Research and Development

City of San Antonio (COSA)
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
COSA Head Start Needs Assessment

This project involves gathering and presenting information about the characteristics of the population and availability of services relevant to the Head Start program in Bexar County. Specifically, it provides a detailed analysis of demographic, economic, and social characteristics of Head Start eligible children and families. Information is collected from sources such as the Census Bureau, the City of San Antonio, and the United Way and is tabulated and mapped to produce a report that allows the Head Start program to assess the needs of the community relative to services being provided.

San Antonio Life Sciences Institute (SALSI)
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
Immunization Project

This project involves research of disparities in immunization with a focus on South Texas. Childhood and adult immunization rates by race and ethnicity are compared and characteristics associated with identified disparities are identified.

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
Estimated Impact of the 2010 Census on the Texas Transit Funding Formula

The purpose of the research for Project 0-6199, Estimated Impact of the 2010 Census on the Texas Transit Funding Formula, is to project population growth for the 2010 Census in urbanized and non-urbanized areas in Texas and to identify the impacts on funding allocations using the Texas Transit Funding Formula.

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
Impacts of Current and Future Demographic Change on Transportation Planning in Texas

Improve TxDOT planning by examining the broad implications of demographic change for Texas' transportation system and TxDOT, reviewing the demographic data use and needs for transportation analysis, and developing easy to use demographic data sets.

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
One-Stop Demographic Analysis Tool

The One-Stop Demographic Data Analysis Tool was designed to provide users quick and easy access to general demographic information for Texas counties, places, Census Tracts, Urbanized Areas, and TxDOT districts and serves as a starting point for reporting and general trend analysis. The web application includes selected data items from the 2000 Census, 2010 Census; 2006-2010 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Summary File; 2011 population estimates and population projections to 2050 from the Texas State Data Center; and vehicle miles traveled, state road network, and vehicle registration data from TxDOT. Reports can be generated on a variety of demographic topics for one or multiple, aggregated user-defined geographies available. Comparison reports can be generated for up to 5 user-defined areas.

Project Website
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT); Texas Transportation Institute (TTI)
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
Filling the Transit Gaps: Unserved Urbanized Area Populations

Federal and state funding is largely distributed based upon federally defined geographic areas - urbanized areas or rural (non-urbanized) areas. For urban transit districts, the funding is based upon characteristics of the entire urbanized area. However, the service area boundary for transit providers in urbanized areas often does not match the urbanized area boundary, leaving a portion of the urbanized area without a designated transit provider. The unserved area is referred to as an urban gap. This research estimates the magnitude and characteristics of individuals in urban gaps in all urbanized areas in Texas based upon both the 2000 Census and a projection of the 2010 Census. The research then presents case studies on a variety of approaches that are being used in Texas to fund and operate transit service to urban gap populations.

Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
Estimated Allocation Factors for Local Workforce Development Areas (WDA)

Produce annual estimates of 12 socioeconomic factors for the Texas Workforce Commission. The factors estimated are: Children Under 13 With Working Parents and Below Federal Poverty Income Limits; Children Under 13 With Working Parents and Below 0.85 State Median Income; Children Under 5; Children Under 13; Population Under Poverty Level; Children Under Age 13 and in Families Below 150% of Poverty; Disadvantaged Adults (Ages 22-64); Disadvantaged Youths (Ages 16-21); Farmer-Rancher Economic Hardship; Civilian Labor Force 16-21 Years Old; Civilian Labor Force 16-19 Years Old; and, Veterans in the Civilian Labor Force 18-64 Years Old. The 12 factors are estimated at the county level and for the State's 28 Local Workforce Development Areas. These estimates are used to allocate Federal block grant funding for the following workforce development program areas: subsidized child care; the child care and development fund; the Workforce Investment Act; dislocated workers; youth services; and, the Veteran's Employment and Training Program. Two of the estimates, Children Under 5 and Children Under 13, are derived directly from the Texas State Data Center's population estimates. The Farmer-Rancher Economic Hardship Factor is estimated using data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The remainder of the block grant estimations involves two steps: first, baseline rates are developed; and, second, the baseline rates are applied to the population estimates produced by the Texas State Data Center. The primary data source for the baseline rates is the Census Bureau's 5-Year American Community Survey. Ongoing aspects of the estimations include: the investigation of data aggregation and other techniques to minimize the margins of error in the American Community Survey; and, the review of issues related to the use of ACS in formula funding.

Texas Workforce Investment Council; Office of the Governor
Active (End Date: 08/31/2019)
Estimating and Projecting the Need for Adult Basic Education

According to the 1998 Workforce Investment Act, Title II, Section 203(1) individuals meeting the following criteria are eligible for adult basic education services: at least 16 years old, not enrolled in secondary school, and lack basic educational skills to function effectively in society, do not have a secondary diploma or equivalency, or are unable to speak, read, or write English. This research estimates and projects the population in need of adult basic education services in Texas. Projections were provided by age, sex, race, Hispanic ethnicity, and nativity at the State and local workforce development area levels. The evaluation portion addressed five Adult Basic Education (ABE) questions raised by the Governor's Office: (1) What defines the population in need of ABE? (2) How does English language literacy relate to the need for ABE in Texas? (3) What data are available to estimate the population in need of ABE? (4) What is the geographic distribution of the need for ABE in Texas? (5) What are the appropriate data and methods needed to project the future need for ABE? The population in need of Adult Basic Education services is most easily defined and measured using surrogate or self-reported indicators such as English-proficiency and educational attainment. In contrast, functional assessments of literacy represent the most accurate indicators of the need for ABE services but are costly to administer. English Nonliteracy is an estimator that can be used to estimate either the need for general ABE services or as a separate need that is distinct from educational literacy. Which approach is better depends on how one chooses to define literacy and the relationships between English fluency and indicators of educational literacy. In terms of currency and precision, the American Community Survey (ACS) is the best available data set for the estimation of small-area literacy in Texas. ACS contains the majority of the sociodemographic factors used in the background questionnaire of the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL). The ACS also has the sociodemographic indicators used in the NAAL's model-based estimates of county-level literacy. However, an exact replication of the NAAL's direct measurements of functional literacy is not possible with the ACS or any other small-area data sets.