Community Research Collaborative Blog

A Chartbook of Core-Suburban Disparities in the Cincinnati MSA

By:  John Besl

There are numerous differences between the core of the Cincinnati-Middletown OH-KY-IN MSA and the outlying suburban areas, some of which are counterintuitive and surprising.  Through an examination of data available from the American Community Survey and the Census Bureau’s Population Estimate Program, we are able to divide and explore the differences between our region's three distinct component areas: core, inner ring, and outer ring (see “A Chartbook of Core-Suburban Disparities in the Cincinnati MSA” for an explanation of each category). 

This examination has yielded an interesting picture of our various geographical sub-regions.  For example, although the Cincinnati MSA as a whole has experienced an 8.1% growth rate for 2000-2009 (Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program), Hamilton County has only had 1.2% growth rate, which compared to the inner ring of counties 14.1%, seems anemic. In addition to differences in the number of people in an area, the demographic composition varies widely as well. While the region as a whole experienced marginal increases among minority groups, the outer ring of counties had an increase of at least 50% for each minority group, though the racial makeup of the area is still dominantly white. 

This topic, along with employment and insurance rates, infant mortality, educational attainment, and poverty, are all explored more extensively in John Besl’s white paper, titled “A Chartbook of Core-Suburban Disparities in the Cincinnati MSA”.

The Achievement Gap in Greater Cincinnati

By: Debbie Zorn, Karen Ludwig, and Suzanne van den Hoogenhof

There is no questioning the existence of an achievement gap in our schools.  The data available on the achievement gap is unambiguous.  Gaps are clearly observable throughout the scholastic milestones of a child, and can be found in children as young as 2 (Smith, Brooks-Gunn and Klebanov, 1997; Fryer and Levitt, 2004).  However, causation is increasingly being examined.

With the availability of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) data, researchers are now able to see the intricacies of the issue with more clarity, though some are concerned that the availability of the disaggregated achievement data may mask differences within each subgroup (Carpenter, Ramirez and Severn, 2006; Murphy, 2009a).  Data on state achievement test results in our region show that, in every racial subgroup, the percents proficient for students judged to be economically disadvantaged are lower than those for students not economically disadvantaged. However, economic disadvantage does not account for all disparities among these subgroups.

Furthermore, some aspects of the gap seem to increase with age. The percentages of eighth grade students in Indiana and Ohio that scored as proficient or higher on their respective state achievement tests in reading or language arts and math show patterns similar to the fourth grade data, as can be seen in the two tables that follow in the white paper. However, the gaps appear to be larger, and substantial gaps can be seen for economically disadvantaged and Black eighth graders in Clermont County, trends that were not pronounced in the fourth grade data.

More discussion on this topic and information on what various organizations, schools and groups are doing to decrease the gap can be found in the white paper of Debbie Zorn, Karen Ludwig, and Suzanne van den Hoogenhof from the University of Cincinnati's Evaluation Services Center.

 Click here to read the White Paper in its entirety...    

What Does Summer Hold for Children in Our Community?

By Debbie Zorn

For those following the results of educational research, one can’t help but be struck by the paucity of measureable results coming out of many of these often very rigorous studies. Speaking as one in the “business” – my Center evaluates educational programs – I begin to question the wisdom of our narrow focus on the effects of specific curricula, particular instructional regimens and professional development programs on student academic outcomes. Not that they aren’t important, but we seem to be continually in search of that one magic bullet that will insure that children and youth learn all the things we expect them to learn by the time they are 18 years of age. Are we missing the obvious?

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Poverty Spreads to the Suburbs

By John Besl

Poverty in the United States has historically been perceived as mostly an urban phenomenon, while acknowledging some widespread pockets of rural poverty. In the popular imagination, we rarely associate poverty with the suburbs, but a recent report from the Brookings Institution goes a long way toward dispelling this myth. Earlier this year, the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings issued a report titled “The Suburbanization of Poverty: Trends in Metropolitan America, 2000 to 2008.” Authors Elizabeth Kneebone and Emily Garr made an in-depth analysis of the location of poverty across the United States, with particular attention on the nation’s 95 largest metro areas. The authors used a classification scheme that divided the nation into four geographic categories, or community types, including primary cities, suburbs, small metropolitan areas, and non-metropolitan areas. Their major finding: by 2008, suburbs were home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the country.

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Student Outcomes and the SES/Racial Composition of Schools and Classrooms

 By Debbie Zorn

In the previous two blogs I touched on some of the complexities of socioeconomic and racial disparities in educational outcomes that are continuing concerns for our community as well as the nation at large. Recent research that made it to my Inbox this month continues to inform our understanding of these complexities.  One of these is a report published in Education Week that relates research findings about the assets and outcomes of one specific group of students, Latino Kindergarteners.  Another set of research articles released this month by Teachers College Record¹ re-examines the relationship of the racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic (SES) composition of schools and classrooms on a variety of educational and life-trajectory outcomes. 

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Infant Deaths Haunt Us All

By John Besl

 

Infant mortality, the death of a child before his or her first birthday, is considered by many to be the single best summary measure of population health for a country, state, county, or community of any size.  Ohio’s Hamilton County has experienced a persistently high infant mortality rate (IMR) for many years, compared to the nation, the state, and Ohio’s other largest counties.  In international comparisons, Hamilton County’s IMR in the first decade of the 21^st Century is on par with Costa Rica and Romania.

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Urban Appalachian Children and Youth – the Hidden Minority

By Debbie Zorn

Persistent health, education, and life-opportunity issues for some urban children and youth are well known, but we often tend to think of these as African American issues. Although a large proportion of the children and youth in our core metropolitan area is indeed African American, there is a hidden minority that also experiences many of the problems associated with child poverty. 

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Another Look at the 2010 Census

By John Besl

The U.S. Census Bureau has achieved some visibility in recent weeks, at least compared to its customary anonymity as a federal statistical agency.  You’ve probably seen a few TV commercials promoting the 2010 Census, but did any NASCAR fans out there notice that the Census Bureau was the primary sponsor of the Ford Fusion driven by Greg Biffle in three March Sprint Cup Series races?  In case you’re wondering, Biffle finished 8^th in Atlanta, 4^th in Bristol, Tennessee, and 10th at Martinsville, Virginia.  With his string of top-10 finishes, Biffle is certainly raising awareness of the 2010 Census.

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An Update on Racial Disparity in Greater Cincinnati

By John Besl

We are nearing the end of Black History Month, a time when the U.S. focuses on the culture and achievements of African Americans.  The month-long celebration also provides the opportunity to take a step back and evaluate progress for the black minority population in Greater Cincinnati.   In this month’s blog, we examine disparities that remain between blacks and the majority white population on selected social and economic indicators.  We use the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) estimates for the 15-county Cincinnati-Middletown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and the city of Cincinnati, detailing key differences between the two largest racial groups.  To provide some valuable context, ACS data were also retrieved for the nation and four large metropolitan areas nearby: Cleveland, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Louisville.    

 

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What do College Entrance Exam Results Tell Us about the Achievement Gap?

By Debbie Zorn

This is the time of year when high school students are concentrating on those all-important college admissions tests. So, how does our region stack up on the results of these tests? And, what do ACT and SAT test scores tell us about our progress toward closing the achievement gap for minority and economically disadvantaged high school students and graduates?  Profiles of 2009 ACT and SAT results provide some food for thought.

 

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