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…

Research shows that access to school health services improves health and academic outcomes, particularly for students with chronic health issues. Finding sustainable funding has been an ongoing struggle. This policy brief presents opportunities to expand access to--and resources for--school health services using available Medicaid funds. In…

This resource was prepared in response to a request from a Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) State for information about the Transformation Zones that 10 RTT-ELC States had included as key projects in their RTT-ELC plans. This information will be helpful to other States as they consider how to continue to increase the quality of…

As numerous studies from 1906 on have confirmed, children lose ground in learning if they lack opportunities for building skills over the summer. Nonetheless, summer learning loss comes up but rarely in the national discussion of education reform. By the end of summer, students perform on average one month behind where they left off in the spring.…

Purpose/Objective: This case study identified common elements of three diverse New England school districts that were real-world models of improving school meals. Methods: School districts that had greater than 1,000 students, [greater than or equal to]3 schools, and [greater than or equal to]40% of students who qualified for free- or…

Testimony in this hearing covers how the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) is working in the state of Massachusetts, how the business community perceives and receives the JTPA program, and how Congress may improve the program to better serve and reach the intended population. The hearing was held in Massachusetts, a state leading in forging…

This publication is part of a series of tools and resources on financing and sustaining youth programming. These tools and resources are intended to help policymakers, program developers, and community leaders develop innovative strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies. This strategy brief presents a…

The Massachusetts "Day Care Consumer Profile" describes the consumers of publicly subsidized day care in the Department of Social Services' Day Care Program. The Department of Social Services which is the Title XX Agency in Massachusetts, serves over 13,000 children across the state in contracted day care programs. The…

As states work to provide public funds for early care and education programs, they need data on the current system to better provide a system that supports parents' need to work, promotes healthy child development, and ensures the educational quality of all early education and care programs. This report provides Massachusetts' policy makers with a…

This document contains 13 papers from and about a working conference on adult mathematical literacy. The following papers are included: "Preface" (Iddo Gal, Mary Jane Schmitt); "Summary of Conference Discussions" (Iddo Gal et al.); "Reflecting about the Goals of Numeracy Education" (Iddo Gal); "Needed Skills and…