Trends in College Pricing 2010 from the College Board is replete with graphs, charts, and statistics highlighting the ever-increasing costs of going to college. Various comparisons: geographic, private vs public, profit vs nonprofit, institutional type, etc. are included. A telling statistic that comes as no surprise – New Jersey ranks among the lowest states in providing “state tax appropriations for higher education per $1000 in personal income.”(p.19)
Archive for October, 2010
Violence, Vandalism, and Substance Abuse in New Jersey Schools
This annual report – Commissioner’s Annual Report…on Violence, Vandalism and Substance Abuse in New Jersey Public Schools – reveals that in comparison to the 2007/2008 reporting period, the year 2008/2009 saw a decline in violence, vandalism, and weapons incidents of 5%, 3%, and 15% respectively. The only upward trending indicator was substance abuse which rose 6%. School district information back to the 2005/2006 report is available here. News reports are found at: The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Bergen Record, The Star-Ledger, and The Press of Atlantic City.
The Coming Diabetes Epidemic
An epidemic is defined as ” …affecting or tending to affect an atypically large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time.”(Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary) According to the latest figures, more than 10% of the American adult population have diabetes( see here for the prevalence of diabetes in New Jersey counties; other states rates are here); by 2050, that number will climb to a projected high-end figure of 33%. This chilling future scenario is detailed in this article from Population Health Metrics, “Projection of the year 2050 burden of diabetes in the U.S. adult population….” The authors state that: ” Our estimates of diabetes prevalence paint a sobering picture of the future growth of diabetes.”(p.10) They go on to cite many reasons for the projected growth of diabetes; i.e., lower mortality rates for those who have diabetes, an aging population that is more susceptible to developing diabetes, and the fact that some minority populations have a higher incidence of diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Reliable information on this disease can be found at: MedlinePlus, the CDC, PubMed Central (where you will find such fine articles as Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2009), and Evidence-based Practice Centers (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, HHS).
Online State Encyclopedias – West Virginia
We have listed in previous posts other online state encyclopedias, most published under NEH seed grants. This addition examines the Mountain State through hyperlinked articles, key dates/timelines, sidebars, and illustrations. Books on West Virginia can be found at this separate site. This is the 17th entry into our fold of online state encyclopedias.
Where Do I Vote In New Jersey?
Use this poll place search to find where you should vote.
Midterm Elections 2010: National and New Jersey
These midterm elections, so called because they occur halfway through a sitting president’s term, are being closely watched. Will the Tea Party have an impact? Is this election a referendum on President Obama’s policies? Will Republicans start to take back Congress? News and analysis can be found at: CNN‘s Election Center, Politico 2010, NPR‘s Election 2010, Campaign 2010 from USA Today, 2010 Midterm Elections from the New York Times, Election 2010 from the Christian Science Monitor, and C-SPAN‘s Campaign 2010. Two excellent websites to keep track of Congress are OpenCongress and GovTrack. On the local level, please consult Election 2010 from NorthJersey.com and the Elections page from nj.com. Also, check out NJ Division of Elections, Election Law Enforcement Commission, and the Campaign Finance Database.
The Future of Nursing
The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health is the title of a recently-released 600 page study from the National Academy of Sciences; it is the result of a collaborative study between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Princeton, NJ) and the Institute of Medicine (Washington, DC). On p.xi of the preface, this study discusses the roles of nurses as providers of healthcare under the new stipulations established by recent legislation. It details how nurses, as the primary care providers, have a major role to play in this country’s developing healthcare system. Part 2 of this report is called “A Fundamental Transformation of the Nursing Profession.” Summaries of the workshops that helped produce the report can also be accessed. We have looked at the nursing shortage in a previous entry.
The End of Government Funding for NJN?
The New Jersey Legislative Task Force on Public Broadcasting has issued its report on the future of NJN. In this document, some of the findings include: “The State should not operate a public media outlet”(p.11); yet “The State must continue to commit to NJN’s mision.” (p.15) All in all, the report maintains that New Jersey-centric entity is still essential, but it must be funded in a different manner. News and analysis are found at: The Star-Ledger, Press of Atlantic City, newjerseynewsroom, and The Philadephia Inquirer. Also, please read this August 2010 paper – A Future for Public Media in New Jersey. Ironically, NJN has posted the three public hearings of the Task Force.
Textbook Rental Legislation for New Jersey Colleges
Senate bill S1367, which “Authorizes public institutions of higher education to establish textbook rental programs” is now before the Senate Education Committee. We have written about the high cost of textbooks in a previous entry.
New Jersey Rates an “A” in School Funding
Of course, this report – Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card – is based on funding for the years 2005-2008 and therefore does not reflect the more than $800 million Governor Christie has recently taken away from the school districts.
George Washington’s Victorious Routes Through New Jersey
The standing joke in Bergen County is that every main road was used by Washington’s army in its various retreats, whether it is Kinderkamack Road, Schraalenburgh Road, New Bridge Road, River Road, or any of the other thoroughfares which date from that perilous time. But we recently stumbled across a three-volume work that traces the routes of the Continental and French armies as they marched through New Jersey to defeat Cornwallis and their triumphant return home. We can recommend to you the heavily-documented work The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route, in the State of New Jersey, 1781-1783: An Historical and Architectural Survey. These volumes are the result of P.L.106-473, the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Heritage Act of 2000 which authorizes a study of the 600 mile route from Connecticut to Virginia taken by the allied armies. Other states have submitted route studies for W3R, as it is commonly abbreviated; maps used by General Rochambeau may also be consulted as well as detailed maps from the National Park Service. Far be it from us to present all the information available on the Revolutionary War in New Jersey, but we can mention some good starting points: this site- Crossroads – which contains Crossroads of the American Revolution in New Jersey, Chronology of the American Revolution in New Jersey, and other links; The Revolutionary War in Bergen County, Bergen County Historical Society (relevant articles at the bottom of the screen), New Jersey’s Revolutionary Experience (28 out-of-print pamphlets), and Historic Sites of New Jersey.
College Graduation Rates
Much has been made of graduation rates recently. As well, emphasis has been placed on the number of years it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree, now thought to be six years. Conflicting numbers are thrown about, various reports are cited, and the outcome is more confusion than clarity. This paper from the American Council on Education- College Graduation Rates: Behind the Numbers – attempts “…to provide a layperson’s guide to the most commonly reported graduation rates and the databases used to calculate these rates.”(p.iv) To that end, it examines some of the better known databases, among them IPEDS , Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS) , and National Student Clearinghouse , and indicates their advantages and disadvantages. (The appendix arranges this information in useful tabular format.) While each of the reporting systems does contain valuable information, the criteria for data inclusion varies. So when discussing statistics and figures, it really is necessary to consider the source.
Mario Vargas Llosa Wins Nobel Prize in Literature
It has just been announced that Mario Vargas llosa, the Peruvian novelist and former candidate for Peruvian president, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in Literature. And his New Jersey connection? He is teaching this semester at Princeton University. You can watch the YouTube announcement; a biobibliography on him is also available. Further information may be found at: The New York Times, NPR, Reuters (brief excerpts from his writings), and Emory University (discusses the themes of his works).
New Supreme Court Term Starts Today
The first Monday in October marks the opening of a new Supreme Court term. One of the best ways to follow the cases being argued is by visiting SCOTUSblog. Some of the more important cases are outlined by CNN and a listing through early December is also available. The recusal of Justice Kagan from about half of the 52 cases already on the docket is explained by the Washington Post. How and why the Supreme Court decides on which cases to hear can be found here courtesy of PBS. Same-day transcripts of oral arguments can also be accessed; for the first time current audio recordings will be made available on the Friday of the week of oral arguments for a particular case. Previous oral arguments will be found at the Oyez Project. C-SPAN has an extensive video library on the Court.
Economic Crisis – October 2010 Update
Where the Jobs Are: A First Look at Private Industry Job Growth and Wages in 2010 (National Employment Law Project); After the Fall (American Enterprise Institute); Too Big To Fail Financial Institutions (Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission); Long-Term Trends in Public Finances in the G-7 Economies (IMF); Recession Hits Workers’ Paychecks (Economic Policy Institute); Who’s Hurting (Wall Street Journal); Why Did the Crisis of 2008 Happen? (SSRN); Fiscal Policy Choices in Uncertain Times (CBO); The Global Crisis (International Labour Review); Stagnating Labor Market (Roosevelt Institute); On the Implications of the Financial Crisis for Economics (Chairman Bernanke); and Economic Outlook and Fiscal Policy Choices (Congressional Busget Office).
Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library Blog 