In the context of a tight labor market with more jobs than workers to fill openings, and as young people increasingly seek alternatives to college, apprenticeships have become more important than ever. While the "earn and learn" model of apprenticeship seems to be the obvious choice to address labor market needs, it remains underutilized…

This article describes some of the extraordinary accomplishments of the second cohort of states to participate in the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Financing Policy Project (IECMH-FPP). The purpose of the IECMHFPP is to support states' advancement of IECMH assessment, diagnosis, and treatment policies that will contribute to the healthy…

There is growing unease about suspension and expulsion of children at the preschool level. Preschoolers are expelled at three times the rate of K-12 students (Gilliam, 2005). Boys--particularly African-American boys--comprise a disproportionate number of these cases, a fact that has caused concern among parents, policymakers, and advocates alike.…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) follows education budgets and legislation during regular and special legislative sessions. The Legislative Reports follow education and budget issues from governors' proposals through final legislative actions in each of the 16 SREB states. This report presents final legislative and budget actions in…

Describes the development of the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL). Membership parameters are described; voting representation and governance is discussed; the organizational structure is explained; funding is examined; and factors contributing to the success of NAAL are considered, including a mix of short- and long-term goals and…

"Moving the Needle on Poverty" is designed to provide Colorado leaders with an up-to-date picture of the diverse strategies that states across the nation are pursuing to lift individuals, families, and communities out of poverty. As the report indicates, many states are choosing to set specific and measurable goals for poverty reduction,…

The first section of this report is a directory which features 203 public libraries, 7 multi-county library systems, 12 single-county public library systems, and the multitype members of the Alabama Library Exchange (i.e., 8 public, 6 school, 8 academic, and 10 special libraries). Entries list the library's address and telephone number, names of a…

The first section of this document consists of a directory, featuring 201 public libraries, 8 multi-county library systems, 12 single-county public library systems, and the multitype members of the Alabama Library Exchange (i.e., 8 public, 6 school, 8 academic, and 10 special libraries). Entries list the library's address and telephone number,…

The library directory provides separate listings for: (1) individual public libraries, which are listed alphabetically by town or city and include the name of the county; (2) multi-county public library systems, i.e., eight regional libraries that are listed by the library name; (3) single county public library systems, i.e., 13 public libraries…

The problems confronting the public community colleges of Alabama are discussed, and alternatives are suggested. Following a brief discussion of the history and growth of Alabama's state junior colleges, the following major problems are identified, and solutions are proposed: (1) There must be a master plan to insure that the junior colleges are…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Bill Gates Testifies Before Senate Committee: Microsoft Chairman Pushes for High School Reform, Says Every Child…

As precribed by Act 79-461, Section 9, the Alabama State Commission on Higher Education evaluated the budgets submitted by the senior public institutions of higher education and by the Chancellor of the junior, community, and postsecondary vocational and technical education system and reached two sets of funding recommendations for all of higher…

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), administered under the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), mandates a five-year plan and assurances. Under guidelines developed by IMLS, the Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) was charged with submitting a Five-Year State Plan by August 1, 1997. This document describes the planning…

Activities of the Alabama State Commission on Higher Education are described. Three sections discuss the following: (1) planning and coordination activities (unified budget recommendation, statewide planning process, research and service program inventory, new program approval, off-campus instruction, non-resident institutional review, conference…

To complement the information gathered on middle school and high school literacy initiatives as reported in "Middle and High School Literacy across the Curriculum" (Task 1.2 Fast Response Project), the Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast (REL-SE) staff conducted a scan of the six southeast states to gather the following information…