York City Public School Students Research Articles

The Effects of Grade Retention on High School Outcomes: Evidence from New York City Schools

This study examines the causal impact of grade retention on high school attainment outcomes. We use administrative data on New York City public school students and a regression discontinuity design based on test score cutoffs used to determine retention eligibility. For students scoring at the test score cutoff, grade retention reduces average high school credit accumulation and the likelihood of taking math and English Regents exams. For middle grade students at the test score cutoff, we also find that retention increases dropout and reduces the likelihood of completing Regents exam graduation requirements. We also explore potential mechanisms and find that retention increases placement into special education and makes future retentions of these students less likely.

Gentrification and childhood obesity: Evidence from New York City public school students in public housing.

The study objective was to determine the effect of gentrification on the weight outcomes of New York City public school students living in public housing. In a prospective cohort of 19,022 New York City public school students in public housing followed during 2009-2017, weight outcomes of students living in public housing buildings in gentrified neighborhoods were compared to those living in consistently low-socioeconomic-status neighborhoods; assignment was quasi-random in each borough. Among the 42,182 student-year observations, gentrification did not increase weight outcomes significantly, for BMI z scores (0.037; 95% CI: -0.012 to 0.086), obesity (0.6 percentage points [pp]; 95% CI: -0.9 to 2.1), or overweight (1.3 pp; 95% CI: -0.7 to 3.2). However, heterogeneous effects by borough were found, where the gentrification in Manhattan increased students' BMI z scoresby 0.19 (95% CI: 0.09-0.29), obesity by 3.4 pp (95% CI: 0.03-6.5), and overweight by 9.2 pp (95% CI: 6.3-12.1). No heterogeneity by race and ethnicity, gender, or age was found. With strong internal validity, this study shows that neighborhood gentrification differentially influenced children's health through obesity, based on borough of residence. Such findings could inform policies or interventions focused on subpopulations and geographies.

COVID-19 vaccines for children: Racial and ethnic disparities in New York City

Vaccination is an indispensable tool to reduce negative outcomes due to COVID-19. Although COVID-19 disproportionately affected lower income and Black and Hispanic communities, these groups have had lower population-level uptake of vaccines. Using detailed cross-sectional data, we examined racial and ethnic group differences in New York City schoolchildren becoming fully vaccinated (two doses) within 6 months of vaccine eligibility. We matched school enrollment data to vaccination data in the Citywide Immunization Registry, a census of all vaccinations delivered in New York City. We used ordinary least squares regression models to predict fully vaccinated status, with key predictors of race and ethnicity using a variety of different control variables, including residential neighborhood or school fixed effects. We also stratified by borough and by age. The sample included all New York City public school students enrolled during the 2021–2022 school year. Asian students were most likely to be vaccinated and Black and White students least likely. Controlling for student characteristics, particularly residential neighborhood or school attended, diminished some of the race and ethnicity differences. Key differences were also present by borough, both overall and by racial and ethnic groups. In sum, racial and ethnic disparities in children's COVID-19 vaccination were present. Vaccination rates varied by the geographic unit of borough; controlling for neighborhood characteristics diminished some disparities by race and ethnicity. Neighborhood demographics and resources, and the attributes, culture and preferences of those who live there may affect vaccination decisions and could be targets of future efforts to increase vaccination rates.

A Chance at the Arts: Assessment of NYC Department of Education’s ArtsCount as a Violation of Title VI Implementing Regulation

The City of New York has historically struggled with equitable funding in its public education system. As a result, funding for arts education in New York City public schools has steadily declined. This trend further perpetuates a widespread cultural attitude that undervalues the academic benefits of arts education for students. This lack of support for the arts has particularly impacted schools located in low-income neighborhoods which suffer from low engagement with—and participation in—arts programs and arts instruction. Rocco Landesman, Former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, wrote in his study on arts and achievement for at-risk youth that “the only outcomes we should need to measure for a music class is whether the child had the chance to create, enjoy, and understand music.” The New York City Department of Education has attempted to offer all students the chance to participate in arts education through various policy initiatives. In particular, New York City’s Blueprint for the Arts curriculum initiative and its supplemental accountability program, ArtsCount, were implemented to enhance students’ access to arts instruction. The decade following their implementation, however, revealed obvious shortcomings and failures. Moreover, the lack of reform of these initiatives perpetuates the culture of unequal access that is so commonly associated with arts education.
 Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act states: “[n]o person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Particularly, Title VI imposes regulations for the implementation of federal funds. Such regulations require that recipients may not “utilize criteria or methods of administration which have the effect of subjecting individuals to discrimination because of their race, color, or national origin, or have the effect of defeating or substantially impairing accomplishment of the objectives of the program as respect individuals of a particular race, color, or national origin.”
 In 2014, the NYC Comptroller released a report describing the failures of ArtsCount, focusing in part on inequities in the distribution of arts instruction across New York City school districts. The results demonstrate a positive correlation between the presence of art instructors, art classrooms, and art programs to socioeconomic status and racial makeup of particular districts. These results are especially problematic as the very purpose of these initiatives is to enhance access to arts education for New York City students. This Note will explore several possible explanations for these failures, including societal and policy-based influences on school leaders in low-income neighborhoods, and how those influences were exacerbated by inefficient systems of reporting such as New York City’s ArtsCount.
 Prior to the implementation of BluePrint for the Arts and ArtsCount, New York City provided arts funding through Project ARTS, a grant program that provided schools with dedicated arts funding. This program required that Project ARTS funding was spent in areas related directly to the arts. Transitioning to Blueprint for the Arts and ArtsCount allows the New York City Department of Education to take a passive approach to implementing arts education funding. With ArtsCount, funding that would have previously been dedicated to the arts is now provided to school leaders through general school budgets using ArtsCount as a method to ensure accountability for investing in arts programs. However, the inadequacy of ArtsCount has led to many students in areas of lower socioeconomic status—primarily students of color—having to go without the necessary arts education curriculum as put forth by BluePrint for the Arts, the very curriculum that ArtsCount was meant to ensure.
 The inadequacy of this accountability program poses the question of possible Title VI violations. The several years following the Comptroller report have seen little change, despite recommendations for how to mitigate such discriminatory effects. In order to prove a violation of Title VI’s implementing regulations, proof of discriminatory effect will suffice to establish liability and proof of discriminatory intent is not needed. While it could be argued that such a funding structure is necessary and justified, offering less discriminatory alternatives would demonstrate that this structure is still indeed a Title VI violation. This Note explores potential alternatives to the current accountability framework, including reframing how arts education should and may be spent, and rethinking the way that data regarding arts education instruction is collected.
 Overall, the goal of this Note is to assess the current status of arts education in New York City Public Schools and how its current funding structure and accountability program impacts the presence of arts education across New York City school districts. This assessment will focus primarily on the New York City public school system, as New York City is a cultural hub of the world with communities of different races, ethnicities, and many socioeconomic backgrounds. Part I of this Note provides background information on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, societal conceptions on the value of arts education, the history of arts education funding in New York City, and the implementation of ArtsCount. Part II of this Note assesses New York City’s current accountability framework in context of Title VI’s implementing regulation, considering the history of race disparities within arts education at the national and local levels. Part III of this Note proposes an alternative which may mitigate such discriminatory implications and increase access to arts education among New York City Public School students. This solution involves a more detailed system of reporting, a mid-level compromise for discretion offered to school leaders over arts funding, and education initiatives offering incentives to increase arts integration in daily common core subject areas. Essentially, this Note articulates the need for reform of the current framework meant to create equal access to arts education for New York City public school students. While focusing on the prevalent racial and socioeconomic disparities that continue under this regime, this Note utilizes the protection offered by Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to validate the right to reformation.

Exposure to local violent crime and childhood obesity and fitness: Evidence from New York City public school students.

This paper estimates the relationship between neighborhood violent crime and child and adolescent weight and fitness. It uses detailed data from the Fitnessgram assessments of public school students in New York City matched to point specific crime data geocoded to students' residential location. Our empirical approach compares the weight and fitness outcomes of students exposed to a violent crime on their residential H-block with those living in the same census tract but not exposed to violent crime in close proximity to their home. We find for adolescent girls, increases in BMI that range from 0.01 to 0.035 standard deviations and an increase in the probability of overweight of 0.5 to 1.7 percentage points. We find little evidence that BMI, obesity, and overweight change as a result of violent crime for adolescent boys, and younger children. Results are not explained by declines in physical fitness.

Exposure to the World Trade Center disaster and test performance among New York City public school students over time, 1998–2003

BackgroundThe World Trade Center (WTC) disaster exposed children to environmental toxins and emotional traumas. WTC exposure health effects have been well-documented; impacts on education outcomes, which have been associated with health over the life course, have not. We examined the WTC disaster's impact on math and English language arts (ELA) exams among New York City (NYC) public school students. MethodsStudent-level data for 3rd graders in 1998–99 were obtained for five consecutive school years, three pre-9/11 and two post-9/11 from the NYC Department of Education. Piecewise linear mixed models with two slopes representing two time periods—pre-and post-9/11—were used to examine the WTC impact on exam scores among 393 students in exposed Ground Zero area schools (WTC site: 0–1.5 miles) versus 39,047 students in unexposed NYC schools (WTC site: >6 miles). ResultsOn math exams, students in Ground Zero area schools were improving their scores in both the pre-9/11 period and post-9/11 period – with a slightly greater magnitude of improvement post-9/11 (change in slope post-9/11 from pre-9/11: 0.5, 95% CI: 3.1, 5.2). Students in unexposed schools experienced a slight decrease in the rate of improvement on math scores in the post-9/11 period (change in slope post-9/11 from pre-9/11: 0.6, 95% CI: 1.2, −0.0). On ELA exams, both students in Ground Zero area schools and unexposed schools were positively increasing their test scores in both the pre-9/11 and post-9/11 period; both groups experienced a faster rate of improvement in the post-9/11 period (change in slope post-9/11 from pre-9/11 [95% CI]: Ground Zero: 1.2 [-2-2, 4.5], unexposed: 3.0 [2.6, 3.4]. ConclusionsCompared to the pre-9/11 time-period, students in Ground Zero area schools experienced modest improvements in test scores in the post-9/11 time-period. Futures studies should evaluate long-term impacts on education, as outcomes may differ compared to the short-term effects.

The association between student body mass index and tests of flexibility assessed by the FITNESSGRAM®: New York City public school students, 2017-18.

FITNESSGRAM® is the most widely used criterion-referenced tool to assess/report on student health-related fitness across the US. Potential weight-related biases with the two most common tests of musculoskeletal fitness–the trunk extension and Back-Saver Sit-and-Reach (sit-and-reach)—have been hypothesized, though have not been studied. To determine the association between musculoskeletal fitness test performance and weight status, we use data from 571,133 New York City public school 4th-12th grade students (85% non-White; 75% qualified for free or reduced-price meals) with valid/complete 2017–18 FITNESSGRAM® data. Adjusted logistic mixed effects models with a random effect for school examined the association between weight status and whether a student was in the Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ; met sex- and age-specific criterion-referenced standards) for the trunk extension and sit-and-reach. Compared to students with normal weight, the odds of being in the HFZ for trunk extension were lower for students with underweight (OR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.741, 0.795) and higher for students with overweight (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.081, 1.122) and obesity (OR = 1.11; 95% CI: 1.090, 1.13). The odds of being in the HFZ for sit-and-reach were lower for students with underweight OR = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.826, 0.878), overweight (OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.819, 0.844) and obesity (OR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.641, 0.661). Students with overweight and obesity perform better on the trunk extension, yet worse on the sit-and-reach, compared to students with normal weight. Teachers, administrators, and researchers should be aware of the relationship of BMI with student performance in these assessments.

The Rollout of Computer Science Education to Every Student in New York City: A Socio-Contextual Social Network Analysis

Background CS4All is an $81 million private-public investment aimed at creating the necessary infrastructure to provide computer science experiences to all New York City public-school students by 2025. Purpose In this paper, we examine the history of the CS4All initiative and document the network of actors and their relationships in the system such that we can understand how this reform is enacted, how it might be reactive to external contexts and pressures, and how the structure and pathways of this particular social network might inform similar efforts elsewhere. Research Design To structure our analysis of CS4All, we first examine the most recent historic example of a large-scale curricular reform—Man: A Course of Study (MACOS). By reflecting on the network structure of CS4All in light of the design, enactment, and eventual failure of MACOS, we can identify potential pain points and opportunities in CS4All's 10-year effort. We conducted interviews with core members of the CS4All initiative and examined available public records to construct and analyze a social network of key CS4All stakeholders, other actors, processes, and institutions. Conclusions In our analysis of the CS4All social network, we document how well-connected individuals simultaneously mobilized government resources and grassroots enthusiasm to create the conditions necessary for the initiation of this massive curricular reform effort, and describe the current pathways in place for decision making and resource distribution. Comparing the history and structure of the CS4All initiative to Man: A Course of Study —a failed nationwide curricular reform in the 1960s—we find that CS4All's centralized decision-making process and failure to create and distribute high quality formative assessment tools may lead to challenges to adoption. However, explicit efforts to solicit input from and communicate initiative values to the large diversity of stakeholders throughout NYC, as well as the innovation of a decentralized “buffet-style” curricular approach, may put CS4All on more sure footing.

Childhood Obesity and the Food Environment: A Population-Based Sample of Public School Children in New York City.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between proximity to healthy and unhealthy food outlets around children's homes and their weight outcomes. A total of 3,507,542 student-year observations of height and weight data from the 2009-2013 annual FitnessGram assessment of New York City public school studentswere used. BMI z scoreswere calculated, studentobesity or obesity/overweight was determinedusing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts, and these datawere combined with the locations of four food outlet types (fast-food restaurants, wait-service restaurants, corner stores, and supermarkets) to calculate distance to the nearest outlet. Associations between weight status outcomes and distance to these food outlet types were examinedusing neighborhood (census tract) fixed effects. Living farther than 0.025 mile (about half of a city block) from the nearest fast-food restaurant was associated with lower obesity and obesity/overweight risk and lower BMI z scores. Results ranged from 2.5% to 4.4% decreased obesity. Beyond this distance, there were generally no impacts of the food environment and little to no impact of other food outlet types. Proximity to fast-food restaurants was inversely related to childhood obesity, but no relationships beyond that were seen. These findings can help better inform policies focused on food access, which could, in turn, reduce childhood obesity.

The Effect of Residential Mobility on Student Performance: Evidence From New York City

Residential mobility is likely to have consequences for student performance, but prior empirical work is largely correlational and offers little insight into its impacts. Using rich, longitudinal data, we estimate the effects of residential mobility on the performance of New York City public school students. Using both student fixed effects and instrumental variables approaches, we find that long-distance moves have negative effects, while short-distance moves improve student performance. These differential effects are partially, but not fully, explained by school mobility. Rather, the positive effects of short-distance moves may be explained by improvements in housing, while the negative impacts of long-distance moves may be explained by lower performance relative to school peers and loss of social capital.

The Association of Health-Related Fitness and Chronic Absenteeism Status in New York City Middle School Youth.

Extensive research demonstrates the benefits of fitness on children's health and academic performance. Although decreases in health-related fitness may increase school absenteeism, multiple years of prospective, child-level data are needed to examine whether fitness changes predict subsequent chronic absenteeism status. Six cohorts of New York City public school students were followed from grades 5-8 (2006/2007-2012/2013; N = 349,381). A longitudinal 3-level logistic generalized linear mixed model with random intercepts was used to test the association of individual children's changes in fitness and 1-year lagged chronic absenteeism. The odds of chronic absenteeism increased 27% [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25-1.30], 15% (OR 95% CI, 1.13-1.18), 9% (OR 95% CI, 1.07-1.11), and 1% (OR 95% CI, 0.98-1.04), for students who had a >20% decrease, 10%-20% decrease, <10% increase or decrease, and 10%-20% increase in fitness, respectively, compared with >20% fitness increase. These findings contribute important longitudinal evidence to a cross-sectional literature, demonstrating reductions in youth fitness may increase absenteeism. Given only 25% of youth aged 12-15 years achieve the recommended daily 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity, future work should examine the potential for youth fitness interventions to reduce absenteeism and foster positive attitudes toward lifelong physical activity.

Abstract MP36: Poverty Modifies the Association of Health-Related Fitness and School Absenteeism in New York City Middle School Girls

Introduction: One-fifth to one-third of students in high-poverty, urban school districts do not attend school regularly (missing ≥6 days per year). Health related fitness is shown to be associated with absenteeism, although this relationship may differ across poverty and gender subgroups. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that area poverty would be a stronger effect modifier on the association of fitness (cardiorespiratory, muscular endurance, and muscular strength fitness composite percentile scores) and subsequent absenteeism (one-year lagged days absent) in girls compared with boys. Methods: Six cohorts of New York City public school students were followed from grades 5-8 during 2006/7-2012/13 (n=349,381). Stratified three-level longitudinal generalized linear mixed models were used to test the modification of poverty on the association of fitness changes and one-year lagged child-specific days absent across gender. Results: The fitness-absenteeism association was not significant in boys attending schools in high/very high (p=0.075) or low/mid poverty (p=0.454) areas. In girls attending schools in high/very high poverty areas, greater improvements in fitness the prior year were associated with greater improvements in attendance (p=0.034). Relative to the reference group (&gt;20% decrease in fitness composite percentile scores from the prior year), girls with a large increase in fitness (&gt;20%) demonstrated 10.3% fewer days absent (IRR 95% CI: 0.834, 0.964), followed by those who had a 10-20% increase in fitness (9.2%, IRR 95% CI: 0.835, 0.987), no change (5.4%, IRR 95% CI: 0.887, 1.007) and a 10-20% decrease in fitness (3.8%, IRR 95% CI: 0.885, 1.045). In girls attending schools in low/mid poverty areas, the fitness-attendance relationship was also positive, but no clear trend emerged. Conclusions: Fitness improvements may be more important to attendance improvements in high/very high poverty girls compared with low/mid poverty girls, and both high/very high and low/mid poverty boys. In conclusion, expanding school-based physical activity programs for girls in high-poverty neighborhoods may increase student attendance.

Individual-Level Fitness and Absenteeism in New York City Middle School Youths, 2006-2013.

IntroductionYouth health-related fitness positively affects academic outcomes, although limited research has focused on the relationship between fitness and school absenteeism. We examined the longitudinal association between individual children’s fitness and lagged school absenteeism over 4 years in urban middle schools.MethodsSix cohorts of New York City public school students were followed from grades 5 through 8 (school years 2006–2007 through 2012–2013; n = 349,381). A 3-level longitudinal generalized linear mixed model was used to test the association of change in fitness composite percentile scores and 1-year lagged child-specific days absent.ResultsAdjusted 3-level negative binomial models showed that students with a more than 20% increase, 10% to 20% increase, less than 10% increase or decrease, and 10% to 20% decrease in fitness from the year prior had 11.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2–16.8), 6.1% (95% CI, 1.0–11.4), 2.6% (95% CI, −1.1 to 6.5), and 0.4% (95% CI, −4.3 to 5.4) lower absenteeism compared with students with a more than 20% fitness decrease.ConclusionCumulative effects of fitness improvement could have a significant impact on child absenteeism over time, particularly in high-need subgroups. Future research should examine the potential for school-based fitness interventions to reduce absenteeism rates, particularly for youths who have fitness drop-offs in adolescence.

The association of fitness and school absenteeism across gender and poverty: a prospective multilevel analysis in New York City middle schools

PurposeOne-fifth to one-third of students in high poverty, urban school districts do not attend school regularly (missing ≥6 days/year). Fitness is shown to be associated with absenteeism, although this relationship may differ across poverty and gender subgroups. MethodsSix cohorts of New York City public school students were followed up from grades 5 to 8 during 2006/2007–2012/2013 (n = 349,381). Stratified three-level longitudinal generalized linear mixed models were used to test the association between changes in fitness and 1-year lagged child-specific days absent across gender and poverty. ResultsIn girls attending schools in high/very high poverty areas, greater improvements in fitness the prior year were associated with greater reductions in absenteeism (P = .034). Relative to the reference group (>20% decrease in fitness composite percentile scores from the prior year), girls with a large increase in fitness (>20%) demonstrated 10.3% fewer days absent (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.834, 0.964), followed by those who had a 10%–20% increase in fitness (9.2%; IRR 95% CI: 0.835, 0.987), no change (5.4%; IRR 95% CI: 0.887, 1.007), and a 10%–20% decrease in fitness (3.8%; IRR 95% CI: 0.885, 1.045). In girls attending schools in low/mid poverty areas, fitness and absenteeism also had an inverse relationship, but no clear trend emerged. In boys, fitness and absenteeism had an inverse relationship but was not significant in either poverty group. ConclusionsFitness improvements may be more important to reducing absenteeism in high/very high poverty girls compared with low/mid poverty girls and both high/very high and low/mid poverty boys. Expanding school-based physical activity programs for youth particularly in high poverty neighborhoods may increase student attendance.

Comorbidity classes and associated impairment, demographics and 9/11-exposures in 8,236 children and adolescents

The extensive comorbidity of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents leads to clinical heterogeneity, and is an often-overlooked issue in etiopathogenic and treatment studies in developmental psychopathology. In a representative sample (N=8236) of New York City public school students assessed six months after 9/11, latent class analysis was applied to 48 symptoms across seven disorders: posttraumatic stress, agoraphobia, separation anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety (GAD), major depression (MDD) and conduct disorder (CD). Our objective was to identify classes defined by homogenous symptom profiles, and to examine the association between class membership and gender, age, race, different types of exposure to 9/11, and impairment. Eight homogenous comorbidity patterns were identified, including four severe disturbance classes: a multimorbid internalizing class (INT), a class with a high probability of CD, MDD, and GAD symptoms (Distress/EXT), a non-comorbid externalizing class, and a non-comorbid MDD class. Demographic and 9/11-related exposures showed some degree of specificity in their association with severe symptom profiles. Impairment was particularly high in the INT and Distress/EXT classes. A better characterization of phenomic data, that takes comorbidity into account, is essential to understand etiopathogenic processes, and to move psychiatric research forward towards personalized medicine. The high probability of endorsing symptoms of multiple disorders in the INT and Distress/EXT classes supports the use of treatments focusing on multimorbidity. Clinical trials should evaluate the effectiveness of disorder-specific versus transdiagnostic interventions. The association between class membership and demographic and exposure variables suggests that interventions may be improved by considering specific predictors of class membership.

Relationship between Recreational Resources in the School Neighborhood and Changes in Fitness in New York City Public School Students.

Physical fitness in children has many beneficial effects, including the maintenance of a healthy weight. The built environment may influence youths' physical fitness by encouraging physical activity. This paper assessed whether higher density of parks, playgrounds, and sports facilities around a school is related to improvements in fitness in middle school boys and girls. Fitness scores and other student covariates collected as part of NYC FITNESSGRAM between the 2006-2007 and 2010-2011 school years were linked with school neighborhood data on characteristics of the built environment for NYC public school students in grades 6-8. Data were analyzed in 2015. Medium, but not high, density of recreational resources in the area surrounding a school was associated with greater annual improvements in fitness for both boys and girls. This association appeared to be driven mainly by the presence of parks. Findings for sports facilities and playgrounds were inconsistent. Overall, few associations were observed between recreational resources near a school and changes in student fitness. Future studies of school influences on student fitness should consider the influence of school resources and the home neighborhood.

Neighborhoods, Schools and Obesity: The Potential for Place-Based Approaches to Reduce Childhood Obesity

A common policy approach to reducing childhood obesity aims to shape the environment in which children spend most of their time: neighborhoods and schools. This paper uses richly detailed data on the body mass index (BMI) of all New York City public school students in grades K-8 to assess the potential for place-based approaches to reduce child obesity. We document variation in the prevalence of obesity across NYC public schools and census tracts, and then estimate the extent to which this variation can be explained by differences in individual-level predictors (such as race and household income). Both unadjusted and adjusted variability across neighborhoods and schools suggest place-based policies have the potential to meaningfully reduce child obesity, but under most realistic scenarios the improvement would be modest.

An evaluation of voluntary 2-dose varicella vaccination coverage in New York City public schools.

We assessed coverage for 2-dose varicella vaccination, which is not required for school entry, among New York City public school students and examined characteristics associated with receipt of 2 doses. We measured receipt of either at least 1 or 2 doses of varicella vaccine among students aged 4 years and older in a sample of 336 public schools (n = 223 864 students) during the 2010 to 2011 school year. Data came from merged student vaccination records from 2 administrative data systems. We conducted multivariable regression to assess associations of age, gender, race/ethnicity, and school location with 2-dose prevalence. Coverage with at least 1 varicella dose was 96.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 96.2%, 96.3%); coverage with at least 2 doses was 64.8% (95% CI = 64.6%, 64.9%). Increasing student age, non-Hispanic White race/ethnicity, and attendance at school in Staten Island were associated with lower 2-dose coverage. A 2-dose varicella vaccine requirement for school entry would likely improve 2-dose coverage, eliminate coverage disparities, and prevent disease.

Assessing Handwriting Intervention Effectiveness in Elementary School Students: A Two-Group Controlled Study

This study examined the effectiveness of two approaches used in elementary schools to improve children's handwriting. Participants were 72 New York City public school students from the first and second grades. A nonequivalent pretest-posttest group design was used in which students engaged in handwriting activities using two approaches: intensive handwriting practice and visual-perceptual-motor activities. Handwriting speed, legibility, and visual-motor skills were examined after a 12-wk Handwriting Club using multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that students in the intensive handwriting practice group demonstrated significant improvements in handwriting legibility compared with students in the visual-perceptual-motor activity group. No significant effects in handwriting speed and visual-motor skills were found between the students in intensive handwriting practice group and the students in visual-perceptual-motor activities group. The Handwriting Club model is a natural intervention that fits easily into existing school curriculums and can be an effective short-term intervention (response to intervention Tier II).

Individual- and school-level sociodemographic predictors of obesity among New York City public school children.

To identify student- and school-level sociodemographic characteristics associated with overweight and obesity, the authors conducted cross-sectional analyses of data from 624,204 public school children (kindergarten through 12th grade) who took part in the 2007-2008 New York City Fitnessgram Program. The overall prevalence of obesity was 20.3%, and the prevalence of overweight was 17.6%. In multivariate models, the odds of being obese as compared with normal weight were higher for boys versus girls (odds ratio (OR) = 1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36, 1.42), for black (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.15) and Hispanic (OR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.43, 1.53) children as compared with white children, for children receiving reduced-price (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.21) or free (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.09, 1.15) school lunches as compared with those paying full price, and for US-born students (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.50, 1.58) as compared with foreign-born students. After adjustment for individual-level factors, obesity was associated with the percentage of students who were US-born (across interquartile range (75th percentile vs. 25th), OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.14) and the percentage of students who received free or reduced-price lunches (across interquartile range, OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.18). The authors conclude that individual sociodemographic characteristics and school-level sociodemographic composition are associated with obesity among New York City public school students.