Out-of-School Time (OST) programs play a crucial role in child and youth development, serving as a bridge between school, home, and the community. They offer structured environments where young people can engage in meaningful activities, build relationships, and develop essential life skills. OST programs foster personal growth, academic support,…

Concerns about the rising cost of college and growing student loan debt have intensified in recent years, with 85% of non-enrolled adults citing affordability as a key barrier (Gallup & Lumina Foundation, 2024) and a third of currently enrolled college students agreeing that their "institution charges too much for an undergraduate…

The post-16 sector in England refers to the diverse education and training options available to young people from the age of 16, typically after completing their GCSEs. This is a key stage in the English education system, which spans various settings such as further education (FE) colleges, sixth-form colleges (SFCs), school sixth forms, and…

Basic Needs Oregon was established in 2021 through House Bill 2835 to ensure that students enrolled at Oregon's public colleges and universities can meet their basic needs--including food, housing, health care, transportation, and emergency financial support--so they can persist and succeed in higher education. Drawing on Basic Needs Oregon…

In community colleges in the United States, graduation rates remain frustratingly low. Students face many challenges, including the financial costs of attending college; the demands of school, work, and family; complex institutional systems; underfunded student support services; and insufficient preparation for college-level work. To address these…

Family child-care programs (FCCs) are a unique and vital part of the Massachusetts child-care and education system. FCC owners tend to serve some of the highest-need children and families in the Commonwealth, yet the owners and assistants who run these programs often take home some of the lowest wages among educators. While much research has been…

For decades, most states have made a practice of giving citizens returning from prison or jail a small amount of money, called "gate money," to cover the cost of transportation and other immediate needs. Many legislatures have considered increasing the dollar amount of their cash assistance and offering this kind of support more widely.…

By age 18, students have spent on average 85 percent of their waking hours outside of school. Their use of that time--constructive or not--helps direct their futures. In afterschool and summer programs, young people explore new interests, develop new skill sets, and create lasting relationships with peers and caring adults that shape who they are,…

In 2018, the Oregon Legislature formed the Joint Committee on Student Success (JCSS). Over the course of the year, the JCSS met with school and district staff, students, and families to hear about student needs around the state and created a report about those priorities. Following that report, the Oregon Legislature passed the Student Success Act…

Each year the Graduate Education Committee of the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) administers the National School Psychology Program Database Survey. Data regarding the status of graduate education in school psychology have been collected annually for both specialist and doctoral programs since 2010. This report for the…

Faculty development across the academic career is essential to support successful, diverse, engaged faculty and institutional excellence. This article presents a comprehensive model of faculty development across all career stages, centering equity for women and historically underrepresented faculty. Four intersecting cornerstones comprise the…

This report examines state-funded loan forgiveness and conditional grant programs, designed to alleviate student loan debt and address workforce shortages in high-need fields. These service-contingent programs incentivize graduates to work in targeted occupations or underserved areas in exchange for debt relief.

The Department for Education (DfE) developed the Early Years Education Recovery (EYER) programme to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a part of the programme, DfE committed £153 million for the development of high-quality professional development of early years practitioners. One element of this was the funding of additional places…

This study is dedicated to analyzing and evaluating government initiatives aimed at addressing migration challenges in Kazakhstan that manifest in uneven migration flows and significant disparities in population density between the southern and northern regions. The authors assess the implementation of a state program as part of their analysis,…

In this edition of "Voices From the Field," we explore practical strategies for maximizing the impact of Title I, Part D funds through effective, efficient, and timely spending. We highlight common challenges that programs face in utilizing these funds and offer actionable solutions to overcome them. Three experienced coordinators share…