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We present evidence of a positive relationship between school starting age and children's cognitive development from ages 6 to 18 using a fuzzy regression discontinuity design and large-scale population-level birth and school data from the state of Florida. We estimate effects of being old for grade (being born in September vs. August) that are remarkably stable--always around 0.2 SD difference in test scores--across a wide range of heterogeneous groups, based on maternal education, poverty at birth, race/ethnicity, birth weight, gestational age, and school quality. While the September-August difference in kindergarten readiness is dramatically different by subgroup, by the time students take their first exams, the heterogeneity in estimated effects on test scores effectively disappears. We do, however, find significant heterogeneity in other outcome measures such as disability status and middle and high school course selections. We also document substantial variation in compensatory behaviors targeted towards young-for-grade children. While the more affluent families tend to redshirt their children, young-for-grade children from less affluent families are more likely to be retained in grades prior to testing. School district practices regarding retention and redshirting are correlated with improved outcomes for the groups less likely to use those remediation approaches (i.e., retention in the case of more affluent families and redshirting in the case of less affluent families.) Finally, we find that very few school policies or practices mitigate the test score advantage of September-born children.

Data repositories, particularly those storing data on vulnerable populations, increasingly need to carefully consider not only what data is being collected, but how it will be used. As such, the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health (AIR‐P) has created the Infrastructure for Collaborative Research (ICR) to establish standards on data collection practices in Autism repositories. The ICR will strive to encourage inter‐site collaboration, amplify autistic voices, and widen accessibility to data. The ICR is staged as a three‐tiered framework consisting of (1) a request for proposals system, (2) a REDCap‐based data repository, and (3) public data dashboards to display aggregate de‐identified data. Coupled with a review process including autistic and non‐autistic researchers, this framework aims to propel the implementation of equitable autism research, enhance standardization within and between studies, and boost transparency and dissemination of findings. In addition, the inclusion of a contact registry that study participants can opt into creates the base for a robust participant pool. As such, researchers can leverage the platform to identify, reach, and distribute electronic materials to a greater proportion of potential participants who likely fall within their eligibility criteria. By incorporating practices that promote effective communication between researchers and participants, the ICR can facilitate research that is both considerate of and a benefit to autistic people. Lay Summary: The Infrastructure for Collaborative Research (ICR) is a new framework to support studies related to the physical and mental health of autistic individuals. The framework includes a website to accept study proposals, a system for collecting and storing data, and dashboards to display summarized information. The goal of the ICR is to further research that benefits autistic individuals across the lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We document that the female advantage in childhood behavioural and academic outcomes is driven by gender gaps at the extremes of the outcome distribution. Using unconditional quantile regression, we show that family socioeconomic status particularly influences boys' relative to girls' outcomes at the lower tails of the outcome distribution, precisely where gender gaps are most pronounced. These relationships are not explained by school or neighbourhood factors, or parents' differential treatment of boys. The disproportionate effect of socioeconomic status on boys at the tails substantially contributes to the gender gap in high school dropout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcripts of 19,736 students who consecutively attended Florida high schools for four years and graduated in the spring of 1994 were analyzed to determine how course choice, grades, tenth grade standardized test score results, race, and gender affected performance on a computerized placement test (CPT) administered upon entry to community college in the fall of 1994. A High School Performance (HSP) variable for math and English was constructed to account for differences in number of courses completed, degree of course difficulty, and course grade. Math and English HSP, 4-year cumulative grade point average (GPA), percentile rank on Grade Ten Assessment Test (GTAT) in math and reading, race and gender all had significant effects on the probability of passing the CPT. Math HSP had a larger positive effect on passing the Math CPT than GPA or GTAT. This was not the case for the Reading or Writing CPT subtests where GTAT had the larger effect and the magnitude of English HSP and GPA was about equal. Students can raise the probability of passing the Math CPT if they take more difficult math courses in high school, even at the expense of lowering their GPA. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)

Interviewed high school students to determine whether teachers used instructional strategies that students believed helped them master new materials, noting whether the match between learning style and instructional format differed depending on student gender and race/ethnicity. Male Latinos reported more mismatches between learning and teaching styles. Teachers in low graduation-rate districts used a narrow range of instructional strategies. (SM)

Reviews recent research on relationships between young maternal age and incidence of low-birth-weight infants. Different lines of research attribute low birth weight to biological and sociocultural factors. Both factors, plus lifestyle choices made by adolescents, combine to raise or lower the risk of delivering a low-birth-weight infant. Implications for school health personnel are examined. (SM)

Describes how integrating services in an Even Start program in Gainesville, Florida, facilitated family literacy. Highlights specific examples from the experience that changed parents' lives. Participants gradually developed political awareness via improved self-esteem, self-confidence, assertiveness, involvement, and self-governance (in a parents' organization). Parents' perceptions reveal interagency cooperation's problems and benefits. (19 references) (MLH)

In this work, a novel polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) test cell based on hydraulic single‐cell compression is described. In this test cell, the current density distribution is almost homogeneous over the active cell area due to hydraulic cell clamping. As the hydraulic medium entirely surrounds the active cell components, it is also used to control cell temperature resulting in even temperature distribution. The PEMWE single‐cell test system based on hydraulic compression offers a 25 cm2 active surface area (5.0 × 5.0 cm) and can be operated up to 80°C and 6.0 A/cm2. Construction details and material selection for the designed test cell are given in this document. Furthermore, findings related to pressure distribution analyzed by utilizing a pressure‐sensitive foil, the cell performance indicated by polarization curves, and the reproducibility of results are described. Experimental data indicate the applicability of the presented testing device for relevant PEMWE component testing and material analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence extends the health benefits of breastfeeding to include reduction of maternal body mass index (BMI) and childhood obesity. Since most women decide if they will breastfeed prior to pregnancy, it is important to understand, given the high population prevalence of obesity, if maternal underweight, overweight or obese status is associated with breastfeeding initiation. Population-based study. Florida resident birth certificate records. All live singleton births (2004-2009), excluding observations that lacked the primary outcomes of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and breastfeeding initiation (final sample of 1, 161, 949 unique observations). Odds of initiating breastfeeding, adjusted by maternal and infant factors, stratified by pre-pregnancy BMI, categorized as underweight, normal, overweight and obese. Adjusting for the known maternal factors associated with breastfeeding initiation, underweight and obese women were significantly less likely to initiate breastfeeding than women with normal BMI, (adjusted odds ratio 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.85-0.89 for underweight women; 0.84, 95% CI 0.83-0.85 for obese women). The magnitude of these findings did not significantly vary by race or ethnicity. Medicaid status and adherence to the Institute of Medicine's 2009 pregnancy weight gain recommendations had only minor influences on breastfeeding initiation. Among adolescents, only underweight status predicted breastfeeding initiation; obesity did not. Underweight and obese women have significantly lower rates of breastfeeding initiation compared to women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI. Future studies need to address the health care, social, and physical barriers that interfere with breastfeeding initiation, especially in underweight and obese women, regardless of race, ethnicity or income. Keywords Breastfeeding * Cohort studies * Obesity/epidemiology * Pre-pregnancy body mass index * Risk factors, Introduction The health risks of not breastfeeding are extensive and well documented for both mothers and infants, although large variations persist in rates across different areas and populations in the [...]

To measure the effect of a short interpregnancy interval (IPI), along with other indicators routinely asked during pregnancy on later report of child maltreatment. We hypothesized that an IPI of < 18 months was associated with increased risk of child maltreatment. This study was a secondary analysis of a linked population-based dataset from 2005 to 2007 in Florida. Data were derived from three sources: Birth Certificates, Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screens, and the HomeSafeNet Database. Primary predictor variables were IPI, and mothers' evaluations of the timing of the pregnancy and perceptions of harm. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds of child maltreatment, adjusting for demographic and other known risk factors for maltreatment. The final study sample consisted of 85,258 multipara women-infant dyads with credible IPIs and with completed Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screens. Seventeen percent of children had a report of child maltreatment in the first 5 years of life. An IPI of less than 18 months was associated with 18% higher odds of maltreatment compared to an IPI of greater than 18 months (95% CI 1.13, 1.23). Mothers' perception of harm and desire to be pregnant at a later time were also significantly associated with higher odds of maltreatment report (AOR = 2.43 95% CI = 2.17, 2.71 and AOR = 1.18 95% CI 1.13, 1.24, respectively). Ascertaining short IPI and asking pregnant and peripartum women about their perception of harm and desire for a longer birth spacing can alert obstetricians, family practitioners and pediatricians to potential child maltreatment. Keywords Child abuse * Child neglect * Pregnancy * Perinatal outcomes * Interpregnancy interval, Introduction Child maltreatment (CMT) encompasses both abuse and neglect by a parent or other caregiver [1]. The literature is rich in identifying risk factors for CMT, including, but not limited [...]

Studied the instructional and interpersonal factors that led a group of 17- to 19-year-old students (urban, rural, and suburban) at risk to persist in school rather than drop out. Interviews with 18 students, 13 compensatory education teachers, and 9 guidance counselors show the importance of caring relationships and personalized instruction in a structured program with clear expectations. (SLD)