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Know Before You Go - APPAM Fall 2018 Research Conference

Nov 05, 2018

Our Know Before You Go contains some helpful information we wanted to share with you before you arrive so you may make the most of your experience at #2018APPAM.

BPC Obtains Documents Revealing Labor Dept Cut Funds for Program Evaluation

The Bipartisan Policy Center obtained documents through the Freedom of Information Act that reveal the Department of Labor sharply cut funding for evaluating whether its programs are operating effectively. The documents show the Labor Department quietly slashed the amount of funding it transfers to its chief evaluation officer for this fiscal year’s program evaluation to $2 million. That compares with $13 million and $27 million for use in prior fiscal years 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Our Conference Theme Emphasizes the Need to Use Research and Evidence at Every Stage of the Policy Process | APPAM Leadership Blog Series

Oct 18, 2018

For me, fall is a refreshing season of new beginnings. Our member universities are back in full swing, students are launching into their research for the academic year, and the fall conference is just around the corner. I am proud of our conference theme this year, Evidence for Action: Encouraging Innovation and Improvement. The programming emphasizes the need to use research and evidence at every stage of the policy process.

Scholars from the University at Albany, Abt Associates, Vanderbilt, and Westat Earn the PhD and Vernon Awards

Oct 04, 2018

University at Albany alumnus Garima Siwach has been selected to receive the PhD Dissertation Award. Authors from Abt Associates, Vanderbilt University, and Westat have been selected as recipients of the Raymond Vernon Memorial Award for a paper published in the Fall 2018 issue of the Journal of Pubic Policy Analysis and Management. Both awards will be presented during the new Membership and Awards Breakfast on Friday, November 9, at the Fall Research Conference.

Register for the Upcoming Webinar: The Impact of Student Loan Debt on the Workforce

With student loan debt tripling between 2001 and 2016, hitting the $1.5 trillion milestone in the first quarter of 2018, the Federal Reserve reports that student loan debt now exceeds both auto and credit card debt. This webinar will provide an overview of national student debt, explore how debt impacts job seekers, hiring trends such as job seekers being overqualified or underemployed, current research and policy, and more. Join on October 18th at 1:00 pm EDT.

What is the Role Advocacy Should Play in APPAM’s Activities? | APPAM Leadership Blog Series

Sep 24, 2018

What is the role advocacy should play in APPAM’s activities? The arguments largely fall into two camps: APPAM shouldn’t engage in advocacy activities because our members get those needs met elsewhere and wading into specific issues is sure to alienate some; APPAM should engage in advocacy activities since members’ research depends on funding and the outcomes impact policy and the policy-making process. APPAM doesn’t advocate or provide information its members could use to advocate. Should we?

Meet the Recipients of the 40 for 40 Fellowship

Sep 17, 2018

In recent years, APPAM has consistently developed more resources and opportunities for our student and early career professional members. To build on that momentum as we celebrate our 40th Annual Fall Research Conference, APPAM introduced the 40 for 40 Fellowship. We are pleased to announce the winners of the 40 for 40 Fellowship!

Watch the Member Forum On Demand: At the Intersection of Data Science and Social Science

Sep 14, 2018

The proliferation of new digital data sources and the development of new programming languages that can quickly make sense of these data are changing the nature of how public policy makers and the general public understand how government works – and when it doesn’t. This discussion focused on the road ahead for data and social science, how to communicate better when the lanes merge, and what this all means for getting to better-informed policies and programs that improve public well-being.

Harvard and Vanderbilt Professors Receive the David N. Kershaw Award and Peter H. Rossi Award

Harvard University professor David J. Deming has been selected to receive the David N. Kershaw Award and Prize for his contributions to the field of public policy analysis and management. Professor Mark W. Lipsey of Vanderbilt University has been selected to receive the Peter H. Rossi Award for contributions to the theory or practice of program evaluation. Dr. Deming and Dr. Lipsey will be honored at the 2018 APPAM Fall Research Conference in Washington, DC, this November.

Are There Hidden Costs Associated with Conducting Layoffs? The Impact of Reduction-in-Force and Layoff Notices on Teacher Effectiveness | JPAM Featured Article

Sep 07, 2018

The Great Recession of 2008 led to widespread layoffs in both the public and private sectors. While there is a literature of empirical work that shows the direct costs of such employment reductions, there is little work that examines the less obvious consequences associated with layoffs and the process through which layoffs occur. The authors show that the negative impacts of the layoff process on teacher productivity are driven by the process’ effects on teachers’ job commitment.