Penny Pritzker Sworn in as 38th U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Penny Pritzker was sworn in yesterday as the nation’s 38th Commerce Secretary. As a key member of President Obama’s economic team, Secretary Pritzker will lead the U.S. Department of Commerce in carrying out the important work that gives entrepreneurs and businesses the tools they need to create jobs and keep the American economy growing, two of the administration’s highest priorities. She will also work extensively with the business community, bringing their concerns and ideas to the forefront. “I am pleased the Senate took bipartisan action to confirm Penny Pritzker as our next Commerce Secretary,” said President Obama. “Penny is a proven leader, a successful entrepreneur, and one of the most accomplished and highly-respected women in business today. She knows what it takes to build companies from the ground up, and she shares my belief in doing everything we can to help businesses and workers succeed and make America a magnet for good jobs. Penny will be a key member of my economic team as we continue to work to grow our economy and strengthen the middle class.” Read more here.
Nomination Hearing for John Thompson
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing to examine the nomination of Mr. John Thompson to be the next director of the Census Bureau. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced Mr. Thompson and urged the Committee to support his nomination. In their opening statements, both Senators Carper and Coburn expressed their strong support for Mr. Thompson’s nomination. Senator Ayotte stated that Mr. Thompson’s credentials were “impeccable.” In his opening statement, Mr. Thompson thanked President Obama for nominating him and expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to return to the Census Bureau where he worked for 27 years. Mr. Thompson said that a strong democracy needs credible, timely data in order for policymakers to make important decisions in both the private and public sectors. Read more here.
Census Announces New Members of its National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations
The U.S. Census Bureau announced 10 new members of its National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, bringing the total membership of the committee to 32. The National Advisory Committee advises the Census Bureau on a wide range of variables that affect the cost, accuracy and implementation of Census Bureau programs and surveys, including the once-a-decade census. The committee, which is comprised of members from multiple disciplines, advises the Census Bureau on topics such as housing, children, youth, poverty, privacy, race, and ethnicity issues. Read more here.
Census 2020 Funding – Rolling Backwards
The Census Bureau is trying to wrap up its research and testing phase for 2020. The bureau had hoped to select a design framework in 2014 so it could move forward with operational and systems development; now that’s not going to happen until 2015.This year (FY2013), lawmakers cut the bureau’s budget request by 11 percent and now the House Appropriations Committee is taking another whack at the budget for Fiscal Year 2014; the Commerce, Justice, and Science subcommittee allocated just $845 million in its “committee mark”, $44 million less than current year funding. Learn more here.
Future Availability of the VirtualRDC and Social Science Gateway resources
The NSF grant funding the Social Science Gateway is coming to an end on June 30, 2013, and with that, their ability to keep funding the Social Science Gateway is greatly diminished. The Social Science Gateway served several key audiences:
Researchers using new and large synthetic data sets, such as the Quarterly Workforce Indicators (QWI). These researchers were accommodated in two ways: a straightforward way to access all QWI and OnTheMap (LODES) files via download, and access to them using statistical software on our compute servers or on the XSEDE/TeraGrid resources via our gateway.
Researchers wishing to move from their comfort zone to the XSEDE resources and back, using a remote graphical desktop to servers with fast access to the TeraGrid (then) and XSEDE (now)
Researchers wishing to prepare for access to confidential data available in the Census Research Data Centers, who found a similar environment and zero-obs datasets, allowing them to prepare and train for the Census RDC environment.
With the end of NSF Grant SES-0922005, they will no longer be able to support the first two of these audiences, but will continue to support the third option leveraging newer, lower-cost technologies. Learn more here.
Open Government is an Open Conversation
As part of its ongoing commitment to the international Open Government Partnership, the Obama Administration has committed to develop a second National Action Plan on Open Government. To accomplish this task effectively, they’ll need all-hands-on-deck. That’s why they plan to solicit and incorporate your input as they develop the National Action Plan “2.0.” They’ve already started the input-gathering process. Syracuse University Professor Tina Nabatchi of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs recently convened a “Public Participation and Open Government Workshop.” Read more here.
Setting High Standards for the Second National Action Plan
The US government is expected to deliver its second National Action Plan in October. To jumpstart discussions with the government and strengthen the quality of the second plan, OpenTheGovernment.org is coordinating a model action plan with commitments drafted by civil society. In July they will be presenting the Administration with a copy of all of the draft commitments submitted and posted on this website. The deadline for submission is July 15, 2013 for what they will present to the Administration to begin discussions with them and the agencies. Read more here.
A Smarter, More Innovative Government for the American People
One of the President’s first priorities after taking office in 2009 was to bring a government built for the 20th century into the 21st century. Over the last four years, the Administration has made great progress to advance this goal, thanks in large part to the integration of new technologies and innovations across the Administration. On July 8th, the President held a meeting with his Cabinet and senior officials to lay out his vision for building a better, smarter, faster government over the course of his second term. Read more here.
Nominate a White House Champion of Change for Civic Hacking
Public service has taken on new forms in the digital age. Today, civic hackers—innovators applying their tech skills for civic good—are empowered by open government data to build tools, apps, and services that meet public needs at the national, state, and local levels. This work could not be more important. And the Obama Administration wants to find and recognize more Americans who are rolling up their sleeves to make it happen. That’s why they are inviting you to nominate extraordinary civic hackers you know as a White House Champion of Change. Learn more here.
U.S. Housing Market Conditions Report Now an Online Resource
The U.S. Housing Market Conditions (USHMC) quarterly report, compiled by economists from HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research, has transitioned from a print report to a more user-friendly online resource. The timeliness, accessibility of data, and organization of the website is substantially improved in the new digital format. Read more here.
How Do We Know About Child Care in the U.S.?
The increase in maternal employment and desire for educational opportunities for young children has increased the need and demand for child care. The Census Bureau’s report series, Who’s Minding the Kids?, describes the number and characteristics of children in different child care arrangements and sheds light on how families balance work and family needs. Statistics like these help policy makers in both the private sector and the public answer the question, “How do we know?”. These important statistics on how America cares for its children are collected through the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Read more here.
NCES Releases New State-Level Data on the State Education Reforms Website
New state-level data on adequate yearly progress, charter school legislation, and kindergarten requirements are now available on the State Education Reforms website. The State Education Reforms website, which draws primarily on data collected by organizations other than NCES, compiles and disseminates data on state-level education reform efforts in five areas:
Accountability
Assessment and standards
Staff qualifications and development
State support for school choice and other options
Student readiness and progress through school
The “Accountability,” ”State Support for School Choice and Other Options,” and the “Student Readiness and Progress Through School” sections of the site each had one table updated. These tables can be easily located by the “Updated!” tags next to the table titles. Learn more here.
NCES Updates International Data Table Library
NCES has added 30 tables to the International Data Table Library, including new tables on school expenditure by the following criteria:
Mapping data makes statistics come to life. Viewing statistics spatially can give you a better understanding, help identify patterns, and answer tough questions about our nation. Therefore, the Census Bureau provides maps, including digital files for use in a Geographic Information System (GIS), and interactive mapping capabilities in order to visualize their statistics. Read more here.
Government Surveys: How Statisticians Protect Your Identity
Government surveys get a bad rap. Detractors cry that the surveys “pry into our daily lives.” The Founding Fathers, however, recognized the important role information can provide in tracking the development of our country. S
