The 2014 edition of "State of the South" features analysis of state and regional data and calls on the region to develop and implement purposeful policies and systemic practices--an "infrastructure of opportunity"--to bolster the prospects for its 15- to 24-year-olds to achieve economic resilience as adults and a fulfilling…

When Tim Clevenger became executive director of the University of Oregon Alumni Association in 2011, he was dismayed to learn that revenue, including paid memberships, was steadily declining. The association staff and board of directors considered multiple strategies to boost earnings, with stabilizing and growing dues revenue high on the list.…

The nation's recuperation from the Great Recession remains sluggish, with high unemployment and a weak housing market continuing to squelch hopes that a full economic recovery will soon be at hand. The intensity and nature of the recession's lingering effects vary considerably across the country, however. Some metro areas, like Austin and…

Miccosukees, a small American Indian tribe of about 475 members who are cousins of the Seminoles, reside in the Florida Everglades and wish to retain their cultural heritage while expending economic enterprises. They hold that they find no conflict in these attitudes and would like to have a choice of how to live and to benefit from economic…

Presents survey and observational and interview data from recently arrived Haitians regarding (1) individual background experiences; (2) arrival and early resettlement experiences; (3) educational level, knowledge of English and of the United States; (4) current employment status and occupation; (5) income and use of public assistance; (6)…

This paper presents and analyzes data on the experience of the Cuban community in South Florida, from its inception as a reaction to the revolution of 1959 through its gradual accommodation to the reality of permanent exile and its altered view of its own future. First, the paper examines the changing demographics of South Florida and how these…

Replicates a Florida study of high school students' decisions to drop out using data for West Virginia. Confirms earlier findings that the decision to drop out is based on the student's perceptions of the economic opportunities obtained by a high school diploma. (FMW)

Briefly describes the history of Cuban migration to the United States. Outlines the acculturation and the economic, educational, and other demographic characteristics of the Cuban American population in South Florida. (ST)

Building on previous data, researchers used West Virginia school district data to investigate the value of examining structurally determined opportunities and costs to explain high school students' dropping out. The study interpreted dropping out as a rational consequence of students' assessments of the opportunities and costs associated with…

Although Florida's community colleges have consistently been the primary access to college and post-secondary education for state residents and are uniquely suited to help dependent individuals gain the skills necessary to become self-sufficient, state funding to the colleges has consistently been reduced. Income per student from the state has…

In response to Florida's Auditory General's recommendation that the Florida Bureau of Apprenticeship (FBA) be terminated, the benefits of apprenticeship were examined. Participation in apprenticeship programs provides social and economic benefits to participants, their communities, the state, and the nation. School-to-work programs, U.S. versions…

Phase I of a more comprehensive project examined the perceived incentives and constraints related to acceptance of new ideas and small-scale economic enterprises by low income families. Six counties of northwest Florida were selected on the basis of their rurality, racial composition, and incidence of poverty. A multi-stage sampling procedure was…

Analyzes the effects of high school students' economic prospects on high school completion rates for 67 Florida school districts. Concludes that students' decisions to drop out or complete high school may be influenced by their perceptions of the economic advantages that accompany a diploma. (FMW)

Designed as Phase I of a project directed toward the eventual establishment of multi-purpose, cooperative, local organizations concerned predominately with the socio-economic development of low income rural families in northwest Florida, this survey project was conducted in six counties which were selected according to rurality, incidence of…