This study uses an empirical approach to develop algorithms to estimate population dislocation following a natural disaster. It starts with an empirical reexamination of the South Dade Population Impact Survey data, integrated with the Miami-Dade County tax appraisal data and 1990 block group census data, to investigate the effects of household and neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics on household dislocation. The empirical analyses found evidence suggesting that households with higher socio-economic status have a greater tendency to leave their homes following a natural disaster. Then one of the statistical models is selected from the empirical analysis and integrated into the algorithm that estimates the probability of household dislocation based on structural damage, housing type, and the percentages of Black and Hispanic population in block groups. This study also develops a population dislocation algorithm using a modified Hazard-US (HAZUS) approach that integrates the damage state probabilities proposed by Bai, Hueste and Gardoni in 2007, accompanied with dislocation factors described in HAZUS to produce structural level estimates. These algorithms were integrated into MAEviz, the Mid-American Earthquake Centers Seismic Loss Assessment System, to produce post-disaster dislocation estimates at either the structure or block group level, whichever is appropriate for the user's planning purposes. Sensitivity analysis follows to examine the difference among the estimates produced by the two newly-developed algorithms and the HAZUS population dislocation algorithm.

Abstract This research is in the discussion of unequal educational problems. The purpose is to probe parents¡¦ socioeconomic status has influences on children¡¦s educational achievement orientation and job types. In order to know weather the parents¡¦ socioeconomic status has effects on children¡¦s educational achievement orientation and choices of the job type, we add the concept of Bourdieu¡¦s cultural capital, parents¡¦ concern, financial capital, and students¡¦ activities participation as the intermediary variables. The research uses questionnaire survey which main objects rely on skills-education students and ordinary class students. The survey adopts cluster sampling method to choose the sample. The research objects are skills-education students, second-grade and third-grade of junior high school in Tainan. The major findings are as follow: 1. The skills-education students and ordinary class students have differential resources. The skills-education students are less than ordinary class students on parents¡¦ concern, activities participation, and cultural capital. 2. The skills-education students are less than ordinary class students on academic degree expectation, educational achievement, job expectation, and job aspiration. 3. The father¡¦s level of education has shown some influence on the children¡¦s expectation and aspiration in terms of their education level and career choices. The higher the level of education attained by the father, the higher the expectation and aspiration will be of the children. 4. The father¡¦s education level will also influence on the availability of the recourses given to their children. The higher the father¡¦s level of education is the greater the concerns from the parents over the children and their participations in activities and cultural capital. 5. There is no financial capital difference shown from the being in either class or the father¡¦s educational level. Students from both classes have similar financial support regardless on the father¡¦s education levels. 6. The capitals of family will influence the achievement of children¡¦s education and advancements. Keyword: education inequity, activity participation, socioeconomic status, education achievement

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During the past forty years and more, the economics in Taiwan have grown rapidly and staidly. It has been making the national income and the level of living life a huge upgrading there. As well as the income distribution has become more averagely and reasonably. That is why Taiwan is taken as a successful model for developing countries. The research objective of this study is to understand the relationship between the socioeconomic indicators and the dimensions of economic development. This study started with the related literatures and effected factors of economic development. Then collecting the statistic data and indicators that are from the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics, Executive Yuan, Department of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of the Interior to construct the dimensions of economic development and its effected factors. The following work is using Factor Analysis to combine these socioeconomic indicators and form them to four main dimensions that including the Condition of Industrialization, Investment and Consumption, the Condition of Employment, Trading and Saving. Afterwards using the Multiple Linear Regression to find out the influence of these four socioeconomic dimensions against each dimension of economic development. Finally using the Canonical Correlation Analysis to find out the Canonical Weights and make the biggest correlation between the linear combination of socioeconomic dimensions and the linear combination of dimensions of economic development. The conclusions found in this study are: (1) Economic Growth Rate was effected mainly by the Trading and Saving, (2) Per Capita GNP was effected mainly by the Condition of Industrialization, (3) Ratio of Highest 5th¡¦s income to Lowest 5th¡¦s was effected mainly by the Condition of Employment and Trading and Saving. Therefore, this study suggests that to improve future economics based on ¡§knowledge¡¨ in order to increase international competitive ability and adapt the changes of industrial structure. Extending the national compulsory education and reforming the education system in order to improve the quality of manpower. In order to access the labor force soon, a policy encouraging the advanced courses on the job. Moreover, making use of resources in Taiwan to develop the tourist industries in order to increase employments.

The Relationship Among Thematic Integrated Instruction, Classroom Climate, Grade, Parental Socioeconomic Status and Pupil¡¦s Technological Creativity Yi-shuan Wu Abstract The main objectives of this study were to explore (a) the effects of grade and parental socioeconomic status (SES) on pupil¡¦s technological creativity; and (b) the relationships among thematic integrated instruction, classroom climate, and pupil¡¦s technological creativity. The participants included 635 third and fourth graders from four elementary schools in Taipei and Kaohsiung City. The employed instruments were The Test of Technological Creativity, The Questionnaire of Thematic Integrated instruction, two subscales from The Inventory of School Factors to the Development of Technological Creativity, and Two-factor Index of Socioeconomic Status. The employed analysis methods were Descriptives, MANOVA, Canonical Correlation, and Multiple Stepwise Regression. The main findings in this study were as follows: 1. The fourth graders outperformed the third graders on the test of technological creativity. 2. Parental socioeconomic status had positive influences on their children¡¦s performance of technological creativity. 3. The degree of teachers¡¦ implement of thematic integrated instruction had significant effects on their pupils¡¦ technological creativity. 4. A constructive classroom climate pertaining to the improvement of creativity had significant effects on pupils¡¦ technological creativity. 5. The degree of implementing thematic integrated instruction did not have significant effects on the building of constructive classroom climate pertaining to pupils¡¦ improvement of technological creativity. 6. Grade, parental SES, thematic integrated instruction, and constructive classroom climate could effectively predict pupils¡¦ technological creativity. Finally, the author proposed some suggestions for educational authorities, teachers, and future research.

Previous studies in the area of parental involvement in the education system were based on inconsistent parameters or definitions of the construct (Baker and Soden, 1997). The present study seeks to more clearly define and quantify parental involvement and examine the reduction of academic risk factors for economically disadvantaged students through a program of parental involvement in the educational setting. This study compares the academic achievement (ITBS scores) of 70 students enrolled in 1st thru 5th grades at an elementary public charter school in relation to the level of documented parental involvement (PI). Data indicate that in comparison to students enrolled at two neighborhood traditional public elementary schools, students at the charter school are 1.2 to 1.7 times more likely to pass the state mandated TAKS test in grades three through five. However, statistical analyses did not support the hypothesis that level of parental involvement was associated with academic achievement.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationships between socioeconomic status (SES), body mass index (BMI), and vitamin D levels in African American (AA) women living in areas with abundant sunshine; and to explore if diabetes moderates these relationships. SIGNIFICANCE: More AA's live in poverty, and experience obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease compared to other groups. Eighty percent of AA women are overweight or obese, and rates of type 2 diabetes is highest in this group. Minority race, obesity, and diabetes increase risks for low vitamin D, and are associated with p DESIGN AND METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used to examine the specified relationships. Data from 611 non-pregnant AA women ≥ age 20 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles 2003 - 2006 were studied. SES was measured as poverty to income ratio (PIR), education level, and annual household income. Mean ± SD for BMI was 31 ± 8, and 14ng/ml ± 7ng/ml for vitamin D level. Only 8% of the sample had diabetes (n = 49). One hundred-eighty lived in areas with abundant sunshine. RESULTS: BMI independently predicted the vitamin D level without regard for SES, or geographical locale. Vitamin D supplement use emerged as an independent predictor of vitamin D on covariate analysis. SES did not explain significant variation in the vitamin D level. A moderating influence of diabetes could not be determined. CONCLUSIONS: BMI inversely predicts vitamin D level independent of geographic locale in AA women. Ethno/cultural measures to reduce BMI should be standard in caring for AA women which may affect vitamin D level and/or reduce morbidity and mortality in this group. Persons with low vitamin D suffer with more adverse health outcomes, and future research should examine if vitamin D deficiency accelerates risks for poor health outcomes where BMI is high.

Receptive and expressive vocabulary skills in preschoolers are predictors of later literacy skills. Research shows that children from low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds are generally behind their peers in the area of vocabulary skills when they enter school. Many preschool programs now focus on increasing these skills through shared book reading interventions. The purpose of the current research is to study the efficacy of a specific shared book reading intervention, dialogic reading, with low-income preschoolers in the area of vocabulary development. The search yielded 10 intervention studies that utilized dialogic reading strategies in interventions with the target population. Studies yielded mixed results but generally found that dialogic reading intervention does have significant positive effects on receptive and expressive vocabulary. Limitations and implications for practice are discussed. / text

Although intra-district performance-based school choice as featured in NCLB and state laws has existed for over a decade, scant attention has been devoted to the study of how the policies and programs are operated by school districts. Policymakers and education practitioners have adopted performance-based school choice to address school achievement disparities, yet it is currently unclear if federal and state mandated choice programs are being managed with fidelity to the egalitarian design of the policy. Few researchers have examined whether these policies achieve their specified goals of increasing access to high performing schools for students residentially assigned to underperforming locations. This study utilizes a qualitative comparative case study design that contrasts school choice implementation in two large, socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically diverse school districts in the state of Texas. As the primary method of data collection, semi-structured interviews were conducted with: school district superintendents, school board members, choice program administrators, principals, community leaders, and parents. This study contributes to the school choice research literature through analyzing program operations, community influence in policy implementation, and the resulting implications for access and equity. The study concludes with policy recommendations to ensure maximum advantage to the students that school choice is designed to benefit. / text

Over the past twenty years, there has been an enormous financial investment in technology for K-12 schools to help bridge the digital divide between high and low socioeconomic (SES) students. These investments have included hardware, software, professional development, and research studies on the effectiveness of technology in the classroom. This dissertation explored the essential conditions for the integration of technology, access, student-centered learning environment, and teacher use in the curriculum. Florida's elementary schools were divided into quartiles based on free and reduced lunch to investigate differences between the top quartile of high SES schools (n=400) and the lower quartile of low SES (schools n=396). The first research question investigated students' access to technology by specifically concentrating on their access to computers in high and low SES schools. A statistically significant difference was found between students' access to modern computer labs and modern laptop computers. However, there were no significant differences in access to modern classroom computers. When looking at software on student computers, a statistically significant difference between high and low SES schools was found in the availability of both basic tool-based software and robust tool-based software. These data mirrored the statistically significant difference for frequency of use for tool-based software at high and low SES schools. Data on the teacher use of technology in the curricular framework of the classroom showed a statistically significant difference in the curriculum-focused use of technology, between high and low SES schools. This study is a building block for further examination of the digital divide that exists between high and low SES schools. This divide appears to include low expectations for students in low SES schools through regular exposure to drill and practice software, while students in schools with high-SES populations have more opportunities to utilize tool-based software.