Boosting College Attendance

“A Study of the Effect of the Talent Search Program on Secondary and Postsecondary Outcomes in Florida, Indiana, and Texas: Final Report from Phase II of the National Evaluation.” Jill M. Constantine, Neil S. Seftor, Emily Sama Martin, Tim Silva, and David Myers, June 2006. Low-income students and students whose parents have not attended college typically are less likely than middle- and upper-income students to complete high school and attend college, and are thus less likely to reap the benefits of attending college. In 1965, Congress established the Talent Search Program to provide information on the high school courses students should take to prepare for college and financial aid, as well as to orient students to different types of colleges and the application process. This report presents findings from Mathematica’s study of the effectiveness of the Talent Search program in Florida, Indiana, and Texas. Based on administrative data and a quasi-experimental design to create matched comparison groups, researchers found that Talent Search participants were more likely than comparison students to apply for federal financial aid and enroll in public secondary institutions. The findings suggest that assisting low-income students to overcome information barriers may be effective in helping them achieve their aspirations to attend college. Practical information—such as guidance on how to complete financial aid and admission applications and what a college campus looks and feels like—may have been one of the key services that Talent Search projects delivered.

Food Insecurity and Mental Health

“Food Insecurity and the Risks of Depression and Anxiety in Mothers and Behavior Problems in Their Preschool-Aged Children.” Robert C. Whitaker, Shannon M. Phillips, and Sean M. Orzol, Pediatrics, September 2006. Stressful social circumstances, particularly constrained economic resources, have been linked to behavioral problems in young children and to symptoms of depression and anxiety in mothers. Using data Mathematica collected for the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, researchers sought to determine if the prevalence of depression and anxiety in mothers and the prevalence of behavior problems in preschool-aged children are more common when mothers report being food insecure. They found that 71 percent of respondents were fully food secure, 17 percent were marginally secure, and 12 percent were insecure. Mental health problems in mothers and behavior problems in their children were twice as likely in food-insecure households, after controlling for multiple factors, including income and other forms of material hardship. Alleviating food insecurity might be one way to enhance the mental and emotional well-being of mothers and their young children.

Read more about the Fragile Families study.

Language Barriers in Health Care

“Estimates for the Cost of Interpretation Services for Connecticut Medicaid Recipients.” Ann Bagchi and Beth Stevens, August 2006. Changing demographic and immigration patterns in the United States have produced a growing number of people who cannot easily access basic health services because they cannot adequately speak or understand English. Limited English proficiency (LEP) contributes to racial and ethnic disparities in health. This report summarizes analyses that calculate the size of the LEP population within Connecticut’s Medicaid program and estimates the cost of providing face-to-face interpreters in compliance with federal laws and guidelines. The study found that LEP Medicaid recipients use 4.6 percent of Medicaid services. Assuming that the state arranges for matching federal funds, the total expense to the Connecticut Medicaid program would be $2.35 million for Medicaid managed care enrollees and $1.5 million for Medicaid fee-for-service enrollees.

Read more about the study.

On the Move: Staff News and Changes

Administration Division
Patrick Mooney, director of human resources, has been named senior vice president.
Research Division
Myles Maxfield has been named vice president and director of health research in the DC office.		Barbara Devaney has been named managing director of human services research.
Boyd Gilman, an expert on health care cost and financing issues, has joined the Cambridge office as a senior researcher.

Career Opportunities

For information on career opportunities at Mathematica, visit us at https://careers.mathematica-mpr.com.