Northeastern States

  • Vegetables in a supermarket

    Journal Article

    New Findings on Food Deserts

    In a neighborhood where a full-service grocery store opened after decades of absence, residents reported eating fewer calories and less sugar, perceived better access to healthy foods, and were more satisfied with their neighborhood. Yet, the changes in dietary intake were not related to use of the new store.

    Nov 10, 2015

  • The grand opening of a Shop 'n Save grocery store in the Hill District neighborhood of Pittsburgh, October 2013

    Research Brief

    What Happens When a Food Desert Gets a Supermarket?

    Introducing a new supermarket into a Pittsburgh “food desert” led to some improvements in residents' diets. However, most improvements were not linked to supermarket use.

    Nov 3, 2015

  • Boy taking a standardized test

    Multimedia

    Education Policy: Challenges in Implementing New Standards and Assessments

    In this Events @ RAND podcast, a panel of educators and policy experts discuss Pennsylvania's approach to standards and assessment, what challenges remain, and what the future holds.

    Oct 8, 2015

  • Dissertation

    Dissertation

    Hello, Goodbye: Three Perspectives on Public School District Staff Turnover

    Three essays each of which explores a different perspective on public school district staff turnover.

    Sep 14, 2015

  • A stream runs through the woods in autumn

    Report

    Managing Water Quality in the Face of Uncertainty

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with state and local partners, develops and implements water quality plans. But uncertainty about the impacts of climate change and other factors may make it harder to meet water quality goals. Robust Decision Making can help better manage this uncertainty.

    Sep 9, 2015

  • Workers prepare to change drilling pipes on the rotary table of a natural gas rig near Towanda, Pennsylvania, February 3, 2010

    Research Brief

    Aligning Education and Training to Meet Energy Workforce Needs

    Energy-sector employers in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania report having difficulty filling semiskilled jobs. And the sector's technology is changing quickly. How can the region's leaders improve the workforce-development pipeline?

    Aug 31, 2015

  • Working welder

    Report

    Energy-Sector Workforce Development in Southwestern Pennsylvania

    Technological innovations in the energy sector have increased demand for semiskilled labor in southwestern Pennsylvania. How can postsecondary educational and training programs adapt to the evolving skills demand?

    Aug 31, 2015

  • Pedestrians in a region of the South Bronx that has seen a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires' disease in New York August 7, 2015

    Commentary

    Control Disease in a New York Minute

    Legionella bacteria are ubiquitous in many warm-water environments, but outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease like the recent one in the South Bronx don't have to be. Effective public health policies can help inhibit Legionella growth, minimize the occurrence and impact of outbreaks, and save lives.

    Aug 20, 2015

  • Protestors block trucks at the gate of a private-contractor company hired to shut off the water to residential customers with unpaid bills in Detroit, Michigan

    Commentary

    What Durban Can Teach Detroit: Getting Customers to Pay Their Water Bills

    South Africa is proving that governments in poor cities can provide water and collect payment without turning off the water spigot. Detroit and Baltimore might consider exploring models like this that have been successfully tested in even more challenging settings.

    Jul 29, 2015

  • Pupils raising their hands during class

    Report

    The Economic Impact of Achievement Gaps in PA Public Schools

    Although Pennsylvania ranks high among U.S. states in average student performance, the achievement gaps between students classified by race-ethnicity, economic status, and parent education are among the widest nationally. Race-ethnic academic achievement gaps amount to an estimated annual cost of $1 billion to $3 billion in lost earnings.

    Jul 13, 2015

  • News Release

    News Release

    Eliminating Racial and Socioeconomic Performance Gaps for Pennsylvania Students Could Have Boosted Economy by $44 ...

    Eliminating race-ethnic and socioeconomic performance gaps for public school students in Pennsylvania could have boosted the state's gross domestic product by as much as $44 billion after 10 years.

    Jul 13, 2015

  • Doctors talking with a patient

    Commentary

    Nature and Nurture: What's Behind the Variation in Recent Medical Home Evaluations?

    As demonstrated in Pennsylvania, conveners of medical home pilots are drawing from their early experiences to refine their intervention designs and improve their effectiveness. Such a learning process is likely to be a critical part of successfully implementing any new model of payment and care delivery.

    Jun 19, 2015

  • A doctor showing X-rays to her patient

    Journal Article

    Medical Home Intervention with Shared Savings Shows Quality and Utilization Improvements

    A medical home intervention that paid bonuses to physician practices based on financial savings showed significant improvements in quality and use of some medical services relative to comparison practices.

    Jun 10, 2015

  • Young children listening to their teacher

    Report

    Evaluating Delaware Stars for Early Success: Year Two Report

    In the second year of RAND's evaluation of Delaware's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), key findings offer insight into provider participation, the use of financial incentives, and the amount of technical assistance received by providers—all pointing to the importance of administrative data in a QRIS.

    Jun 2, 2015

  • Woman consulting shopping list in grocery store

    Journal Article

    Using a Grocery List May Lead to Better Health Outcomes

    A shopping list may be a no-cost, easily implemented tool to help high-risk, low-income individuals living in a food desert make healthier food choices.

    May 12, 2015

  • Police stopping on a crowded street

    Blog

    Examining Police, Community Relations

    The “Strengthening Police-Community Trust” panel held Wednesday at RAND's Pittsburgh offices felt ripped from the headlines, and from the outset the discussion was focused on what the moderator called “the intersection between the community and the police.”

    May 8, 2015

  • Events @ RAND Audio Podcast

    Multimedia

    Strengthening Police-Community Trust

    In this Events @ RAND podcast, Pittsburgh Chief of Police Cameron McLay joins Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and RAND's director of Safety and Justice, Brian Jackson, for a conversation about why building and maintaining trust between police and the public is critical for the health of American democracy.

    May 6, 2015

  • A group of people rally together

    Tool

    Community Resilience: LEARN and TELL Toolkit

    The LEARN and TELL Community Resilience Toolkit teaches people about community resilience so that they can teach others and—ultimately—help their communities remain strong in the face of economic downturns, violence, weather-related disasters, and other community stressors.

    Apr 22, 2015

  • Downtown Pittsburgh

    Commentary

    Building the Best Pittsburgh Possible

    Pittsburgh's journey toward its bright future has only just begun. To realize its potential, the city needs a vision as well as an innovative, inclusive, and data-driven approach to community development.

    Apr 9, 2015

  • Downtown Pittsburgh, PA at sunset from the Westend overlook

    News Release

    Project Aims to Improve Resilience Planning in Allegheny County and Pittsburgh

    The Pittsburgh region faces major challenges to stormwater management. These challenges could grow with climate change, complicating the investment decisions that need to be made for new or replacement infrastructure. The pilot study aims to take a first step toward improved stormwater and climate resilience planning at the county and city levels.

    Apr 9, 2015

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