The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented economic and policy challenges to the United States and other countries. Navigating out of the pandemic slowdown is another novel experience, which makes it more difficult to answer the question addressed each year in the "State of Working Pennsylvania": How is the Pennsylvania economy…

Since 2003, the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) has produced the annual State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report to broaden understanding and enable analysis of state-level and national funding and enrollment trends over time. The SHEF report provides the earliest possible review of state funding for higher…

The State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report is produced annually by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) to broaden understanding of the context and consequences of public policy decisions in each state that contribute to public higher education funding levels and funding distributions across states and…

The 33rd edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's KIDS COUNT® Data Book describes how children in America are in the midst of a mental health crisis, struggling with anxiety and depression at unprecedented levels. This year's publication continues to present national and state data across four domains -- economic well-being, education, health…

The 32nd edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's "KIDS COUNT Data Book" describes how children across the United States were faring before -- and during -- the coronavirus pandemic. This year's publication continues to deliver the Foundation's annual state rankings and the latest available data on child well-being. It identifies…

What a difference a year makes. In June 2008, "AZ Views" reported that "Arizonans have a strong sense of job security, despite the national economic slump and the state's budget crisis." That is no longer true, as this edition of "AZ Views" shows, and Arizona's economic situation arguably is the best example of the…

Gender equality is not just about economic empowerment. It is a moral imperative, it is about fairness and equity, and includes many political, social and cultural dimensions. Gender equality, however, is also a key factor in self-reported well-being and happiness across the world. In the aftermath of the Great Recession, there is now an urgent…

Federal budget outlays totaled $3.5 trillion in 2009, of which somewhat less than 10 percent ($334 billion) was devoted to children. Despite increased spending on children under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the kids' share of total outlays actually fell modestly to 9.5 percent in 2009, down from 9.8 percent the…

On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Passed in response to the 2008 recession, the Act's purpose was to create jobs, pump money into the economy, and encourage spending. Through the Act, states received $1.2 billion in funding for the workforce investment system to provide…

The State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report is produced annually by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) to broaden understanding of the context and consequences of multiple decisions made every year in each of these areas. No single report can provide definitive answers to such broad and fundamental questions of public…

The State Higher Education Finance (SHEF) report is a tool to help policy makers and educators address broad public policy questions. SHEF seeks to inform policy deliberations with information and perspective on financial issues and national trends. The report also provides three technical essays that discuss: a) the Higher Education Cost…

Funding trends in Australian higher education are examined over a 12-year period, with analyses for the system as a whole and for 2 sectors: the old, established universities and the newer, emerging institutions. The effects of funding shifts on program emphases and student populations (undergraduate vs. graduate) are discussed. (MSE)

A study examined the perceptions, policies, and practices vis-a-vis older workers in American business today. The study population consisted of executives with senior responsibility for making human resource decisions at 400 companies. The companies were selected randomly, with 100 each belonging to one of four size groupings ranging from 50 to…

America's future lies in the growing number of minority group children. Past failure to educate minority children bodes ill for America's ability to compete economically. Our future depends on fully educating these youth and ensuring that minorities are fully represented in our corps of teachers, professors, and professionals. (Author/BJV)

Action is needed now to recruit and keep minorities in graduate education, so that we produce the engineers, scientists, and doctorates we need. Data on minority college and graduate school attendance are provided. (Author/BJV)