This study examines the George Coles bursary program--a financial aid plan designed to "keep residents at home" so they can attend university, by providing a bursary in their first year of university following high school graduation. The study offers insight into higher education students' financial circumstances, thereby suggesting…

In 2011-2012, AISD prekindergarten enrollment was 5,525, a decrease by less than 2% from the 2010-2011 year. The vast majority of pre-K students were economically disadvantaged (94%) and/or English language learners (58%). Attendance rates for pre-K students increased by 0.6% from the prior year. [Funding for this report was provided by Title I…

The authors provide an overview of the Cooperative Extension System and its program evaluation challenges. Part of the historic land-grant system, Extension exists in all states and territories of the United States and is funded through federal, state, and local (usually county) appropriations, as well as competitive grants and other sources.…

Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR), a National Science Foundation-funded program is in the third year of its five-year grants to scientists in five states. Program objectives, financial support (including cost-sharing by states), state programs resulting from EPSCOR, and EPSCOR achievements are discussed. (JN)

In March 1995, the Mississippi State Department of Education implemented the Home Ties program as a 5-year pilot program at five sites, using federal funds made available through a sub-grant from the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) and matching funds appropriated by the Mississippi legislature. The program provided intensive,…

Title IV-B of the Social Security Act authorizes federal funding for services to help families address problems leading to child abuse and neglect and prevent unnecessary separation of children from their families. Subpart 1 of Title IV-B provides funds for almost any child welfare activity, but has statutory limits on foster care maintenance and…

This fact sheet presents a case for public funding of after-school programs for children and youth. The fact sheet begins by describing the risks to which children and youth are exposed and the variety of ways in which children and youth spend time after school. The benefits of participating in after-school programming for children and youth…

A recent survey by the Federal Demonstration Project, which analyzes the research administration system, found that state governments need to improve how they administer sponsored research in colleges and universities. The analysis focused on management of state-appropriated funds, federal flow-through funds, and applications to and awards from…

Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981 consolidated 28 separate federal education programs into a single block grant. This report evaluates the effectiveness of Chapter 2 as public policy, assessing whether it has led to improvement in education, whether the consolidated programs are more responsive to…

This report presents an analysis of and conclusions (based on audits of projects) on the progress being made by state educational agencies (SEA's) in assuring that local educational agencies (LEA's) are designing and implementing projects to meet the needs of educationally deprived children. Two considerations are said to have been employed in…

This statement presented as testimony before the U.S. Senate discusses the importance of preschool education for children of low-income families. The testimony focuses on the federal and state commitment to preschool programs, including funding and collaborative efforts, and what is known about the effectiveness of federal preschool programs.…

This report analyzes the first year of the Federal Alternative Financing Program (AFP), a program designed to help individuals with disabilities who need to purchase assistive technology (AT) find a way to pay for the equipment. The program receives funding under Title III of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 and provides low-cost financing for…

About 2 years after enactment of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Program, the Southport Institute for Policy Analysis began a 2-year study of how extensively JOBS was being implemented at the state level, in what manner, and with what results. The study included four elements: literature review, interviews and consultations with…

A third-party national evaluation of the basic grants section of the Adult Education Act was conducted in September 1990. Although clients eligible for adult secondary education (ASE) constituted the largest segment of the target population, enrollments were highest in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs and most programs primarily served…

A third-party national evaluation of the basic grants section of the Adult Education Act was conducted in September 1990. The study drew on data from the following sources: 1990 mail survey of all federally supported local service providers; longitudinal study of local programs that provided information on the characteristics of more than 22,000…