This report is the second in a series that highlights findings from an evaluation of State School Safety Centers (SSSCs) being carried out by WestEd's Justice and Prevention Research Center and funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The first report in the series utilized survey data from school safety key informants (e.g., SSSC staff,…

To promote children's healthy development and give them opportunities to flourish, families need a wide range of support services. These services are often disconnected from each other. Early care and education (ECE) has a particularly fragmented system (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2018). Systems with myriad processes…

Key findings from the current survey: (1) Most Californians say charter schools are an important option for parents in low-income areas--but many express concern that charters divert funding from traditional public schools; (2) More than half of residents across regions say teacher salaries in their community are too low; and (3) Majorities…

In 2006, following a 30-year trend among the US states to remove the property tax from the revenue for public schools, the South Carolina General Assembly enacted Act 388 which replaced the property tax with a one-cent sales tax. The law decreased the budget capacity of school districts thus impacting educational equity and adequacy. This paper…

This report, "State Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance Policies for Public Colleges and Universities: 2010-11", examines the philosophies, policies, and procedures that influence decision-making regarding public college and university tuition, student fees, and student financial aid programs. This report also provides information…

The data presented in this combined report--"Rankings & Estimates"--provide facts about the extent to which local, state, and national governments commit resources to public education. As one might expect in a nation as diverse as the United States--with respect to economics, geography, and politics--the level of commitment to…

The report presents results from a survey of four states (Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, and Nebraska) regarding mandates for the provision of special education services for children below 3 years of age. An overview of each state's mandate contains a brief description of the law and how it came to be; an explanaton of the way responsibilities are…

In recent years public interest in the problems of children who have exceptional educational needs has grown very rapidly. This interest has been especially strong in problems of mentally retarded children. Some of the causes of this development can be identified. The success of specialized programs for teaching these children is one of the more…

This study of rural libraries in Idaho was designed to identify appropriate alternative local revenue sources to support library services as well as ways of improving the coordination and delivery of library services in the state and extending library access to unserved areas. Data were gathered from U.S. Bureau of the Census reports and special…

In 1987, exacting sessions in the Texas State Legislature over higher education appropriations, and a subsequent veto by the governor of a 7% increase in community college funding, convinced officials in the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) that a heightened legislative focus was necessary. A study was conducted to determine the…

The mission of today's school library media center is to help prepare students to enter the information age of the 21st century. To carry out this mission, library media specialists, administrators, and teachers must ensure that students can effectively locate, access, interpret, evaluate, and communicate information. The school library media…

This report, sixth in a series of updates by State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), is a comprehensive assessment of state policies related to public college and university tuition, fees, and financial aid. Significant variation was found among the states in the basic philosophy that guides decision making regarding tuition levels in…

This case study is part of a broader research project examining state policies and governance structures that span K-12 and postsecondary education. The New York Board of Regents oversees all education in the state and has been in place for over 200 years; this lends the regents' office a legitimacy and tradition unlike any other state education…

This case study is part of a broader research project examining state policies and governance structures that span K-12 and postsecondary education. Oregon has been a leader in K-16 reform through its development of the Proficiency-based Admission Standards System (PASS), which articulated postsecondary expectations and linked them with K-12…

Virginia has 36 criminal justice training academies, including 10 regional academies. The academies conduct entry-level, inservice, and specialized training for law enforcement officers, jailers, and other criminal justice personnel. In 1998, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) was directed to review the quality, consistency,…