CLOSUP publications

Over the recent years, many studies have attempted to shed light on the negative impacts and gaps of exclusionary discipline practices within Michigan schools. Research shows that students who face suspension and expulsion are as much as 10 times...

This report presents the views of Michigan’s local government officials regarding poverty and economic hardship among residents in their jurisdiction, as well as assessments of unmet needs for particular services and resources. In addition, the...

Growing up people often spend time dreaming of their perfect home, in hopes that one day if they work hard enough and put enough money aside, that their dream will become a reality. A perfect home where one can raise their children and grow old in,...

Only one in two Michigan 3rd graders were proficient in reading at the end of 2015, according to the M-STEP, and this number is only decreasing (EdTrust Midwest, 2017). The MSTEP is the Michigan Student Test of Education Assessment, an annual...

The processes driving neighborhood change have been of persistent interest to social scientists for decades. While researchers have developed many theories of how neighborhoods change over time – from ecological models of invasion-succession to...

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding the state of public discourse in their communities, including how constructive or divisive it is among citizens, between citizens and elected officials, and among the...

This report presents information from Michigan's local government officials regarding the status of medical marijuana facilities in their jurisdictions as of spring 2018, as well as officials’ opinions on the impacts of medical marijuana on local...

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders on local housing issues, including current housing capacity and condition in their community, local government policies that may hinder or help new renovation and construction,...

This report presents the opinions of Michigan's local government leaders on issues related to land use planning and zoning, including use of master plans and capital improvements plans (CIPs), staff or external contractors associated with planning...

In recent years, food policy in the U.S. has begun to address some of the implications of the industrialization of agriculture and the lack of food security. As it expands to include more voices and overlapping interests, the potential for...

The connection of food systems to the urban environment cannot be ignored as cities require outside production to provide the bulk of resources needed to sustain their residents’ physical, social, and economic needs. Literature suggests that food...

An epidemic has silently swept across America with no regard for race, location, or socioeconomic status. The recent opiate epidemic, characterized by the sudden surge in usage among Americans, is considered the most fatal drug crisis recorded in...

It seems strange, that of all the cities, towns, and communities across America, Kalamazoo, Michigan would be chosen to make history in education. The relatively small city with the funny name, famous for innovations in the pharmaceutical field and...

Education has become a key component of the dialogue surrounding the revitalization of Detroit and the economic progress of Michigan. A lot can be said, and has been said, about Michigan’s K-12 education system. Another important aspect is tertiary...

Michigan has long been on the forefront on implementing charter schools. A charter school, sometimes referred to as a public school academy, is a state-funded public school under the state constitution that is operated “under a charter contract...

This report presents Michigan local government leaders’ opinions regarding the state’s “right-to-work” legislation, enacted in December 2012 for both private sector (Public Act 348) and public sector unions (Public Act 349). The findings in this...

This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding their trust in the federal, state, and other local governments, based on statewide surveys conducted in the Spring 2013 and Spring 2009 waves of the Michigan Public...

This is the second of several reports on the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding citizen engagement in their jurisdictions. This report presents the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding their governments’...

This is the first of several reports on the opinions of Michigan’s local government leaders regarding citizen engagement in their jurisdictions. This report focuses on the levels of trust local officials feel toward their citizens as responsible...

This paper examines affordable housing developments supported by the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program and how they have contributed to neighborhood redevelopment in the city of Detroit. For cities like Detroit that have long suffered...

The nation's largest charter management organization is the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP). KIPP schools are emblematic of the No Excuses approach to public education, a highly standardized and widely replicated charter model that features a long...

On April 20, 2006, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm signed into law the Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) establishing some of the most ambitious core graduation requirements in the nation. The curriculum requires all students in the graduating...

We assess the potential for expanding regional planning by asking local government officials their perspectives on the potential for increasing regionalism in their communities, and the most promising approaches to achieving greater regionalism. Our...

This paper focuses on the labor market outcomes that represent a key marker of the transition to adulthood—the attainment of economic stability and self-sufficiency. Achieving labor market success is a necessary condition for a successful transition...

We analyze SSI applications and benefit receipt after the 1996 welfare reform by single mothers who received cash assistance in February 1997. We address these questions: First, what characteristics are associated with SSI applications and how do...