RAND: Features: Featured Research 2008-05-12T05:01:00Z Copyright (c) 2007-2008, The RAND Corporation Bricolage RAND Corporation urn:uuid:DD692316-4FF8-11DB-9EEF-35351D4D57CE What Does Economics Tell Us About Early Childhood Policy? urn:uuid:521C94B2-1DC1-11DD-A9A0-E1BD38788F35 2008-05-12T00:00:00Z 2008-05-12T00:00:00Z A growing body of economic research suggests that public investment in early childhood programs may be able to lower public costs for social services by improving children's long-term welfare. New Approaches to Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operations urn:uuid:6DDC691E-000E-11DD-B6E0-80F038788F35 2008-05-08T00:00:00Z 2008-05-08T00:00:00Z The U.S. Air Force has greatly increased the number of operational surveillance sensors and its ability to process data from these sensors. However, along with the increased number of sensors comes an increase in the complexity of the tasking of these assets. Charter School Students in Chicago Enjoy Better Graduation, College Entry Rates urn:uuid:9A045518-1771-11DD-853F-B40839788F35 2008-05-07T00:00:00Z 2008-05-07T00:00:00Z Chicago's multi-grade charter high schools (those serving students in grades 7-12, 6-12 or K-12) appear to improve their students' chances of graduating and attending college, as compared with the city's traditional public high schools. Rethinking Counterinsurgency to Respond to the Evolving Jihadist Insurgency urn:uuid:CAC8C19C-0C73-11DD-8279-E1BD38788F35 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z 2008-05-05T00:00:00Z Despite great technological and military advances, British and U.S. counterinsurgency (COIN) operations have been slow to respond and adapt to the rise of the global jihadist insurgency. Operational failures have highlighted the need for the West to rethink and retool its current COIN strategy. Spirituality for Kids After-School Program has Significant Positive Effects urn:uuid:D49C19B4-112B-11DD-8F18-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z 2008-04-29T00:00:00Z A nonreligious after-school program, Spirituality for Kids (SFK) seeks to build resilience in children. Interestingly, it improves not just social and internal outcomes but also school-related outcomes, even though it is not an academic intervention. "Preferred Performance Metric" Could Aid Evaluation of Army Recruiters urn:uuid:82DA222C-FBF2-11DC-9D5C-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-20T00:00:00Z 2008-04-20T00:00:00Z Traditional Army recruiter performance metrics do not adequately measure effort, skill, and productivity. A “preferred performance metric” that takes into account the difficulty of recruiting different types of youth in various markets could provide a more accurate assessment of recruiters. Comparing Alternative U.S. Counterterrorism Strategies urn:uuid:D41A1A6A-062A-11DD-958E-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-19T00:00:00Z 2008-04-19T00:00:00Z The U.S. faces the challenge of countering the terrorism threat. Frequently, both expert decisionmakers and lay citizens have trouble assessing alternative strategies to address such issues because of the emotions and uncertainty involved. An assumption-based planning approach might help. One In Five Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Suffer from PTSD or Major Depression urn:uuid:D68400CA-00D7-11DD-B5C6-80F038788F35 2008-04-17T00:00:00Z 2008-04-17T00:00:00Z Nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan — 300,000 in all — report symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slightly more than half have sought treatment. The Challenge of Nuclear-Armed Regional Adversaries urn:uuid:CCAF6634-F033-11DC-857A-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-15T00:00:00Z 2008-04-15T00:00:00Z North Korea's test of a nuclear weapon in 2006 shows that such weapons are within reach of determined regional powers. Thus, defense planners in the United States and elsewhere must begin now to confront the new security challenges posed by nuclear-armed regional adversaries. Understanding the Challenge of Extremist and Radicalized Prisoners urn:uuid:8A1DDB78-FBF2-11DC-9D5C-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-15T00:00:00Z 2008-04-15T00:00:00Z A preliminary overview of the challenges posed by radicalized and extremist prisoners helps to explore the potential for the radicalization of young European Muslims in the prison environment. Increasing Aircraft Carrier Forward Presence urn:uuid:083A0EAC-F674-11DC-8DD2-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-10T00:00:00Z 2008-04-10T00:00:00Z U.S. Navy aircraft carrier fleets must balance the timing of maintenance, training, and deployment with presence and surge demands. An evaluation of deployment scenarios examines the feasibility of different cycle lengths, their effect on carrier forward presence, and their impact on shipyard workloads. Turkey as a U.S. Security Partner urn:uuid:ABE511EA-CF2E-11DC-A98F-BABE38788F35 2008-04-10T00:00:00Z 2008-04-10T00:00:00Z Turkey has long been an important ally, but Ankara is increasingly behaving more independently and assertively in ways that must factor into future U.S. planning for the region. Miscommunication Hindered Student Participation in Programs Created by NCLB urn:uuid:D033DAC0-E63C-11DC-8345-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-04T00:00:00Z 2008-04-04T00:00:00Z Student participation in school choice programs authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act was hindered because parents did not receive clear and timely communication from schools. Economic Burden of Health Insurance Increasing for Small Employers Providing Health Insurance urn:uuid:0C77DB4A-F73F-11DC-9BB9-E1BD38788F35 2008-04-04T00:00:00Z 2008-04-04T00:00:00Z The economic burden of providing health insurance for workers increased more for small businesses than for large ones from 2000 to 2005, but the spike did not cause a significant number of small employers to abandon the benefit. Economic Progress of Allegheny County Could be Enhanced by Government Consolidation urn:uuid:2D3E0DBA-E9EB-11DC-AD85-E83139788F35 2008-04-03T00:00:00Z 2008-04-03T00:00:00Z The City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, Pennsylvania could enhance the economic progress of the region if its governments are consolidated, although evidence of such gains in other consolidations is mixed. The Arts Debate: What do People Value About the Arts? urn:uuid:70F03860-EECF-11DC-9346-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-29T00:00:00Z 2008-03-29T00:00:00Z In 2006 and 2007, Arts Council England ran a large inquiry called 'the arts debate'. A summary of the feedback from this inquiry offers insight into what people value about the arts and what principles should guide publicly funded arts organizations. What is the Relationship Between Gender and Health? urn:uuid:EA4DC86C-EF9C-11DC-8B7D-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-27T00:00:00Z 2008-03-27T00:00:00Z Modern societies' health problems involve a combination of policies, personal behavior, and choice. An examination of the ways men's and women's lives and physiology contribute to differences in their health demonstates the importance of integrating health implications into everyday decisions and actions. The Legal and Economic Implications of Electronic Discovery urn:uuid:E924190A-EF9C-11DC-8B7D-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-27T00:00:00Z 2008-03-27T00:00:00Z Pretrial discovery is central to the American civil legal process, however the growing volume of electronically stored information has led to concerns over the effects of electronic discovery (e-discovery). A preliminary model explores the range of plausible effects that e-discovery might have on case outcomes. Developing U.S. Civilian Personnel Capabilities in State-Building Operations urn:uuid:6DC36702-EECF-11DC-9346-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-19T00:00:00Z 2008-03-19T00:00:00Z Recent U.S. experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown that engaging in stability and reconstruction operations is a difficult and lengthy process that requires appropriate resources. A framework for improving U.S. civilian personnel and staffing programs for state-building efforts could help. Health Professionals and the Public Unprepared to Make Use of Genomic Medicine for Adults urn:uuid:B8699510-F45B-11DC-A3F8-E1BD38788F35 2008-03-18T00:00:00Z 2008-03-18T00:00:00Z Although advances in genomic medicine for common adult chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer hold promise for improved prevention, diagnosis and treatment, health professionals and the public are not prepared to effectively integrate these new tools into practice.