Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to take college-level courses and receive credit at both institutions toward the completion of a college degree. Such programs are also referred to as concurrent enrollment, joint enrollment, or dual credit. This brief discusses the advantages and drawbacks of dual enrollment programs. Currently,…

This Kids Count special report examines the relationship between poverty status and the number of children in Arkansas lacking health insurance. The report also presents information on two programs providing health care to Arkansas children whose parents lack insurance coverage, Medicaid and ARKids First. The report describes how these two…

This report looks at higher education policy issues that are taking shape at the state level and provides data on key trends and indicators. The first section presents findings from the 2001 State Issues Survey. Topics discussed include: fiscal issues; governance/management; economic development; academic issues; distance education; and…

The objectives of this paper are threefold. First, a model is proposed for unifying massive amounts of conceptual and numerical information flowing from the measures of the accountability movement in Ohio and the materials that are publicly available to educators. Second, this model is translated into useable forms of information that help…

This paper describes the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), the principal source of federal funding for child care subsidies for low income families and the principal source of federal funding for initiatives to improve the quality of child care in the states. Each state qualifies to receive an amount of federal funds under the CCDF each year…

This report contains profiles of the 145 schools in Utah that continued to receive funding as second- or third-year Centennial Schools during 1998-99. First enacted into law by the 1993 Legislature, the Centennial Schools Program has developed into a catalyst for change involving over 300 schools in 35 of the state's 40 school districts. The…

Describes New Jersey's Migrant Education Program, including legal definitions, state-level responsibilities, supportive services, and the Migrant Teacher Corps Project. (SJL)

Describes the SOS (Sharing Our Selves) learning Network, which is a made-for-extension system of community learning. Elements of the network are discussed: (1) community learning and development activities, (2) community resource index, and (3) cost effectiveness. (CT)

Considers the need for family literacy programs and library involvement in such programs. National organizations and local library programs devoted to family literacy are described, and the California State Library's Families for Literacy Program, which provides funding for local library family literacy programs, is discussed. (MES)

The California Relay Services (CRS) is a statewide 24-hour dual-party relay system which is designed to bridge the communication gap between the hearing-impaired and the normal-hearing community by using communication assistants to relay calls between those without Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDDs) and TDD-users. (DB)

Relates the history of First Impressions, an early childhood initiative in Colorado. Insights gleaned from the First Impressions story are offered for advocates of early childhood education. (BG)

Describes distance education programs in Iowa, including the Iowa Distance Education Alliance developed through the Department of Education's Star Schools Program; the use of fiber optic technology; and the Iowa Communications Network that links colleges, universities, and secondary schools with public television. (LRW)

Indiana, the first state to mandate tech prep in public schools, coordinates statewide efforts through the 14 economic development regions. Tech prep seeks to blur distinctions between academic and vocational education and provide the best preparation possible for the majority of students who are not college bound. (SK)

To help new regents understand the serious nature of their responsibilities, Oklahoma requires them to take 15 hours of classes, including 2 hours on ethics. The program sets a new standard for higher education governance, intended to increase committed leadership, public respect, competitive and nationally recognizable programs, and student…

This article describes Project Mercury, a Florida Gifted Challenge Grant which evaluates and disseminates outstanding curriculum products for gifted students. It lists recent products disseminated by the project and other Gifted Challenge Grant products available. (DB)