How to Strengthen K-12 Mathematics Education in Massachusetts [PDF file]
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. Scaling Up Educational Innovation [PDF file]
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. Additional Reforms for the Governor’s Accelerated Bridge Repair Proposal [PDF file]
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. Learning from Springfield [PDF file]
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 New Business Creation and The Urban Economy [PDF file]
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. Shades of Green [PDF file]
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. Unemployment Insurance in Massachusetts [PDF file]
Burdening Businesses and Hurting Job Creation
Author(s): John O’Leary and Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2008-01-16
Category: Better Government
Abstract: High unemployment insurance taxes deter job creation and burden
Massachusetts businesses. The current system also subsidizes certain
workers and business sectors, at the expense of most Massachusetts
workers and companies. Pioneer’s October 2006 report, Measuring Up:
The Cost of Doing Business in Massachusetts, cited unemployment
insurance (UI) costs as a key competitive disadvantage for
Massachusetts compared to other states. Between 2003 and 2005,
the average UI taxes paid by a typical Massachusetts company almost
doubled. MyFloridaMarketPlace [PDF file]
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. Reducing Unnecessary Institutionalization of Senior Citizens [PDF file]
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. Extending the Stat Model Across the Commonwealth [PDF file]
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. Repair, Replacement, Renovation and Maintenance Program [PDF file]
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. Transforming Urban School Districts through Choice [PDF file]
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 students,
not just the small segment of the population fortunate enough to win an
enrollment lottery or afford a private school. Fixing Maintenance in Massachusetts [PDF file]
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. The Charter Agencies Initiative [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 1 2007
Author(s): Jim Chrisinger — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Iowa’s Charter Agencies Initiative, originally developed by the Public
Strategies Group, a Minnesota-based government-consulting firm, is one
in a series of programs implemented by Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to address
the ballooning state budget. The program stresses increased efficiency,
reduced costs, and greater freedom for state agencies (and the Governor’s
office) to offer better value to Iowa’s citizens. The Performance Bonus Pay Program [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 2 2007
Author(s): — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Governing magazine’s July 2003 cover story was entitled “Who’s Afraid of
the DMV: For Most People, Motor Vehicle Offices are the Face of
Government. It’s Not a Pretty Face.” Most motor vehicle departments
project an image of bureaucratic lethargy. By improving their performance
and efficiency, they could better serve customers and improve the
government’s public image. The Building Permitting Automation Efficiency Program [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 3 2007
Author(s): — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Buildings in Florida’s Miami-Dade County typically fill up as quickly as
they can be built. Between glimmering high-rise towers for vacationers or
retirees, banks and offices that serve as the nerve centers of Miami’s southward-
looking economy, or schools and public buildings to support a growing
population, South Florida has the look of a perpetual hard-hat zone. This
steady pace of needed construction is maintained by an innovative building
department and its Building Permitting Automation Efficiency Program. The Wetlands Banking Program [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 4 2007
Author(s): John DeVillars — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: In spite of stringent federal, state and local wetlands regulations in
Massachusetts, too many fragile ecosystems are still threatened by
development. A primary reason for this is that the Commonwealth’s
wetlands mitigation regulations are poorly designed, difficult to implement
and costly to regulate. In many permitting situations a new, privatized
approach to mitigation—wetlands banking—could help ensure that our
wetlands are more fully and cost-effectively protected and restored. A Reform of Wetlands Regulations [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 5 2007
Author(s): Kurt Gaertner — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The cost of housing in Massachusetts absorbs too much of the average
resident’s income and drives people and businesses out of the state. According
to recent research studies, the problem is not a lack of land but an excess
of regulation. I propose a concrete and politically palatable policy reform to
ensure that septic and wetland regulations are used to protect the environment
and public health. This reform would remove the temptation for towns
to misuse these rules to discourage development. A Reform of Workers’ Compensation Insurance [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 6 2007
Author(s): — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents has implemented
numerous reforms that have improved the safety of workplaces throughout
the state since Governor Mitt Romney’s election in 2002. In the process,
the DIA has reduced the number companies that do not adhere to the state’s
worker compensation laws. The Bid-to-Goal Program [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 7 2007
Author(s): — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Bid-to-Goal is a program originally developed by the City of San Diego’s
Metropolitan Wastewater Department (MWWD), in conjunction with
consulting firm Henningson, Durham and Richardson (HDR), in 1997 as
an “optimization strategy” to more cost-effectively implement large public
works initiatives. By means of a binding pact between the city and public
sector employees, the MWWD had hoped to create a hybrid dynamic that
incorporates the most desirable features of both public and private sector
contracting. Consolidating Off-Road Vehicle Registration [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 8 2007
Author(s): — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Massachusetts suffers from a wastefully duplicative system for registering
motor vehicles. There are separate registration sites and bureaucracies
for on-road and off-road vehicles. The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV)
registers cars, busses, trucks, motorcycles and all other on-road vehicles.
The Executive Office of Environmental Affairs’ (EOEA) Registration and
Titling Bureau registers off-road vehicles—boats, snowmobiles and all terrain
vehicles (ATVs). GPS for State Contractors [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 12 2007
Author(s): Massachusetts Highway Department — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The Massachusetts Highway Department, or MassHighway, solved a longstanding management problem by using technology in an innovative way. Contractors who work for MassHighway, such as snowplow operators,
are now assigned GPS-enabled cell phones so that managers can track where and when work is being done. This capability ensures that workers, equipment and budget dollars are used efficiently. The Cash Incentive Safety Initiative [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 9 2007
Author(s): Eric Honeyfield — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The City of Gallup, NM, like many governmental bodies that employ field
crews, suffered from an ever-increasing number of worker’s compensation
claims and associated annual increases in worker’s compensation insurance
premiums. The implementation of the Cash Incentive Safety Initiative has
both improved the health of employees and reduced costs associated with
absent and injured workers. As explained below, there is real potential for
similar programs to benefit municipal and state governments nationwide. The Electronic Grants System for Education [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 10 2007
Author(s): Michigan Department of Education — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The Michigan Electronic Grants System (MEGS) is an initiative that permits online education grant applications to feed directly into the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) system. By removing a
time-consuming step from the application process, MEGS has improved performance and slashed administrative costs without any additional state funds. A similar program could benefit both the Massachusetts Department of Education (DOE) and the grant applicants who hope to put state funds to
work. The Estuaries Project [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 11 2007
Author(s): — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The Massachusetts Estuaries Project, through the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth School of Marine Science and Technology
(SMAST), supports the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in the development and implementation of policies to protect nitrogen-sensitive coastal embayments. The Project collects data
and develops models to manage and restore the 89 embayment systems that comprise the coastline of southeastern Massachusetts. The Project encompasses new technologies, regulatory approaches and funding mechanisms to reduce the costs of conducting estuarine restoration. The Clinical Performance Improvement Initiative [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 13 2007
Author(s): Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission (GIC) has embarked on a groundbreaking plan to control costs, improve healthcare quality, and promote cost-efficiency. Labeled the Clinical Performance Improvement
(CPI) Initiative, this multi-year effort has the potential to save the Commonwealth and its enrollees tens of millions of dollars, while improving the quality of care. The HousingWorks Affordable Housing Website [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 14 2007
Author(s): HousingWorks Corporation — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: While organized, searchable Internet listings have become an integral part of the market-rate home buying process, such tools are typically not used to help homeless or low-income families find suitable housing in
Massachusetts. HousingWorks, a Massachusetts corporation, uses these technologies to match those in need with affordable housing units. It provides a central database for those who provide affordable housing, and
for those who need it. The EZ-ID License Plate Program [PDF file]
Roe Paper No. 15 2007
Author(s): Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles — Publication date: 2007-07-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: The EZ-ID License Plate Program offers a unique reform to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) license plate system.
The program is designed to make motor vehicle license plates more easily recognizable for law enforcement purposes. It incorporates an easily recognizable symbol such as a circle, square, triangle, heart, diamond or star into the registration number itself. The program would be mandatory for all general issue plates, but would exempt specialty, vanity, and low number license plates as these are already more easily recognizable. Typically,
three of the symbols would be standard issue for the general public, and three symbols would be considered optional. The Commonwealth would generate new incremental revenues from the sale of optional symbols and low-number-plus-symbol vanity plates. As the program matures, the RMV would be capable of adding new symbols for both standard and optional plates. Scaling Up Educational Accountability and Innovation [PDF file]
Author(s): Jamie Gass — Publication date: 2007-04-25
Category: Education
Abstract: "As the Administration prepares a major shake-up of state education policy, one crucial question must be addressed: Will the Governor’s proposals ensure that our urban schoolchildren have a brighter future, or will the achievement gap persist for yet another generation?
Performance in many suburban schools has improved since the 1993 Education Reform Act, but for the nearly 100,000 students trapped in the Commonwealth’s lowest-performing school districts, the promise of reform is unfulfilled. In a provocative new Pioneer Institute policy brief, entitled Scaling Up Accountability and Innovation, Center for School Reform Director Jamie Gass argues that our education reforms have not gone far or deep enough to address the failure of too many inner-city schools."
Beyond the Gas Tax [PDF file]
Defining Transportation Needs, Emphasizing Economic Growth, and Maintaining Our Assets.
Author(s): Steve Poftak — Publication date: 2006-10-13
Category: Better Government
Abstract: A new Pioneer policy brief calls the recent furor over the gas tax a “distraction” from the important work of determining the state’s transportation needs. It calls for any decision to seek new revenues to be driven by an integrated transportation plan that emphasizes maintenance and economic growth. Leasing the MassPike to Private Operators [PDF file]
Author(s): Ted Bunker — Publication date: 2005-05-01
Category: Better Government
Abstract: Transportation policy in Massachusetts in recent months has centered on how best
to manage the Massachusetts Turnpike’s 138 miles of toll road, tunnels and Boston’s
newly submerged central artery. Governor Mitt Romney wants to merge the Turnpike into
MassHighway to cut costs and improve management accountability. Turnpike officials
argue that an independent authority can better oversee MassPike’s roads, bridges and
tunnels. Framing the Debate [PDF file]
The Case for Studying School Vouchers
Author(s): Kit Nichols — Publication date: 2004-03-01
Category: Education
Abstract: This Pioneer Institute report is an overview of why public scholarship vouchers may be the appropriate next step in urban school reform. Convention Wisdom Revisited: Boston Convention Center Projections [PDF file]
Author(s): — Publication date: 2001-03-01
Category: Economic Opportunity
Abstract: An analysis of the latest trends in the convention and tradeshow industry showing deterioriation in the market for convention centers since earlier Pioneer studies on the issue
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