Back

Pennsylvania Data Impact Lab

90-780

Units: 12

Description

The purpose of this course is to provide a clinical learning environment that involves the use of electronic, relational databases through original data collection as well as data obtained largely from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the US federal government. Students are expected to readily manipulate large, administrative databases to characterize a scio-economic
environment, evaluate it, and analyze the implications for changing key policy variables. They may also engage in survey research and case studies when such public databases are not readily available. Students are expected to develop an understanding of the institutional rules of current law, and predict through the manipulation of data the effects of changes in current law.

The course is organized as follows: a client, a review panel, and a professor responsible for overseeing the project and issuing a grade to each student. The course, 90780 Pennsylvania Data Laboratory, taught by Professor Robert Strauss qualifies as such a required project course for graduation.

 

https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rs9f/runoff.pdf

Learning Outcomes

Specific Information for Fall 2025:

 

1.0 Introduction

The Heinz College, Carnegie Mellon requires that each student seeking to earn a masters
degree must participate and pass a one semester group project course dealing with a public
policy issue. The project must be organized as follows: a client, a review panel, and a professor
responsible for overseeing the project and issuing a grade to each student. The course, 90780
Pennsylvania Data Laboratory, taught by Professor Robert Strauss qualifies as such a required
project course for graduation.

This document describes two sections of 90780 which are separate 90780 course projects for
Fall 2025 enrollment by interested students. Each is an extension of earlier, completed project;
they are briefly explained below. Interested students should email Professor Strauss at
rpstrauss@gmail.com to discuss their interest and background for course section A or B below.
Project A: Further analysis of Pennsylvania school safety Memos of Understanding
Project A deals with the Natural Language Programming and spatial analysis of statutorily
required signed school Memoranda of Understanding between 500 Pennsylvania school districts
and approximately 1300 local law enforcement agencies and the Pennsylvania State Police. Ascii
versions of each of the 1200 agreements for the most recent 2 years are in hand from the Office
of School Safety of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Also in hand is the preliminary
GIS linkage between each of 3,000 school buildings and the nearest local law enforcement
facility in Excel format which was generated through the GIS analysis of Google maps and
address lists of each.

The project will characterize whether or not each of the MOUs compares favorably to the
suggested format of MOUs provided by PDE to local school districts, and the extent to which
each school building is linked spatially to the closest law enforcement or State Police barrack.
Interested students should read the Fall, 2023 90780 Final Report on the matter at:
https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rs9f/rpstrauss_school_safety_final_report_1_18_2023.pdf

2

Project B: Further financial analysis of storm water run off issues in Pennsylvania
Project B deals with the financial analysis of the impact of a pending PA Supreme Court decision
that will decide whether or not historical storm water fees, imposed currently by local municipal
public authorities and local governments, are classified as permissible “property taxes” or not.
The relevant list of Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities, municipal bond offerings in
Pennsylvania for water projects, spatial data on rainfall, and consolidated financial statements
from the Governments Division of the US Census as well as from the Pennsylvania Department
of Community and Economic Development are in hand in Excel and other formats.
The project will ascertain the risks to current storm water run off financing of local municipal
public authorities, especially for operations and debt service, should the Pennsylvania Supreme
Court prohibit the imposition of storm water fees [because they are deemed to be real property
taxes] for that purpose. Also, the implication of using a more rational measurement of
environmental responsibility than current practice will be ascertained through counter-factual
analysis of rainfall data as well as application of a responsibility formula developed and applied
by local governments in Michigan.

Interested students should read the Fall, 2024 90780 Final Report on the matter at:
https://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/rs9f/summers_storm_water_run_off_12_2024.pdf