The University of Chicago Urban Education Lab, Crime Lab, and Match Education announced today that up to 1,000 adolescent boys in twelve schools in the Chicago Public School system will be provided high dosage, individualized daily math tutoring in their regular school day as part of a program designed to boost school performance and reduce violent crime involvement. The program will begin serving youth in the fall of 2013 and will focus on schools in some of the citys most distressed and disadvantaged communities.

With support from the MacArthur Foundation and the University of Chicago, the program will be implemented in a way that will support the most rigorous possible evaluation, akin to a randomized controlled trial that provides the gold standard evidence in medicine, with the intent of guiding education policy efforts in Chicago and across the country.

“With critical mentoring and tutoring and proven results, Match builds on the City’s investment in the Becoming A Man program and is putting some of our most vulnerable youth on a path to a brighter future, said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. We all have a role to play in ensuring their safety and growth and I am committed to investing in more programs that not only provide safe alternatives but also give our youth the tools and opportunity they deserve to succeed.”

Initial findings from a pilot program this year at Harper High School in Chicagos Englewood neighborhood support the hypothesis that Becoming A Man (BAM), a group counseling intervention developed by local social service agency Youth Guidance and previously evaluated by the University of Chicago Crime Lab, and Match-style tutoring together can dramatically reduce the risk of violence involvement for youth in some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago:

After just six weeks working with youth (November 2012 January 2013), the combination of BAM and Match-style tutoring together reduced the rate at which students receive misconducts in their schools by 67 percent and reduced course failures by 37 percent, and reduced expected violent crime arrest rates over the next one to two years by over 50 percent.
The combination of the two programs BAM plus Match-style tutoring yields much greater impact than delivering the BAM program alone.

The combination of gold standard evidence and exceptional implementation capacity is rare and that is precisely what the Urban Education Lab and Match bring to Chicago. I am enormously enthusiastic about the potential to make a difference for 1,000 young men in Chicago, and do it in a way that will influence policy and practice nationwide, said Timothy F.C. Knowles, John Dewey Director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute.

The research team at the Urban Education Lab is world-class, and Match is eager to submit the tutoring work well do on behalf of the students in the Chicago Public Schools to their evaluation, said Stig Leschly, CEO of Match Education.

We know from the Crime Labs previous research BAM helps get students more engaged in school, but unfortunately too many middle and high school students are so far behind grade level that they need intensive academic help to catch up and be able to engage with regular classroom instruction. Match was the most promising program we could find that has a chance of doing that. We need kids to have a real hope of getting a high school diploma if we want to sustain the effects of BAM on youth violence, said Jens Ludwig, Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab and Co-Director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Lab.

Based on the Match tutoring programs previous success in urban public schools, we are excited to work with the University of Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools to help youth in Chicago. We believe this intervention program could be a guide for other cities, said Alan P.G. Safran, President of Match Education Tutors in Boston. Safran, formerly Deputy Commissioner of Education in Massachusetts and longtime Executive Director of Match Schools in Boston, was the spokesman for Illinois U.S. Senator Charles Percys Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington, D.C., in the early 1980s.

The Match tutoring program was developed in 2004 at the Match public charter schools in Boston, where math tutoring is incorporated as a period in the school day. Trained, professional tutors each work with one to three students at a time as part of the regular school day. Since then, the Lawrence (Massachusetts) Public Schools; the Houston Independent School District, as part of the Apollo 20 project; and Denver Public Schools have begun to replicate the Match tutoring model. Evaluated by Harvard economist Roland Fryer, the tutoring in Houston was found to have a significant effect, equating to between two and four years of math growth for the students.

In Chicago, the program will be provided alongside the BAM program. Match tutoring will be provided as part of the school day and students will receive course credit for participating in the tutoring program. Match is recruiting recent college graduates, mid-career switchers, and retirees to tutor in Chicago, and will also hire staff on the ground to provide program leadership and oversight. Each tutor will work with two students at a time during six school periods across two schools, with a tutor caseload of 12 students throughout the school year. The University of Chicago will evaluate the performance of Matchs impact on student academic performance as well as reducing violent crime involvement.

As a result of the pilot program at Harper, teachers said that students receiving tutoring were able to perform better in algebra because the gaps in their understanding of math were overcome by the individualized attention, which included intensive work on specific concepts. Students taking part in the program also said the tutoring made them feel more satisfied with their school work.

I missed a lot of assignments and my tutor helped me catch up. She also explains math to me to help me understand the problems. Now I am getting an A in algebra. That makes me feel like Ive accomplished something important, said Harper freshman Keivonte Nichols.

About University of Chicago Urban Education Lab

The University of Chicago Urban Education Lab (UEL), part of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute (UEI), is devoted to partnering with local, state and federal government agencies to carry out randomized education-policy experiments and other rigorous research studies aimed at improving education policy and outcomes for youth in urban schools. The UEL is a virtual network of 43 leading education policy experts in their respective fields from top research universities across the nation, assembled with the goal of answering education policy questions using gold-standard evidence derived from randomized controlled trials of the sort common in medicine.

About University of Chicago Crime Lab

The University of Chicago Crime Lab was launched in 2008 to help make progress in reducing crime, violence and related problems by partnering with local government agencies, non-profits and faith-based organizations to identify the highest priorities of policymakers and practitioners, subject them to gold-standard randomized experimental tests, calculate returns on investment, and disseminate the findings widely to the policymaking community nationwide. To carry out this goal the Crime Lab has assembled a network of over 25 leading experts at universities around the country such as Harvard, Yale, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, Temple, NYU and the University of Chicago.

About Match Education

Match Education is widely recognized as an engine of innovation in public education. Match operates three high-performing Boston public

On May 2, 2013, collection services agency Rapid Recovery Solution discusses the best ways to use a tax refund.

Last year, taxpayers were able to receive an average of $ 3,000 in refunds, according to recent reports. One question that looms large over taxpayers minds is what to do with the money. Financial planners say most people opt to spend it and treat it as gravy. Martha Ferrari, a financial advisor, observes, I find most clients treat tax refunds as ‘found money’ and use it for ‘wants,’ not ‘needs. She recommends spending half the refund and saving the other half.

The Wall Street Journal outlines five recommendations to adhere to when deciding what to do with the refund money.

1. Pay off your credit cards: Paying down high interest debt is the equivalent of earning an interest rate, risk free. According to the Federal Reserve, consumers owe over $ 848 billion in personal credits and due to that, the average credit card is charged 12% interest.

2. Take a Course: Invest in learning a new skill by taking a course. This will increase your knowledge base and potential for employment. The unemployment rate for those with a bachelors degree or higher is 3.8% and for those who never finished high school it is 11%.

3. Increase your 401(k) contribution: A dollar invested in a retirement plan can have double or triple the effect later on, especially with employers offering matching contributions. According to a survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, Fewer than half of workers over the age of 45 are confident they have saved enough for retirement. With longer lifespans, and increasing medical costs, social security is being squeezed out as less money can go around to more people. The Boston College Center for Retirement Research reported from a study that, just 6.7% of eligible workers contribute the maximum amount possible to their 401(k) plan.

4. Pay down your mortgage: Many people can use the tax refund to pay down their mortgage. According to the Commerce Department, The average homeowners are paying 4.9% on their mortgage. This may not be the best option for everyone, though, says the Wall Street Journal: Some of those have less-than-perfect credit scores. Others live in areas hit by the housing crash, where troubled banks are now more reluctant to lend. Still others have loans left over from times when interest rates were higher. Refinancing may not be worth it, even if possible: The fees may be too high.

5. Gamble on… Italy: If you find yourself scratching your head asking what to do with the refund, says the article, try investing in the Italian stock market. Contrary to popular opinion, Italy’s woes are exaggerated. Italian households are in good financial shape, note economists. National savings rates are higher than most countries, and debt levels lower. Stocks are inexpensive on many metrics.

John Monderine, CEO of collection services agency Rapid Recovery Solution, says that in the current economic climate, fewer people are inclined to treat their refund as a free windfall and spend it frivolously. Therefore many people are now faced with the choice of investing the money, saving it, or using it to pay off debt. Which option is best varies from consumer to consumer it depends on what kinds of debt have been accrued and what the debtor plans to do with his or her personal savings. I like the idea of taking a course, but many people I know wouldnt have the luxury of taking this option.

Monderine says individuals should figure out some of their financial particulars in order to assess the best plan. Check your credit report and score. Figure out what interest rate youre paying on any debts the higher the rate, the more you gain by making it a priority to pay them off. Figure out what kind of return you can expect from any savings you are able to accrue. A recent survey showed that almost half of the taxpayers receiving a refund in 2013 planned to use it for debt payoffs, while about a third were using it for savings that shows where the line falls for most people. Remember, paying down debts is good for your credit score, and a good score puts you in a better position to save.

Founded in 2006, Rapid Recovery Solution, Inc. is headquartered at the highest point of beautiful Long Island. Rapid Recovery Collection Agency is committed to recovering your funds. We believe that every debtor has the ability to pay if motivated correctly. We DO NOT alienate the debtors; we attempt to align with them and offer a number of ways to resolve not only your debt but also all their debts.

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Just over ten years ago Alice Atanbo benefited from one of the projects money for Oxfam work implemented in the area.

With the amount received, decided to buy some basic products such as sugar, flour and milk and sold in his establishment, which now supplies the community of Milima Tatu.

The family’s livestock have died from drought but she and her eight children have survived thanks to the income of the shop.

Alice also acts as an exchange agent for Oxfam. The sacks of food supplies arrive at her establishment, where beneficiaries with food vouchers go to pick up their supplies.

"It all began when I decided to invest a small amount, which Oxfam had given me when I participated in a cash-for-work project, to buy products like milk, flour, and sugar. As soon as people found out they could buy their basic food supplies in my shop, they started coming from all around. And over time, I’ve been able to go back and ask for more credit and increase my supplies. Now, in addition to that, I receive food for free distribution, and the most needy families come to pick it up at my shop,” Alice explains.

Oxfam’s humanitarian response is aiming to reach approximately three million people across Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.

Donate now to Oxfam’s East Africa Food Crisis Appeal

More photos Turkana, Kenya: five years without rain

Photo: Irina Fuhrmann/Intermón Oxfam (10 Aug 2011)

Chief Market Analyst Wayne S. Kaufman talks about on the John Thomas Financial blog Investors Growing Nervous Ahead of Earnings Season. Investors seem to be growing concerned as stock volatility increases due to hints of a potential slowdown in the economic recovery and tension regarding North Korea.

After a terrific first quarter that saw the S&P 500 gain 10.03% investors may believe the second quarter of 2013 cant show strong gains. John Thomas Financial would like to point out that in the current bull market we have had backtoback double digit quarterly gains in Q4 2011 and Q1 2012,Q3 and Q4 of 2010, and Q2 and Q3 of 2009.

In data going back to 1980 the S&P 500 has had doubledigit gains in a quarter nineteen times prior to this. Following these strong quarters the next quarter was only negative three times, with the worst loss a drop of 3.29% in Q2 2012, and that was after two consecutive quarters with doubledigit gains. The other two times the losses were negligible at 1.08% and 0.06%. The conclusion issimple. Based on historical data strong quarters are just notfollowed by very weak ones, as can be seen in the table below.

Read The Full Article from the John Thomas Financial

To download the PDF

John Thomas Financial is not permabulls and will react to what the market tells us. The upcoming earnings season will tell investors if they should stay the course or if the longawaited correction is here. Until then John Thomas Financia will remain bullish longerterm due to an improving (too slowly, but improving nonetheless) economy, attractive equity valuations, the very positive breadth of the recent market action, and the globally synchronized program of asset purchases by central banks. If first quarter earnings season is nearly as positive as fourth quarter was, with nearly 69% of the S&P 500 beating estimates,thatshould calmthe nerves ofinvestors.

I, Wayne S. Kaufman, hereby certify that all of the views expressed in this research report accurately reflect my personal views about any and all of the subject issuer(s) or securities. I also certify that no part of my compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendation(s) or view(s) in this report.

About John Thomas Financial:

John Thomas Financial, a member of FINRA and SIPC, is an independent broker-dealer and investment banking firm headquartered in New York City’s Wall Street district. Emphasizing a client-centric approach to managing all aspects of its business, John Thomas Financial and its affiliates offer a full complement of retail brokerage, private wealth management, and corporate advisory services tailored to the unique needs of its clients. The firm publishes the Fiscal Liquidity Index, a unique daily indicator that looks at government spending and its impact on the financial markets, The Kaufman Report, a weekly technical stock market analysis, and The John Thomas Financial Economic Outlook, a report analyzing consumer sentiment, market outlook, credit cycles and dozens of other market influences.

For timely insights, news, and commentary on economics and financial markets, visit the John Thomas Financial Blog or join the John Thomas Financial community on Twitter and Facebook.

Important Disclosures:

The information provided in this publication is for informational purposes only. Investors should consider this report as only a single factor in making their investment decision. This informational report is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security. This report has been prepared as a matter of general information. It is not intended to be a complete description of any company, and is not an offer to buy or sell any security. All facts and statistics are from sources believed to be reliable, but are not guaranteed as to accuracy. Before acting on the materials herein, you should consider whether it is suitable for you particular circumstances and, if necessary seek professional advice investments involve risk and an investor may incur losses. Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Trading and investment decisions are the sole responsibility of the reader.

By Wayne S. Kaufamn

World Financial Symposiums 10th Annual Growth & Exit Strategies conference will be in London on 16 April (9.00am-17.30). The conference brings together leaders from the financial community with the owners and senior executives of technology companies, to look at how to maximize enterprise value and which exit and/or growth options are best in the current environment. It addresses, private equity funding, debt, IPO, valuations, M&A for both exit and expansion purposes, and other related topics. The conference provides the latest insights on how to build a leading enterprise in this sector and extensive opportunity to network.

J.R. Smith, CEO of AVG Technologies, a provider of cutting edge security technologies will present a keynote and give insight into the strategy behind AVGs approach to both organic and inorganic expansion and what he has learned while developing an international business.

The second keynote is from Arkadiy Dobkin, CEO and Co-Founder of EPAM Systems. Mr. Dobkin has grown US-based EPAM Systems into one of the worlds leading software development outsourcing services companies. Mr. Dobkin will explain how EPAM has become an international success with an almost $ 1B market cap and some of the challenges of going global.

2013 has started off fast for tech companies and to successfully execute a Growth and Exit Strategy many questions need to be considered.

????Why is a global focus a requirement in your 2013 strategy
????Who are the new leading global investors in European tech and what attracts them?
????Why are US private equity firms flocking to Europe?
????What is the status of venture capital in Europe?
????Where are valuations heading in 2013?
????Is the tech IPO really making a comeback?
????What are the top 10 M&A deal disasters & how to avoid them?
????What are the 10 steps to an optimal outcome in a trade sale?

To help answer these questions and many more we have brought together an illustrious group of speakers for this one day event.

Speakers and Panelists include:

Pekka Santeri M?ki, Managing Partner 3TS Capital
Anne Glover, Chief Executive Amadeus Capital Partners Ltd.
Uwe Schmid, CEO A+W Software AG (sold to Constellation Software)
*Tony Roy, President of EMEA- Careerbuilder

*Frederic Rombaut, Head of Acquisitions & Investments, International- Cisco Systems

Jon Scott, Senior Vice President Corum Group
Marcus Stuttard, Head of AIM & Business Development London Stock Exchange
Isabella Schidrich, Senior Managing Director NASDAQ OMX
*Chris Winter, Partner- New Venture Partners LLC.

Luke Hakes, Principal Octopus Investments
Ross McKean, Partner Olswang
Nat Burgess, President Corum Group
Ricardo Caupers, Partner Palamon Capital Partners
Jass Sarai, Partner & UK Technology Leader PwC
Martin Scott, Partner Riverside Europe Partners
Carlos Eduardo, Partner Seedcamp
Ian Brotherston, CEO Qype (sold to Yelp Inc.) and many more

Dont miss this great opportunity to attend this unique and highly successful one day event.

For more information and to register http://www.worldfinancialsymposiums.com/wfs-london-2013


About World Financial Symposiums (WFS)

WFS is an international organization dedicated to educating technology leaders and encouraging deal flow among key industry colleagues. As a networking facilitator, World Financial Symposiums organizes and promotes forums, seminars and conferences; drawing over 1000 senior deal makers including CEOs, CFOs, corporate investors and other deal participants from software and IT industries worldwide to dozens of events over the past decade.

Inside the SEC's New Social Media Guidance
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Tony and Marilou Soria were just featured in Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine. Although Tony and Marilou Soria immigrated from the Philippines to Calgary in 1999, they didnt buy their first Canadian property until 2007, which is when they met Tom and Nick Karadza, Founders of Rock Star Inner Circle & Rock Star Real Estate Brokerage. Once the Sorias got started, however, they kept their eye on the real estate prize, and today the couple owns a dozen properties.

One of the reasons that the Sorias decided to invest in property through a group such as Rock Star Real Estate Brokerage, rather than navigating the market on their own, was the ability to access expert advice in crafting a proven investment strategy, so they could replicate it successfully a number of times. Tom and Nick at Rock Star have created a process that is repeatable, so you dont have to re-invent the wheel, Tony explains. Theyve also created an environment where you can talk to the other active investors in the group. Like when we were just starting out, we listened to other investors and asked a lot of questions from Jason, another savvy investor in our group.

Their first foray into Canadian real estate was a success, delivering positive cash flow profits of several hundred dollars per month. So Tony and Marilou invested again, and again, and again to the point where they today hold 12 properties in their investment portfolio.

Combined, their properties funnel close to $ 20,000 into their bank account each month. Even after mortgages are paid, the couple profits thousands of dollars free and clear each month. The secret to their success in choosing profitable locations has been investing in good neighborhoods, in areas where there are many jobs available, Tony says.

Sitting down and listening to real estate gurus is good but with no real life experience, implementing the information on your own can be tough. Thats why we believe that surrounding ourselves with professionals from mortgage brokers and accountants through to lawyers and investing coaches who know real estate transactions back to front, is so important, Tony says. Being part of a system that actually invests in real estate has been the reason why weve been successful. And if Marilou and I can do this, you can do this too.

About Tom and Nick Karadza from Rock Star Realty Brokerage

Tom Karadza quit his job as a Software Sales Manager at NetSuite Inc. as it was going public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), to be a full time real estate entrepreneur and investor.

Nick Karadza also quit his job at a Fortune 500 software company, Oracle Corporation, to give real estate 100% of his focus. He began investing at the age of 21 by successfully buying, renovating, and selling a home for profit in only 3 months.

Tom and Nick are real estate professionals that are focused on helping real estate investors in the Greater Toronto Area create income for life. Tom & Nick are active real estate investors themselves, and are both registrants with the Real Estate Council of Ontario, and the founders of Rock Star Real Estate Inc. in Oakville, Ontario.

They have been featured in national media such as the National Post, Canadian Real Estate Magazine, the Business News Network, and numerous local publications as well.

Together, Tom and Nick have worked with over 1,000 real estate investors acquiring over 290 million dollars of investment real estate to implement these profitable investing strategies across southern Ontario.

Rock Star Real Estate

Tom Karadza

Tom (at) RockStarBrokerage (dot) com

(905) 338-6964

http://www.RockStarInnerCircle.com

“Tom and Nick Karadza are proud to support The H.O.M.E. Foundation”

About The H.O.M.E. Foundation:

The Helping Others Means Everything, or The H.O.M.E. Foundation, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping our Family of Charities. Frankie Verdugo, President of The HOME Foundation, wants to help as many worthy charities as possible as they struggle during these tough economic times. Frankie Verdugo helps raise funds through luxury dream home raffles, home giveaways, prizes, and high profile celebrity events in Hollywood… “Our mission is to help charities reach their fundraising goals and to bring awareness to their praiseworthy causes.”