Entries by Editorial Staff

Why Race to the Middle? First-Class State Standards Are Better than Third-Class National Standards

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First-Class State Standards Are Better than Third-Class National Standards Author(s): Ze’ev Wurman and Sandra Stotsky — Publication date: 2010-02-23 Category: Education Abstract: The case for national standards rests on more than the need to equalize academic expectations for all students by remedying the uneven and often deplorable quality of most state standards and tests. The case also rests on the urgent need to increase academic achievement for all students. In mathematics and science in particular, we require much higher levels of achievement than our students now demonstrate for this country to remain competitive in the global economy. These goals are not compatible at the secondary school level, and the tensions they create are not easily resolved. For example, although the […]

Creating Jobs: Reforming Unemployment Insurance in Massachusetts

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Author(s): Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2011-02-10 Category: Economic Opportunity Abstract: Pioneer Institute and the Massachusetts High Technology Council are pleased to present a new study that meets this demand: “Creating Jobs: Reforming Unemployment Insurance in Massachusetts.” As the report highlights, Massachusetts’s Unemployment Insurance system – the most generous in the nation in terms of eligibility requirements and benefit duration – is actually inhibiting job creation. The report offers four reform proposals that could generate 10,000 new jobs and $7.5 billion in economic growth over the next decade. [wpdm_package id=53]

CPOE Initiative

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In 2004, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), in partnership with New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), created the Massachusetts Hospital CPOE initiative, a six-year-long campaign to speed adoption of a computer technology that can drastically reduce the scourge of harmful medication errors. The Initative’s groundbreaking research revealed that one in every ten patients in a Massachusetts community hospital suffers a serious but preventable medication error. The finding spurred the Massachusetts Legislature, the state’s private payers and later the US Congress to enact policy changes encouraging or requiring the use of Computerized Physician Order Entry, or CPOE. [wpdm_package id=262]

Health Insurance Cost Control

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The combined use of limited, or slective, provider networks and a defined contribution strategy presents an immediate opportunity for government entities and employer groups to achieve significant and sustainable health insurance savings and reduce medical cost trends, while maintaing coverage leverls and quality of care. Health Insurance Cost Control

A National Market for Individual Health Insurance

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Health insurance markets are regulated by the states under the McCarran-Ferguson Act (15 U.S.C. 1011) of 1945. The ‘purpose clause’ of the Act states that regulation and taxation of the business of insurance by the states is in the public interest. As a result of McCarran-Ferguson, evey health insurer must be licensed in the policyholder’s state of residence. The states have responded with a complex patchwork of mandates and laws that vary widely acrcros the country. [wpdm_package id=260]

Wellness Health Incentive Payment Program

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Suitable healthcare should always involve an accountable partnership between the payor and the third party insurance administrator. The Wellness Health Incentive Payment (WHIP) Program facilitates better health/wellness outcomes by holding health insurance vendors fiscally responsible for health insurance administrative vendors according to the vendor’s wellness activity performance against nationally recognized health and wellness standards [wpdm_package id=259]

School-Based Management: A Practical Path to School District Reform

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A Practical Path to School District Reform Author(s): Cara Stillings Candal — Publication date: 2009-09-29 Category: Education Abstract: Located in the “bicep of Cape Cod,” the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, is widely considered that area’s economic and municipal hub. Home to a thriving business sector, healthcare facilities, an airport, and a host of other municipal services, many of Cape Cod’s citizens rely upon Barnstable and its seven surrounding villages for economic and cultural prosperity. But Barnstable’s status as a center of activity in the Cape Cod region is only one of the things that make the town unique. In recent years, Barnstable has received state and national recognition for its commitment to financial accountability and responsibility. This commitment has, in […]

Closing Sprinfield’s Achievement Gap: Innovative Ways to Use MCAS Data to Drive School Reform

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Innovative Ways to Use MCAS Data to Drive School Reform Author(s): Dr. Kathleen Madigan, Theodor Rebarber, and Dr. Bruce Bean — Publication date: 2009-10-19 Category: Education Abstract: Business leaders, educators, policy makers, and civil rights advocates are increasingly dedicated to fundamental reform to close the achievement gap that limits hope and opportunity for students from historically disadvantaged groups. Substantial gaps in academic achievement between groups of students based on race, ethnicity and similar factors should have no place in American society in the 21st century. For those students facing such deficits, the effects can be profound. They dictate which students receive the preparation necessary to succeed in their choice of college and work, and which ones continue to be left […]

Driving the New Urban Agenda: Desired Outcomes for the Middle Cities Initiative

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Desired Outcomes for the Middle Cities Initiative Author(s): Jim Stergios and Maria Ortiz Perez — Publication date: 2009-07-22 Category: Economic Opportunity Abstract: As national discussions continue on the future of cities across the country, an array of stimulus strategies are being offered. These include downsizing older industrialized cities or engaging in large-scale urban renewal projects. Whatever path is taken, Pioneer urges elected officials and policymakers not to fall into old habits of things tried that failed. The challenges our cities face are not new and while stimulus can be helpful, it will not turn back generations of economic change to which cities have not adapted. [wpdm_package id=61]

Start Here Before Cutting Into the Safety Net: Common Sense Budget Actions

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Common Sense Budget Actions Author(s): — Publication date: 2009-01-13 Category: Better Government Abstract: In October, Pioneer suggested $700 million in cuts that Governor Patrick could make to the fiscal year 2009 budget. A number of the cuts we recommended were included in the Governor’s $1.4 billion package of budget reductions. Unfortunately, in addition to inadvisable fiscal actions like extending the period for repaying unfunded pension liability and withdrawals from the rainy day fund, the Governor also made well over $350 million in cuts to safety net programs. It was too early in this difficult economic cycle to make those cuts. It still is. [wpdm_package id=69]

Why MTEL, Not PRAXIS, Will Maintain Teacher Quality in Massachusetts:

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Author(s): CSR — Publication date: 2009-04-23 Category: Education Abstract: The tests Massachusetts uses for licensing teachers, the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL), have been developed for the state by the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson (ESP) under continuously renewed contracts with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

The Know-Nothing Amendments: Barriers to School Choice in Massachusetts

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Barriers to School Choice in Massachusetts Author(s): Cornelius Chapman — Publication date: 2009-04-04 Category: Education Abstract: This paper will consider a sad phenomenon in American history—19th-century nativism and in particular, anti-Catholic prejudice—and its lingering and deleterious effects on American primary and secondary education. The wave of nativist sentiment that swept through American thought and institutions in the 19th century wiped out an older, pluralistic approach to primary and secondary education in which the interests of parents were balanced with those of the state. The purported constitutional grounds for this shift will be shown to rest on an incorrect assumption as to whether the framers of the Constitution intended to include education within the prohibition of established religions. The Know-Nothing Amendments: […]

Accountability Overboard

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Author(s): Charles D. Chieppo and James T. Gass — Publication date: 2009-04-01 Category: Education Abstract: Special interest groups opposed to charter schools and high-stakes testing have hijacked the state’s once-independent board of education and stand poised to water down the MCAS tests and the accountability system they support. [wpdm_package id=64]

Getting There: Transportation Reform in 2009

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Author(s): Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2009-02-16 Category: Better Government Abstract: Transportation policy will play a prominent role in Massachusetts politics over the coming months. The Massachusett Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) structural deficit is projected to grow to $160 million in FY2010. The MassPike is facing an operating deficit and the potential implosion of its financing structure. MassHighway is scrambling to initiate a $3 billion accelerated bridge repair program that will leave us with hundreds of structurally deficient bridges even after it is done. [wpdm_package id=67]

A Step Backwards: An Analysis of the 21st Century Skills Task Force Report

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Author(s): Jim Stergios — Publication date: 2009-02-17 Category: Education Abstract: On November 18, 2008, the 21st Century Skills Task Force presented a set of recommendations to the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) on why, how, and where to incorporate “21st century skills” in the state’s current academic standards and assessments for students and teachers. On December 16, the BESE agreed to ask the Commissioner and his staff at the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to develop an implementation plan. The DESE is expected to suggest a preliminary set of implementation priorities at the February BESE meeting, and to provide a more extensive response later this spring. Download report

Start Here Before Cutting Into the Safety Net

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Common Sense Budget Actions Author(s): — Publication date: 2009-01-13 Category: Better Government Abstract: In October, Pioneer suggested $700 million in cuts that Governor Patrick could make to the fiscal year 2009 budget. A number of the cuts we recommended were included in the Governor’s $1.4 billion package of budget reductions. Unfortunately, in addition to inadvisable fiscal actions like extending the period for repaying unfunded pension liability and withdrawals from the rainy day fund, the Governor also made well over $350 million in cuts to safety net programs. It was too early in this difficult economic cycle to make those cuts. It still is. [wpdm_package id=69]

Lessons Learned: An Assessment of Select Public-Private Partnerships in Massachusetts

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An Assessment of Select Public-Private Partnerships in Massachusetts Author(s): Dr. John B. Miller — Publication date: 2008-12-10 Category: Better Government Abstract: Public-private partnerships are a much misunderstood and still-evolving innovation in transportation infrastructure. Viewed with great suspicion by some as a ‘selling off’ of public goods,it is viewed with great enthusiasm by others as a source of additional revenues. In Massachusetts, we see public-private partnerships through the lens of recent projects that used private sector participation. This study seeks to examine several of those recent projects to learn about the private sector’s role and its impact on the project. Lessons Learned: An Assessment of Select Public-Private Partnerships in Massachusetts

Lessons Learned: An Assessment of Select Public-Private Partnerships in Massachusetts

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An Assessment of Select Public-Private Partnerships in Massachusetts Author(s): Dr. John B. Miller — Publication date: 2008-12-10 Category: Better Government Abstract: Public-private partnerships are a much misunderstood and still-evolving innovation in transportation infrastructure. Viewed with great suspicion by some as a ‘selling off’ of public goods,it is viewed with great enthusiasm by others as a source of additional revenues. In Massachusetts, we see public-private partnerships through the lens of recent projects that used private sector participation. This study seeks to examine several of those recent projects to learn about the private sector’s role and its impact on the project. Lessons Learned: An Assessment of Select Public-Private Partnerships in Massachusetts

Life Cycle Delivery of Public Infrastructure

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Precedents and Opportunities for the Commonwealth Author(s): Dr. John B. Miller — Publication date: 2008-12-01 Category: Better Government Abstract: Life-cycle delivery of infrastructure projects demands our attention. As the Commonwealth faces the interlocking threats of massive funding deficits, creeping levels of deferred maintenance, and unabated demands for expansion, public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer some potential relief. But, unless properly implemented and monitored, PPPs can also be a hindrance to strategic transportation planning and responsible budgeting. This report summarizes the opportunities and challenges PPPs present and recommends a strategy Massachusetts should follow in the future that adds life-cycle approaches to infrastructure delivery, a strategy based on delivering “value for money” and which demands improved levels of service, durable employment, and decreasing costs […]

Strengthening Standards-Based Education

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Recommendations to Policy Makers on 21st Century Skills Author(s): Jim Stergios and Jamie Gass — Publication date: 2008-11-11 Category: Education Abstract: In May of 2008, then-Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) Chairman Paul Reville named more than 20 individuals from education, not-for-profit organizations, and business to a task force on “21st Century Skills.” He charged the task force with finding ways to better integrate so-called 21st century skills into the public school curriculum. According to Patrick administration officials, this effort is tantamount to a manifesto that will move Massachusetts into the next phase of Education Reform. Download Report

Regionalization: Case Studies of Success and Failure in Massachusetts

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Case Studies of Success and Failure in Massachusetts Author(s): Pioneer Institute — Publication date: 2008-10-08 Category: Better Government Abstract: Regionalization is a perennial favorite. In its various incarnations – inter-local agreements, shared services, regionalism – it is popular in theory and universally acknowledged to save money but not as widespread as one might expect. The urge to regionalize goes through periods of intense interest when budgets are tight, then is frequently ended by bureaucratic inertia and parochialism. Regionalization: Case Studies of Success and Failure in Massachusetts

Regionalization: Case Studies of Success and Failure in Massachusetts

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Case Studies of Success and Failure in Massachusetts Author(s): Pioneer Institute — Publication date: 2008-10-08 Category: Better Government Abstract: Regionalization is a perennial favorite. In its various incarnations – inter-local agreements, shared services, regionalism – it is popular in theory and universally acknowledged to save money but not as widespread as one might expect. The urge to regionalize goes through periods of intense interest when budgets are tight, then is frequently ended by bureaucratic inertia and parochialism. Regionalization: Case Studies of Success and Failure in Massachusetts

Hard Decisions, Needed Leadership

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Author(s): — Publication date: 2008-10-17 Category: Better Government Abstract: This report seeks to identify savings to help close a looming $1 billion to $1.5 billion gap in the Commonwealth’s FY09 budget. As a follow-up to a Pioneer press release outlining $600 million in immediate cuts, dated October 8, 2008, we have scoured the budget for savings and reforms, with an eye toward actions that can be undertaken immediately. This report identifies $700 million in budget savings. Moreover, it achieves these savings while adhering to the following premises and sound budgeting principles. [wpdm_package id=71]

Massachusetts State Taxpayer Funded School Construction Grants: Massachusetts School Building Authority

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Like many other states, Massachusetts has struggled with out of control spending on school construction, often putting money into many unnessary projects at the expense of more deserving ones. State Treasurer Tim Cahill, a long-time entrepreneur who took office in 2003, traced the wasteful spending to poor administrative organization, a lack of oversight, and an atiquated system of reimbursements whose legacy had become exorbitant debt and a backog of projects. Applying his business acuemen and experience, Cahill in 2004 created the Massachusetts School Building Authority, an entity that would bring the rigors of  the private sector to eliminate wasteful spending while raising the quality of the education offered by the state [wpdm_package id=258]

Enrollment Trends in Massachusetts

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Author(s): Ken Ardon — Publication date: 2008-09-24 Category: Education Abstract: Enrollment in public schools in Massachusetts has fallen by 24,000 students, or 2.5 percent, over the past five years. The total number of students in Massachusetts public schools is now just 936,000. The decline started several years ago, and is likely to accelerate over the next decade. The drop in enrollment is steepest in Western Massachusetts and Cape Cod, and urban districts are losing students faster than suburban districts. Additionally, the enrollment decline is more severe in lower-income areas than in middle or upper-income areas. [wpdm_package id=72]

Differential Pay for Math and Science Teachers

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Author(s): Theodor Rebarber and Kathleen Madigan — Publication date: 2008-08-28 Category: Education Abstract: Of the various proposals under discussion for improving public education, some of the most hotly debated have been those designed to reform teacher compensation. This Brief addresses differential compensation designed to attract and retain effective mathematics and science teachers; it accomplishes this through a focus on approaches that integrate performance-based reforms into an ongoing wage enhancement. [wpdm_package id=73]

How to Strengthen K-12 Mathematics Education in Massachusetts: Implications of National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s Report

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Implications of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel’s Report Author(s): Dr. Sandra Stotsky — Publication date: 2008-06-16 Category: Education Abstract: This position paper suggests how Massachusetts can strengthen K-12 mathematics education in its schools, drawing chiefly on the findings and recommendations presented in the final report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel (henceforth referred to as the Panel). The Panel’s report was released in March 2008 after two years of work and deliberation by seventeen researchers and scholars appointed by Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings. Its findings and recommendations are based on a thorough review of the evidence from all the best available high quality research. [wpdm_package id=74]

Additional Reforms for the Governor’s Accelerated Bridge Repair Proposal

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Author(s): Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2008-06-01 Category: Economic Opportunity Abstract: The Governor’s proposal to fix structurally deficient bridges is an aggressive approach to addressing the massive backlog of deferred maintenance in the Commonwealth. To be sure, this approach does not create revenues, it only accelerates planned future spending. However, this acceleration will result in greater value by fixing hundreds of decaying bridges sooner rather than later; thereby avoiding the effect of construction inflation and higher future repair costs due to ongoing deterioration. [wpdm_package id=76]