MASS.commuting

MassINC
MASS.commuting was produced in partnership with the UMass Donahue Institute and generously sponsored by MassHousing. Our analysis of U.S. Census data reveals that the morning and evening commutes are rapidly worsening compared to the rest of the nation, a situation that erodes our qualify of life and economic health. Massachusetts commutes are getting worse faster read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Transportation

Examining State Intervention Capacity

How Can the State Better Support Low Performing Schools & Districts?

Ben Forman
State accountability systems and the No Child Left Behind Act force policymakers and the public, alike, to recognize the large numbers of schools that are failing to educate all students to high standards. More schools and districts than ever are being identified as low performing, and the problem requires substantial, systemic action from the state. read more
Topic(s): Education, Strong Communities

The Graying of Massachusetts

Aging, the New Rules of Retirement, and the Changing Workforce

Andy Eschtruth, Natalia Jivan, Tatiana Mihailovschi-Muntean, Amy Chasse, Alicia Munnell, Kevin E. Cahill, Mauricio Soto, Kevin Meme, Steven A. Sass and Greg Wiles
Many Massachusetts workers will face a stark choice in the coming years: Retire later or retire with less money. Our findings show that powerful trends are converging at once to alter the retirement landscape: An aging population that has not saved enough must adjust to new Social Security rules that delay full benefits from the read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Economic Development

The Pursuit of Happiness

A Survey on the Quality of Life in Massachusetts

Larry Hugick and Jenny Armeni
The Pursuit of Happiness: A Survey on the Quality of Life in Massachusetts highlights data from a 1,001-person statewide poll conducted for MassINC by Princeton Survey Research Associates (margin of error: + or – 3%). Respondents were asked more than 60 questions related to their own and the state’s quality of life, their views on read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Economic Development, Public Opinion, Research

Pathways to Graduation

Supporting All Students to Mastery A Retrospective Look at the Class of 2003

Jennifer Candon, Celine Coggins and S. Paul Reville
The aspirations of the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act are ambitious, but clear — to provide every student with an opportunity to learn and achieve mastery at a high standard of academic proficiency. Since the legislation’s passage, considerable time, effort, and resources have been dedicated to achieving this lofty goal, and substantial progress has been read more
Topic(s): Education, Strong Communities, New Skills for a New Economy

Gaining Ground

Value-Added Analysis for Massachusetts

Jennifer Candon, S. Paul Reville and Pendred Noyce
The premise of standards-based reform in Massachusetts is that a statewide commitment to standards, teaching, assessment, and accountability will lead to greater learning opportunities, higher achievement, a narrowing of the achievement gap, and a more promising future for all of the Commonwealth’s students. And indeed, ten years after the passage of the 1993 Massachusetts Education read more
Topic(s): Education, Strong Communities

Improving Early Childhood Education

Framing the Options and Imperatives for State Action Policy Brief

Celine Coggins and S. Paul Reville
Across the nation, early childhood education and care has suffered from poorly organized service delivery systems, inadequate funding, and insufficient attention by the policymakers. The result is a complicated system plagued by competing interests that is in need of reform and alignment. The field’s capacity to meet the needs of children and families has been read more
Topic(s): Education, Strong Communities, Research

The State of the American Dream in New Hampshire

Andy Sum, Mykhaylo Trub'skyy and Ishwar Khatiwada
This research report uses data from the 2000 and 1990 Censuses to track developments in median income for New Hampshire families over the past two decades. Among its key findings is that the typical New Hampshire family, which enjoyed above average real income growth over the 1980s, struggled to keep ahead of the increases in read more
Topic(s): Jobs and Economic Security, Strong Communities, Economic Development, Research

Head of the Class

Characteristics of Higher Performing Urban High Schools in Massachusetts

Jennifer Candon, Maxine Minkoff and S. Paul Reville
With few exceptions, urban high schools that serve high proportions of low-income and minority youth are failing to meet the academic needs of their students, according to a new study released by the Center for Education Research and Policy at MassINC. Using a range of indicators, some of which include: attendance rates, drop-out rates, college read more
Topic(s): Education, Strong Communities
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