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The purpose of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect effects of certain school learning variables on the academic achievement of Black 10th graders. Simultaneously looking at variables associated with student background characteristics (i.e., gender and socioeconomic status); the school (i.e., students' perceptions of the school environment, teachers, and teaching); family (i.e., parental expectations and involvement>; and students (i.e., educational aspirations and motivation) a model of academic achievement was constructed. Responses to questions from a large, nationally representative dataset (i.e., the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 or NELS:88) were employed to test the model. The 1,766 Black students participating in the study in both 1988 and 1990 formed the sample. Following a test of the overall model using a program of linear structural relations (LISREL), developed by Joreskog & Sorbom (1989), the magnitude of path coefficients were examined for significance. Prior achievement produced an overwhelmingly large effect on later achievement. Socioeconomic status (SES) produced a large effect and students' perceptions of teachers produced a small although statistically significant effect on achievement. In addition, prior achievement, SES, and parental aspirations also influenced student aspirations. Student motivation was affected by prior levels of achievement, gender, and SESe Findings indicate that despite high educational aspirations of both Black children and their parents, these aspirations often affect neither student achievement as measured by scores on standardized tests nor student motivation. / Ph. D.

UA Open Access Publishing Fund / Background: Current understanding of tuberculosis (TB) genotype clustering in the US is based on individual risk factors. This study sought to identify whether area-based socioeconomic status (SES) was associated with genotypic clustering among culture-confirmed TB cases. Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was performed on data collected on persons with incident TB in King County, Washington, 2004–2008. Multilevel models were used to identify the relationship between area-level SES at the block group level and clustering utilizing a socioeconomic position index (SEP). Results: Of 519 patients with a known genotyping result and block group, 212 (41%) of isolates clustered genotypically. Analyses suggested an association between lower area-based SES and increased recent TB transmission, particularly among US-born populations. Models in which community characteristics were measured at the block group level demonstrated that lower area-based SEP was positively associated with genotypic clustering after controlling for individual covariates. However, the trend in higher clustering odds with lower SEP index quartile diminished when additional block-group covariates. Conclusions: Results stress the need for TB control interventions that take area-based measures into account, with particular focus on poor neighborhoods. Interventions based on area-based characteristics, such as improving case finding strategies, utilizing location-based screening and addressing social inequalities, could reduce recent rates of transmission.

Past research has been divergent about perceived income inequality among diversely positioned members of the Chinese population. Several scholars have suggested that persistent earnings disparity results in societal unrest while others claim that most Chinese citizens view existing disparities as relatively reasonable. In this dissertation I argue that individuals with different socioeconomic status possess different perceptions of income inequality which reflect differences in legitimating income inequality and wealth rearrangement preferences. Implementing the survey data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS), I developed a new measurement of perceived earnings disparity and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) to analyze perceived earnings disparity among the Chinese population. This analysis is integrated with psychological and cultural approaches in order to understand why it is that Chinese people seem relatively unresponsive to persistent income inequality. Results show that: (1) People with high socioeconomic status believe that income inequality is the normal result of competition in the market economy and those with low socioeconomic status tolerate income inequality for government’s good economic performance; (2) socioeconomic status differentials in perceived income inequality diverge as higher earnings disparity becomes evident in contemporary China; and (3) the people within the lowest economic strata are sensitive to the intensified income inequality, and have stronger demands for redistributive policies while those in the highest strata express attitudes that suggest indifference to this issue. The divergence in perceptions of income inequality and redistributive preferences between people from the elite and the bottom can be seen as a sign of social as well as economic polarization in Chinese society. The research partly supports the existing statement that the members in privileged group turn into oligarch while those in disadvantaged group are amenable to populist expressions. The policy implication is that the government should implement an institutional approach to solve the persistent income inequality.

Educators are examining many aspects of schools as they find ways to help students improve their performance on standardized tests in order to meet both federal and state standards. This study examined the relationship between organizational climate and student achievement on the Virginia Standards of Learning tests. A total of 1,061 teachers in 47 schools across the Commonwealth of Virginia responded to the climate survey. The survey instrument was the Organizational Health Inventory for Elementary Schools (OHI-E). This brief survey instrument examined five aspects of school climate. They were Teacher Affiliation, Collegial Leadership, Resource Influence, Institutional Integrity, and Academic Emphasis. Third and fifth grade Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests were the measure of student achievement in English. mathematics, science, and social studies. This study also examined the effects of socioeconomic status as measured by the percentage of students receiving free and reduced price lunches.There was a significant positive relationship between overall school climate and third grade performance on the mathematics SOL test and fifth grade performance on the social studies SOL test. Socioeconomic status was significantly negatively correlated with SOL scores in third grade math, science, and social studies and all fifth grade tests except mathematics.Further regression analyses of the aspects of climate measured by the OHI-E (Institutional Integrity, Collegial Leadership, Resource Influence, Teacher Affiliation, and Academic Emphasis) indicated that Academic Emphasis had a significant independent effect on third grade English and mathematics SOL scores as well as fifth grade English, science, and social studies SOL scores. There was a negative correlation between Institutional Integrity and English SOL scores in both the third and fifth grade. This negative correlation shows that when teachers perceive that the school is vulnerable to outside interference, English scores tend to be higher.

Nearly 60 years after the Supreme Court Decision in Brown, segregation is still an ingrained facet of American public education. This study investigated the extent to which these continued patterns of segregation influenced graduation rates from high school. The study used data provided by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) on the 2011 graduating cohorts in 302 public high schools across the state. The results indicate that graduation rates for all students vary significantly as a function of the overall socioeconomic and racial composition of high schools. In addition, low-income students are significantly more likely to graduate in low-poverty high schools and minorities are significantly more likely to graduate in high schools that are not highly segregated by race. Finally, school level demographic variables explain a significant, independent share of the variance in graduation rates among high schools. These results lend weight to policies designed to integrate high schools as a way to equalize educational opportunity.

Thesis advisor: Karen D. Arnold / "Parental involvement," a term long part of the K-12 lexicon is now included in the higher education vocabulary. Many college administrators today associate "parental involvement" with a certain pattern of behavior and describe the contemporary traditional-aged student-parent relationship with negative examples. Dubbed by the media as "helicopter parents," this sub-population of overly involved mothers and fathers has come to represent all parents of college students, even though these examples are largely socioeconomic class-based. This qualitative phenomenological study considered the lived experience of the relationship between working class and low-income students and their parents during the first semester of college. All students in the sample were enrolled at four-year colleges and had attended an alternative high school where parental involvement was supported and encouraged. Students (n=6) participated in three open-ended, qualitative interviews and their parents (n=7) participated in two. What constitutes "parental involvement" for working class and low-income students and parents in the context of higher education? This study found that the parents had positive, emotionally supportive relationships with their students. Students were autonomous and functionally independent, but emotionally interdependent with parents. Parents in the study did not have a direct connection to their child's college or university; students served as intermediaries in this parent-institution relationship. Therefore, this sample did not fit the current definition of parental involvement in higher education. As colleges and universities implement parent services as a reaction to the phenomenon of parental involvement, they need to consider alternative pathways for communicating with parents from lower socioeconomic groups, many of whom have not attended college. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Introdução: Vários fatores podem interferir na adesão ao tratamento dos hipertensos e conseqüentemente no controle da doença. Dentre estes se destaca o contexto socioeconômico em que vivem os hipertensos. Objetivos: Caracterizar hipertensos atendidos em unidades básicas de saúde de acordo com o nível socioeconômico em relação às variáveis biossociais, econômicas, crenças, atitudes, conhecimento sobre a doença e tratamento, falta e interrupção do tratamento; e associar o nível socioeconômico com essas variáveis. Casuística e método: O estudo foi realizado em três unidades básicas de saúde na região oeste da cidade de São Paulo. Para avaliação econômica foi feito o cálculo do índice de bens acumulados, por meio da somatória de preços de eletrodomésticos constantes na residência do paciente, dividido este por doze e posteriormente pelo valor do salário mínimo para equivalência do poder aquisitivo mensal. Os dados foram processados no sistema SPSS v.7.5. O nível de significância adotado foi de 0,05. Resultados: Foram estudados 440 hipertensos. A maioria era do sexo feminino (66%), cor branca (51%), casados (56,8%), com ensino fundamental (52%), índice de massa corporal 29,99±6,0 kg/m², idade de 57±12 anos e renda mensal familiar de 1 a 3 salários mínimos (43,6%). Do total de hipertensos estudados que interromperam o tratamento (34,8%), verificou-se que interrompeu menos de forma significativa (p<0,05) quem possuía mais televisão a cores. Em relação a faltar às consultas médicas houve associação significante (p<0,05) com geladeira duplex, verificou-se que aqueles com maior posse desse eletrodoméstico faltavam menos às consultas. Os hipertensos que não concordaram com a crença de que “não há nada que se possa fazer para evitar a pressão alta“ apresentaram índice de bens acumulados com valores significativamente mais elevados (1,25± 0,36 vs 1,17±0,35, p<0,05). Em relação às atitudes frente ao tratamento, os hipertensos que afirmaram nunca chegarem atrasados às suas consultas apresentaram índice de bens acumulados com valores significativamente mais baixos (1,20±0,3 vs 1,31± 0,32, p<0,05). Na avaliação de como os pacientes “se sentiam em relação a sua vida como um todo", a referência de tristeza se associou com índice de bens acumulados com valor significativamente mais baixo (0,98 ± 0,35 vs 1,28 ± 0,36 e 1,25±0,32, p< 0,05). Conclusão: A condição econômica dos hipertensos se associou com alguns aspectos relativos à adesão ao tratamento. / Introduction: A lot of factors can interfere at the adherence in the treatment and consequently control of the disease and detached among them the socioeconomic context where the hypertension people living. Objectives: To make up the people with the hypertension attending in the health basic units in agree with the socioeconomic level and the biosocial economics variables such as believes, attitudes, knowledge about the disease and treatment, lack and interruption of the treatment; and associating the socioeconomic level with these variables. Casuistic and Methods: The study was realized on three health basic units in the west region of Sao Paulo city. To economic survey was done a calculating of the accumulated capital assets from the sum up of the domestics appliances prizes in the patient residence divided for twelve and on the minimum salary value for equivalence of the monthly acquisitive power. The data were processed in the system of significance adopted were 0.05. Results: Were studied 440 hypertensive patients. The great majority were females (66%), white colour (51%), married (56,8%), with fundamental degree (52%), body mass index 29,99±6,0 kg/ m², 57±12 years of age and familiar income of 1 to 3 minimum salary monthly (43,6%). From the total of studied hypertensive patients with the interrupted the treatment (34,8%) was verified whom less significant way (p<0.05) those with the coloured television. In relationship no attendance to the medical appointment have significant association (p<0.05) with duplex freezer, those who have major posses of theses domestic appliances were less absent the medical consults. The hypertensive patients that have not agreed with the belief that "they can not do anything about the high blood pressure" showed the accumulated capital assets index with the values significantly more elevated (1.25± 0.36 vs 1.17±0.35, p<0.05). About the attitudes to the treatment, the hypertensive patients to referred never were late to a medical appointment showed accumulated capital assets index with lower values (1.20±0.3 vs 1.31± 0.32, p<0.05). In the evaluation of the patients with “How to feel with the life" the reference with sadness have a association with accumulated capital assets index with lower values (0.98 ± 0.35 vs 1.28 ± 0.36 e 1.25±0.32, p< 0.05). Conclusion: The economic situation of the hypertensive patients is linked with some aspects related to the adherence of treatment.

Introdução: A partir da segunda metade da década de noventa, a oferta de tratamento com a Terapia Antiretroviral de Alta Potência contribuiu para a redução da mortalidade de pessoas vivendo com aids nos locais com acesso universal a medicação. Porém, a introdução de procedimentos efetivos tem sido apontada como associada a desigualdades em saúde, quando fatores sociais dificultam o acesso e a aderência ao tratamento. Objetivo: Descrever a evolução temporal da mortalidade nos bairros de Campinas, verificando se houve declínio após a disponibilização da terapêutica antirretroviral de alta potência em 1997 e se este declínio foi homogêneo entre três agregados de áreas da cidade, ou se foi de algum modo associada com a condição socioeconômica das mesmas. Métodos: Foram avaliadas as taxas de mortalidade por aids em bairros de Campinas, São Paulo, de 1996 a 2012, a fim de testar sua associação com o status socioeconômico da área de residência após o início da oferta universal e sem custo de Terapia Antiretroviral de Alta Potência. Foram calculadas as taxas de mortalidade anuais por aids, ajustadas por sexo e faixa etária, com base em informações oficiais de população e mortalidade. Foi estimada a tendência de declínio da mortalidade por aids, usando o procedimento de auto-regressão de Prais- Winsten para séries temporais. A taxa de declínio anual nos três agregados de bairros da cidade foi comparada segundo índices socioeconômicos estimados para o Índice de Condições de Vida. Resultados: A mortalidade por aids ajustada por sexo e idade em Campinas caiu de 13,6 óbitos/100.000 habitantes em 1996 para 4,6 óbitos /100.000 habitantes em 2012. O decréscimo anual foi de 5,5 por cento (Intervalo de Confiança 95 por cento 3,3 por cento -7,5 por cento ). Não foram observadas diferenças significantes de mortalidade (magnitude e taxa de redução) entre as áreas de moradia. Na faixa etária de adultos (20 a 49 anos), houve menor queda da mortalidade no sexo feminino, principalmente na área de pior status socioeconômico. Conclusões: O programa de tratamento para as pessoas com aids foi efetivo para a redução global da mortalidade devida à doença na cidade de Campinas. A redução de mortalidade foi homogênea entre as áreas, o que é compatível com a hipótese de redução das desigualdades em saúde. Porém, a menor redução na mortalidade de mulheres, na faixa etária de adultos, principalmente na região de pior condição socioeconômica, aponta a persistência de desigualdades sociais em saúde. / Introduction: Since the second half of the 1990s, the provision of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) contributed to the reduction in mortality of people living with AIDS in places with universal access to medication. However, the introduction of effective interventions has been identified as associated with health inequalities, when social factors hinder the access and adherence to treatment. Objective: to describe trends of mortality in the districts of Campinas, checking if there was decline after the release of the HAART in 1997 and if this decline was homogeneous among the three aggregate areas of the city, or was somehow associated with their socioeconomic status. Methods: We assessed AIDS mortality in neighborhoods of Campinas, São Paulo, from 1996 to 2012 in order to compare differences among areas of residence after the introduction of universal, free-of-cost provision of HAART. We estimated annual death rates by AIDS, as adjusted for sex and age, based on official information from population and mortality. The annual percent change of AIDS mortality was calculated using the procedure of Prais-Winsten for auto-regression of time series. We assessed differences of the annual percent change between the three clusters of neighborhoods; their socioeconomic status was informed by a socioeconomic index assessed by local health authorities. Results: The adjusted death rate by AIDS in Campinas reduced from 13.6 deaths/100,000 inhabitants in 1996 to 4.6 deaths/100,000 inhabitants in 2012. The annual percent change was 5.5 per cent (95 per cent Confidence Interval 3.3 per cent -7.5 per cent ). No significant differences of mortality (magnitude and annual percent change) among the living areas was observed. In the age group of adults (20-49 years old), a lower decrease of mortality in women was observed, especially in the area of lower socioeconomic status. Conclusions: The program of treatment for people with AIDS was effective in the city of Campinas, as refers to the overall reduction of mortality due to the disease. This reduction was homogeneous among the areas, which is consistent with the hypothesis of a reduction of inequalities in health. However, the lower reduction in mortality in women in the age group of adults, especially in the region of lower socioeconomic status, indicates the persistence of social inequalities in health.