important role in baseline validity. Youth with upward social mobility (ie, poverty or neighborhood deprivation in early childhood only) were not different from youth without such experiences (odds ratio [OR] = 0.91, P = .74). Youth with persistent adversity across childhood or downward social mobility (ie, poverty or high neighborhood deprivation in adolescence only) had 50% to 72% lower odds of achieving a valid baseline test (persistent poverty, OR = 0.59, P = .05; adolescent poverty only, OR = 0.50, P = .004; adolescent neighborhood deprivation only, OR = 0.28, P < .001). Maltreatment had no significant effect on test validity. These findings indicated that certain patterns of adversity may predispose youth to invalid baseline testing scores, potentially increasing their risk of inappropriate injury management and poor outcomes.

The retention and attrition of early-career music teachers: a survival analysis

Over 30 states have experienced a shortage of music teachers in the past decade. The attrition of early-career teachers is one of the largest contributing factors to the rising demand for teachers nationally, but there is a lack of rigorous empirical research examining characteristics associated with attrition of music teachers. I leveraged data from the Maryland Longitudinal Data System to examine early-career music teachers’ retention and attrition patterns between 2013 and 2020 using descriptive statistics and discrete-time survival analysis (N = 6430). On average, 74% of early-career music teachers retained their current position each year, 8% moved to a different school in Maryland, and 18% of left public school music teaching in Maryland. Survival analysis indicated that half of all music teachers left public-school music teaching in Maryland within their first five years of teaching. Attrition risk was greatest in years two and three. Other factors associated with attrition risk included sex, race, ethnicity, school grade level, aspects of school culture, the student body, school and district urbanicity, and the number of teachers employed by the school district. Discussed policy recommendations include mentorship programs, teacher compensation, school resources, comprehensive family leave, and music teacher recruitment.

Delivery at an inadequate level of maternal care is associated with severe maternal morbidity

BackgroundImplementing levels of maternal care is one strategy proposed to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. The levels of maternal care framework outline individual medical and obstetric comorbidities, along with hospital resources required for individuals with these different comorbidities to deliver safely. The overall goal is to match individuals to hospitals, so all birthing people get appropriate resources and personnel during delivery to reduce maternal morbidity. ObjectivesThis study examined the association between delivery in a hospital with an inappropriate level of maternal care and the risk of experiencing severe maternal morbidity. Study designThe 40 birthing hospitals in Massachusetts were surveyed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Levels of Care Assessment Tool. We linked individual delivery hospitalizations from the Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal data system to hospital-level data from the Levels of Care Assessment Tool surveys. Level of maternal care guidelines were used to outline 16 high-risk conditions warranting delivery at hospitals with resources beyond those considered basic (level I) obstetric care. We then used the Levels of Care Assessment Tool assessed levels to determine whether delivery occurred at a hospital that had the resources to meet an individual’s needs (i.e., if a patient received risk-inappropriate care).We conducted our analyses in two stages. First, multivariable logistic regression models predicted whether an individual delivered in a hospital that did not have the resources for their risk condition. The main explanatory variable of interest was whether the hospital self-assessed their level of maternal care to be higher than their Levels of Care Assessment Tool -assessment. We then used logistic regression to examine the association between delivery at an inappropriate level and the presence of severe maternal morbidity at delivery. ResultsAmong 64,441 deliveries in Massachusetts from January 1 to December 31, 2019, 33.2% (21,415/64,441) had one or more of the 16 high-risk conditions suggesting delivery should occur at a center designated as a level I or higher. Of the 21,415 individuals with a high-risk condition, 13% (2,793/21,415) or 4% (2,793/64,441) of the entire sample delivered at an inappropriate level of maternal care. Birthing individuals with high-risk conditions delivering at a hospital with an inappropriate level had elevated odds (aOR: 3.34, 95% CI: 2.24, 4.96) of experiencing severe maternal morbidity after adjusting for patient comorbidities, demographics, average hospital severe maternal morbidity rate, hospital level of maternal care, and geographic region. ConclusionsBirthing people who delivered in a hospital with risk-inappropriate resources were significantly more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity. Delivery in a hospital with a discrepancy in their self-assessment and Levels of Care Assessment Tool assessment significantly predicted delivery in a hospital with an inappropriate level of maternal care, suggesting inadequate knowledge of hospitals’ resources and capabilities. Our data demonstrate the potential for the levels of maternal care paradigm to decrease severe maternal morbidity while highlighting the need for robust implementation and education to ensure everyone receives risk-appropriate care.

Understanding the Superintendent Pipeline: A Call for a National Longitudinal Dataset

A recent study published in Educational Researcher by White (2023) examined superintendent gender gaps. This work required 4 years of internet searches to identify and match superintendent names with each of the roughly 13,000 school districts in the United States. Although this study provided important insights into the superintendent gender gaps, the study is unable to examine gaps for females of color or the long-term career pathways of superintendents. The lack of a national longitudinal superintendent dataset has meant researchers and policymakers have limited insights into superintendent racial and gender gaps, turnover rates, experience, and career pathways to the superintendency. Drawing on data from the Texas State Longitudinal Data System, we offer several findings to provide a glimpse of what could be accomplished with a longitudinal dataset. Policymakers, school boards, search firms, and communities will fail to understand the full range of challenges and opportunities to diversifying and strengthening the superintendent workforce until such a dataset exists and is accessible to researchers and other interested parties.

Exploratory spatial analysis: Understanding the geography of risks for trafficking and preventive efforts through the implementation of kNOw MORE!—: an educational program in middle and high schools in San Diego, California

Human trafficking (HT) violates human rights and brings long-lasting consequences for victims. This study aimed to geographically and statistically analyze (1) the implementation of a youth educational prevention program, kNOw MORE! (kM!) located in San Diego County (SD); (2) clusters of student participants who desired to talk further about trafficking after participating in kM!; (3) clusters of SD regions that included protective factors based on mental and social services for survivors of HT and similar populations; and (4) the low and high risk clusters for trafficking within SD. kM! is a preventive program that seeks to increase knowledge and self-efficacy to prevent trafficking. kM! is designed to increase knowledge and self-efficacy among middle and high school students to prevent HT. Databases used included the U.S. Census, the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System, kM!’s (2016–2020), among others. Results indicate that kM! was implemented throughout the six regions of SD. These presentations reached a total of N = 11,586 participants. Analysis of ZIP codes highlighted the South and East regions as representing the highest cluster for kM!’s presentations. Central, North Inland, and South Regions of SD are among the ones with highest percentiles of HT vulnerability scores. Regarding protective factors, the Central Region of San Diego contains the highest clustering of mental health and social services. These findings can assist diverse stakeholders and leaders to geographically strategize their anti-trafficking efforts. However, complete and uniform open databases at multiple levels are required to best inform the associations between geographical spaces and HT vulnerability.

Does science teacher certification matter? A closer look at first‐year science teacher impacts on student outcomes in Texas

AbstractThis study examines the certification pathway of science teachers in Texas, how science teacher certification patterns have changed over time, and the association of certification pathway to student outcomes in science. This quantitative study uses administrative data from the Texas Statewide Longitudinal Data System (UH‐ERC). The UH‐ERC database includes data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), The Higher Education Coordinating Boards (THECB), and the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) which can be linked together to provide a cradle‐to‐workforce portrait of Texas residents. Cohorts were created of novice teachers to isolate teacher preparation rather than professional development associated with years of experience. Results indicated that teachers new to the labour market are increasingly being certified through alternative pathways, particularly in districts closer to metropolitan areas. Findings suggest that students who are taught by teachers who were prepared through an alternative pathway have lower test scores on the biology end‐of‐course State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test than students who were taught by teachers prepared through a traditional certification pathway.

Do Declining Enrollments Predict Teacher Turnover in Music?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between student enrollment trends in elective secondary music ensembles and music ensemble teacher job turnover. Although student enrollment is widely accepted as an important concern for music educators and a crude proxy measure of music teacher quality, these normative beliefs have not been thoroughly examined empirically. This study tested these beliefs using data from a State Longitudinal Data System to link statewide high school student ensemble enrollment data to teacher workforce data for the academic years 2012 to 2013 through 2019 to 2020. Two-way fixed effects estimators with logistic and multinomial logistic regression showed that decreasing enrollments in high school music ensembles predict music teachers’ departure from the profession. A comparative interrupted time-series analysis showed that a change in music teacher does not significantly affect the future enrollment trend of a high school music ensemble program. An exploratory analysis examining the postteaching careers of former high school music teachers showed that the majority of music teachers who exited the profession earned considerably higher wages in their new careers. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of the results for music teachers, music administrators, music teacher education, and future research.

Impacts of educational debt on physical therapist employment trends

BackgroundNewly graduated physical therapists have high amounts of educational debt.Educational debt may negatively affect job satisfaction, aspirations for professional development, and choice of workplace setting. Research has not shown this association directly, yet it is conceptually supported by the Labor-Search Model. The purpose of this study was to understand the role that educational debt has on additional factors related to job choice in the Labor-Search Model.MethodsRetrospective data were captured through the Virginia Longitudinal Data System (VLDS) for 12,594 licensed physical therapists within the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2014 to 2020. A fixed effects panel analysis, with inflation-adjusted educational debt as the variable of interest, was conducted to assess whether patterns of professional certifications, volume of work, workplace setting, and job satisfaction were related to educational debt.ResultsEducational debt was positively correlated with higher professional degrees (p = 0.009), the number of hours worked per week (p = 0.049), and expected number of years until retirement (p = 0.013). Job satisfaction was statistically significant (p = 0.042) and negatively correlated with educational debt.Conclusions Those with higher educational debt appear to have the habit of working more hours per week and have a longer time horizon until retirement. Newly licensed physical therapists with higher amounts of educational debt are more likely to experience this trend. Income and job satisfaction demonstrated an interaction effect on educational debt, such that those with lower levels of income had a stronger, negative relationship between their debt and job satisfaction, as compared to those with higher income.

Using integrated data to examine the effects of summer youth employment program completion on educational and criminal justice system outcomes: Evidence from Cuyahoga County, Ohio

The current study builds the evidence base on the effects of Summer Youth Employment Programs (SYEP) both geographically and methodologically by linking SYEP participant records to a comprehensive integrated longitudinal database to better understand programmatic impacts on youth who completed participation in an SYEP in Cleveland, Ohio. The study matches SYEP participants and unselected applicants on various observed covariates using the Child Household Integrated Longitudinal Data (CHILD) System and relies upon propensity score matching techniques to estimate program completion impacts on educational and criminal justice system involvement outcomes. SYEP completion is associated with a lower prevalence of juvenile offense filings and incarceration events, better school attendance, and improved graduation rates 1–2 years following program participation.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Risk of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Registry Linkage Study From Massachusetts

ABSTRACT Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder in women, affecting approximately 6% to 15% of reproductive-aged women. Polycystic ovarian syndrome is associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and infertility. Previous meta-analyses and reviews have suggested that women with PCOS are at an increased risk of pregnancy complications, although many of the studies included are small and may not be generalizable. This population-based study aimed to investigate whether women with a previous history of PCOS had greater risk of adverse maternal and pregnancy outcomes compared with women without a diagnosis of PCOS accounting for potential confounding factors. Data were obtained from 3 sources: the Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System, and the Massachusetts All-Payers Claims Database. Maternal outcomes investigated included gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, cesarean delivery, and placental abnormalities. Neonatal outcomes investigated were size for gestational age, low birth weight, prematurity, prolonged delivery, and hospital stay. Infant conditions and diagnoses during the first year of life were also investigated. Deliveries were classified into groups of noninfertile, subfertile/infertile, or assisted reproductive technology. The relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of adverse outcomes were estimated with a log-link and Poisson distribution, and multivariable models were a priori adjusted for potential confounding factors. A total of 3552 deliveries to women with a history of PCOS and 88,273 deliveries to women without a diagnosis of PCOS were included. When adjusting for maternal age, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), education, race/ethnicity, plurality, birth year, and history of hypertension and diabetes, women with a history of PCOS had a 51% greater risk of gestational diabetes (RR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.38–1.65). Women with a history of PCOS were also at a greater risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia (RR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.15–1.35) and higher risk of cesarean delivery (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02–1.11). Women with a history of PCOS were more likely to deliver prematurely (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06–1.29), and infants born to mothers with a history of PCOS were more likely to have a prolonged neonatal hospital stay (RR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.01–1.19). Among women with a BMI &lt;30 kg/m2, PCOS was associated with a greater risk of gestational diabetes (RR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.42–1.80) than among those with a BMI &gt;30 kg/m2 (gestational diabetes: RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.21–1.57). The results of this study demonstrate that women with a history of PCOS were more likely to experience gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and cesarean delivery, and their neonates were more likely to be born premature and have a prolonged neonatal hospital stay.

Postpartum Hospital Readmissions Among Massachusetts Women Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Objectives: Deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) women are at a higher risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes compared with other women. However, little is known about postpartum outcomes among DHH women. The objective was to compare the risk of postpartum hospitalizations for DHH compared with non-DHH women and the leading indications for postpartum admissions. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from the 1998-2017 Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System and identified 3,546 singleton deliveries to DHH women and 1,381,439 singleton deliveries to non-DHH women. We used Cox proportional hazard models to compare the first hospital admission and ≥2 hospital admissions between DHH and non-DHH women within 1-42, 43-90, and 91-365 days after delivery. Results: DHH women had a higher risk for any hospital admissions across all periods (hazard ratios [HR] = 1.84; 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.46-2.34 within 1-42 days; HR = 2.76; 95%CI 1.99-3.83 within 43-90 days; and HR = 3.10; 95%CI 2.66-3.60 91-365 days) after childbirth compared with non-DHH women. They had an almost seven times higher risk for repeated hospital admissions within 43-90 days (HR = 6.84; 95%CI 1.66-28.21) and nearly four times higher the risk within 91-365 days (HR = 3.63; 95%CI 2.00-6.59) after delivery compared with non-DHH women. The leading indications for readmission among DHH women included: conditions complicating the puerperium/hemorrhage and soft tissues disorders. Conclusion: Compared with other women, DHH women had significantly higher readmissions across all postpartum periods and for repeated admissions >42 days. Leading postpartum indications were distinct from those of non-DHH women.

A-44 Experiences of Adversity and Validity of Baseline Concussion Testing

Abstract Purpose: This study examined the relationship between individual-level experiences of social adversity and baseline computerized concussion testing validity (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing; ImPACT). Methods: This study involved 6495 student-athletes born between 1995 and 2005 who completed a baseline ImPACT test between 10 and 18 years old and could be identified in the Child-Household Integrated Longitudinal Data (CHILD) System, a continuously updated integrated and comprehensive data system that captures detailed individual-level demographic, social service usage, and educational outcomes on every child born or living in Cuyahoga County, Ohio from 1989 to present. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted with experiences of SNAP/TANF enrollment, substantiated abuse or neglect incidents, and extreme neighborhood deprivation occurring in the sensitive developmental periods of early childhood and adolescence as key predictors of baseline test validity. Results: Our findings suggest that social mobility may play an important role in baseline validity. Youth with upward social mobility (poverty or neighborhood deprivation in early childhood only) were not significantly different than youth without such experiences (OR = 0.91, p = 0.74). Youth with persistent adversity across childhood or downward social mobility (poverty or high neighborhood deprivation in adolescence only) had 50–72% lower odds of achieving a valid baseline test (persistent poverty: OR = 0.59, p = 0.05; adolescent poverty only: OR = 0.50, p = 0.004; adolescent neighborhood deprivation only: OR = 0.28, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Conclusions: These findings suggest certain patterns of social adversity may predispose youth to invalid computerized concussion baseline testing scores, potentially increasing their risk of inaccurate injury management and poor outcomes.

Expanding the Understanding of School Concentrated Disadvantage Using Free and Reduced-Price Meals Data: Links to College and Labor Market Outcomes in Maryland

School concentrated disadvantage has been linked to poorer academic achievement and psychosocial functioning in prior research. The current study expands upon prior examinations of school concentrated disadvantage by applying a measurement approach first described by Michelmore and Dynarski in 2017, where eligibility for free and reduced-price meals (FRPM) is examined over time and the duration of eligibility serves as the key indicator of student disadvantage. We used data from a linked longitudinal administrative data system in Maryland, and we measured disadvantage using the proportion of years a student was eligible for FRPM between 6th and 12th grades (see ref. Michelmore & Dynarski). This measure was aggregated to the school level to measure school concentrated disadvantage. We found that school-level concentrated disadvantage was uniquely, and more strongly related to college enrollment than individual student-level disadvantage. However, early labor market outcomes tended to be more strongly linked to race/ethnicity than experiences with disadvantage. We highlight the need for additional targeted resources for students in schools with high concentrations of disadvantaged students.

Using Longitudinal Student Mobility to Identify At-Risk Students

We use administrative data from three states to document the relationships between geographic mobility and student outcomes during K–12 schooling. We focus specifically on nonstructural mobility events—which we define as school changes that do not occur as the result of normal transitions between schools—and on longitudinal measures that capture these events cumulatively for students. We show that the number of nonstructural moves experienced by a student is a powerful indicator of low-test performance and graduation rates. Longitudinal information on student mobility is unlikely to be readily available to local practitioners—that is, individual districts, schools, or teachers. However, due to recent investments in longitudinal data systems in most states, this information can be made available at low cost by state education agencies.

Harnessing State Longitudinal Data Systems to Access Career and Technical Education Outcomes

Students participating in career and technical education (CTE) programming must complete years of technical coursework to acquire the advanced skills, credentials, and degrees necessary for workforce success. Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDS) offer researchers access to a range of individual student recordlevel data that can be used to assess student's in-school experiences, the outcomes they achieve, and the transitions they make across educational levels and into the workforce. This paper serves as a primer for researchers interested in harnessing SLDS to explore the contribution that CTE makes in preparing youth and adults for career success. It defines terminology unique to CTE programming; describes how CTE students are classified and the distinctions among them; reviews student demographic and special population classifications specified in federal legislation and issues associated with their measurement; describes metrics of student success widely used in the field; and data governance, data matching, and student privacy considerations that arise in tracking individuals as they transition across education and into the workforce. The paper closes with recommendations to strengthen SLDS capacity for use in CTE research.

Sex differences in infant health following ART-treated, subfertile, and fertile deliveries

Among infants following ART-treated, subfertile, and fertile deliveries to determine (1) the presence and magnitude of sex differences in health outcomes and (2) whether the presence of sex differences varied among maternal fertility groups. Retrospective cohort analysis of infants born in Massachusetts (MA) in 2004-2013 who were conceived by ART. The Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System was linked to the Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal data system, which links birth certificates to hospital discharge records for MA mothers and infants. Included were singletons born via ART-treated, subfertile, and fertile deliveries. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model the association between infant sex and health outcomes, controlling for maternal demographic and health characteristics. A total of 16,034 ART-treated, 13,277 subfertile, and 620,375 fertile singleton live births were included. For all three groups, males had greater odds of being preterm (AOR range 1.15-1.2), having birth defects (AOR range 1.31-1.71), experiencing respiratory (AOR range 1.33-1.35) and neurologic (AOR range 1.24-1.3) conditions, and prolonged hospital stay (AOR range 1.19-1.25) compared to females. The interaction between maternal fertility group and infant sex for all infant outcomes was nonsignificant, denoting that the presence of sex differences among fertile, subfertile, and ART groups did not vary. Sex differences in birth outcomes of infants following ART-treated, subfertile, and fertile deliveries exist but the magnitude of these differences does not vary among these maternal fertility groups.