This brief examines how California is aligning education and training opportunities for people who are currently or formerly incarcerated. It is the first report in our series "Reconnecting Justice in the States," which will explore coordinated justice, education, and workforce policy and practice at the state level. It is part of…

Merit pay is now in the midst of a renaissance. Hundreds of school districts are experimenting with some type of performance-based pay system. At least six states have statewide or pilot programs, and the federal government has spent close to $100 million on the Teacher Incentive Fund. Whether such programs will last, encourage the start of…

Presents results of a 2-year study of Michigan's recipient rights protection system. Found weaknesses in the use of the system and its integration into agency operations, but overall effectiveness. Discusses implications of the system for other states. (Author/MCF)

Describes a training program that can provide volunteer child advocates with effective techniques for organizing, assessing, and gathering data on relevant public policy; educating others; winning public officials to their aims; and evaluating how enacted legislation affects children. (Author/HOD)

National senior service programs have had a long and relatively successful history. Emerging at the intersection of federal aging and poverty policy initiatives in the early 1960s, projects such as the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) and the Senior Companion Program (SCP) have expanded in size and scope over the last several decades. These two…

In its evaluation of the effectiveness of employer tax credits (ETCs), the Child Care Action Campaign (CCAC) examined quantitative data and conducted extensive interviews with over 100 public officials, corporate leaders, financial analysts, and child care advocates in the 13 states with established ETC policies. CCAC also interviewed individuals…

In the five years since most states passed zero-tolerance legislation, results have been moderately successful. Such policies can work under four conditions: clear consequences for misbehavior, collaborative development by all stakeholding agencies, knowledge of other states' experience, and integration of sequential and comprehensive…

In times of budget shortfalls and ever increasing demand for transparency and accountability for use of tax dollars in the public sector, it is clear that the use and influence of performance measurement has increased. "Performance measurement" is a "fairly inclusive term that may refer to the routine measurement of program inputs,…

This report highlights recent state legislative efforts to expand early care and education, promote the development of young children, and meet a variety of state policy goals. Chapter 1, "The Role of Early Childhood Care and Education in State Public Policy," presents the rationale for policymakers from a range of policy jurisdictions…

The Center for Public Policy Priorities supports HB 2574. Why encourage school districts to offer free meals to all students? The link between adequate nutrition and improved academic performance creates a clear incentive for Texas to increase participation in the school breakfast and lunch programs, particularly among low-income children.…

Findings from the evaluation of the AB 3059 alternative child care programs are presented in this report. (AB 3059 child care programs were mandated by the California legislature in 1976 with the goals of assessing features that might reduce child care costs, ensuring maximum parental choice among facilities, addressing unmet child care needs…

On April 5, 2005, the Georgetown Public Policy Institute released its first of several reports on the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program. The 100+ page report describes the characteristics of the initial group of participating students and their families and offers important first-year comparative data. Moreover, the report provides important…

The Wisconsin "Learnfare" policy requires that teenagers receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) attend school regularly until they have completed high school. The population of teen parents and dependent teens receiving AFDC from September 1988 through December 1989 included 22,241 males and 30,995 females. About half…

Examines outcomes associated with enactment of Colorado's Second Chance Pilot Program for high school dropouts. The satisfaction reported by 396 Second Chance students and the waiting lists for program enrollment demonstrate the potential for recovering students who have dropped out of school. Limitations of the program are discussed. (SLD)

This book is the seventh Children's Defense Fund report on major problems facing American children at risk of placement or already placed out of their homes. The findings are based on a survey of child welfare and probation offices in a stratified random sample of 140 counties (27 with populations over 300,000, and 113 with populations under…