Entries by Editorial Staff

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]  

GIC Consolidation

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Author(s): Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2008-06-01 Category: Better Government Abstract: Municipal leaders seeking cost savings should examine the potential benefits of joining GIC. A compelling case can be made that GIC consolidation reduces pressure on local budgets, allowing the provision of additional services, reducing the need for higher taxes, and presenting an opportunity for savings that will ultimately benefit municipal employees. [wpdm_package id=77]

Shades of Green: The Patchwork of Wetlands Regulation in Massachusetts

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The Patchwork of Wetlands Regulations in Massachusetts Author(s): Amy Dain — Publication date: 2008-02-14 Category: Better Government Abstract: “Why can’t I just fill the little swamp in the backyard? That way I have more lawn to enjoy.” This question is listed on the website for Gloucester’s Conservation Commission under “Frequently Asked Questions.” The Commission’s response is that all wetlands, including small seasonal wetlands, help clean stormwater, serve as drainage areas and provide habitat for many species.  

Scaling Up Educational Innovation

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Author(s): Jamie Gass — Publication date: 2008-06-01 Category: Education Abstract: In recent years, a vast majority of schools in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, not to mention Fall River, New Bedford, Lowell, Lawrence, Holyoke, and Brockton were placed on the federal ‘In Need of Improvement’ list, as mandated under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. Today, in these urban districts in the Bay State, nearly 70 percent of the students score in the ‘Needs Improvement’ and ‘Warning/Failing’ categories on the MCAS test. [wpdm_package id=75]

Learning From Springfield: Lessons in Effective Fiscal Management

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Lessons in Effective Fiscal Management Author(s): Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2008-04-01 Category: Economic Opportunity Abstract: The Middle Cities Initiative seeks to develop concrete policies to help the Middle Cities grow. One foundational element for economic growth is effective fiscal management by the public sector. The Middle Cities Initiative includes a benchmarking program that would establish incentives for good municipal management, and also equip municipal leaders with the tools they need to succeed. This Policy Brief considers Springfield as a case study in effective fiscal management and reform, and as an example for other communities. It integrates specific policy proposals derived from Springfield’s experience with Pioneer’s work on benchmarking [wpdm_package id=78]

New Business Creation and The Urban Economy

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Author(s): John H. Friar — Publication date: 2008-02-28 Category: Economic Opportunity Abstract: Policymakers have long grappled with the challenge of revitalizing cities whose economies have declined as manufacturing jobs moved elsewhere. Older industrial cities’ economic woes have compounded other problems, including municipal budget crises, struggling schools, high crime rates, and persistent poverty. [wpdm_package id=79]

School Choice Without Vouchers: Expanding Education Options Through Tax Benefits

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Authors: William Howell and Mindy Spencer Date: October 2007 While efforts to offer Massachusetts families more school choice have stalled, other states have moved ahead, implementing innovative tax deductions and credit programs. By lowering barriers to private education, these programs open a new door for students trapped in underperforming public schools. School Choice Without Vouchers: Expanding Education Options Through Tax Credits

Transforming Urban School Districts through Choice

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Roe Paper No. 20 2007 Author(s): Foundation for Education Reform and Accountability — Publication date: 2007-09-01 Category: Better Government Abstract: The Foundation for Education Reform & Accountability (FERA), based in Albany, New York, has been implementing a school-choice initiative – the Albany Project – that has created high-quality charter schools to serve more than half of the local public school student population in the state’s capital city. FERA believes that a district composed of choice schools can better serve students, parents, and the community than the traditional urban school district system. The Albany Project is demonstrating that the charter school model – freedom from state regulations and education bureaucracy, freedom to innovate, and increased accountability – can better serve all […]

Repair, Replacement, Renovation and Maintenance Program

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Roe Paper No. 19 2007 Author(s): Hillsborough County, Florida — Publication date: 2007-09-01 Category: Better Government Abstract: The Repair, Replacement, Renovation and Maintenance (R3M) Program concept is a strategy for managing Hillsborough County’s physical assets. The purpose of the R3M Program is to protect investment in infrastructure, reduce the maintenance backlog, control and reduce costs, minimize waste, and to maintain public buildings and facilities in a safe and efficient condition. [wpdm_package id=85]

Extending the Stat Model Across the Commonwealth

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Roe Paper No. 18 2007 Author(s): Somerville SomerStat Program — Publication date: 2007-09-01 Category: Better Government Abstract: After nearly a decade of evolution, municipal Stat programs, such as NYPD’sCompStat and Baltimore’s CitiStat, have proved very successful in improving city service delivery and cutting unnecessary spending. Though slightly different in each implementation, all Stat programs involve frequent meetings at which key decision-makers and department heads review data on operational performance, identify problems and solutions, and track follow-up. The City of Baltimore reported $70 million in savings attributable to CitiStat in its first three years of operations. [wpdm_package id=84]

Reducing Unnecessary Institutionalization of Senior Citizens

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Roe Paper No. 17 2007 Author(s): ProVentive — Publication date: 2007-09-01 Category: Better Government Abstract: This proposal involves collecting and integrating existing data on the health of elderly patients. This information would be used to construct patient profiles to help predict and prevent unexpected incidents. A data-driven coordination of programs and services would aid in early interventions, and also help evaluate how different strategies, programs, and agencies could reduce unnecessary nursing home institutionalization. [wpdm_package id=83]

MyFloridaMarketPlace

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Roe Paper No. 16 2007 Author(s): Kimberly Koegel — Publication date: 2007-09-01 Category: Better Government Abstract: In 2000, the Florida state legislature approved funding for an online e-procurement portal called MyFloridaMarketPlace. The project was overseen by Florida’s Division of Management Services (DMS), which contracted with Accenture in the fall of 2002 to create and manage the portal. [wpdm_package id=82]

Fixing Maintenance in Massachusetts

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Author(s): Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2007-08-15 Category: Better Government Abstract: The horrifying spectacle of the Minnesota bridge collapse has prompted a national reevaluation of the condition of our public infrastructure. In Massachusetts, two recent reports have found a multi-billion dollar backlog of deferred maintenance. [wpdm_package id=87]