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…

Concerns about the rising cost of college and growing student loan debt have intensified in recent years, with 85% of non-enrolled adults citing affordability as a key barrier (Gallup & Lumina Foundation, 2024) and a third of currently enrolled college students agreeing that their "institution charges too much for an undergraduate…

Many students have concerns about the affordability of college, which may interfere with their potential success. However, foster care alumni have unique needs when making the transition into postsecondary enrollment. Compared to completion rates for the general population, postsecondary education outcomes for youth with foster care experience lag…

Grant aid -- whether based on financial need, merit, or a combination therein -- is the primary form of financial aid awarded by states. States use grant aid to encourage academic preparation, enhance access to postsecondary education, affect students' choice of college, support persistence, and reduce out-of-state migration. State grant aid…

Kansas Early Head Start (KEHS) provides comprehensive services following federal Head Start Program Performance Standards for pregnant women and eligible families with children from birth to age 4. KEHS was implemented in 1998 using Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) quality set-aside dollars augmented by a transfer of federal…

A project was undertaken to review funding practices for vocational education in Kansas and to present some alternative funding methods for consideration. During the course of the project, a research specialist interviewed various state-level educational staff and an area vocational and technical school director in order to obtain a general…

This state plan for the delivery of special education services to exceptional children in Kansas begins with submission statements and certification documents. The plan then presents policy information concerning the following areas: full educational opportunities goal; free, appropriate public education; screening and evaluation; individualized…

This document consists of two publications: the five-year state plan for career education in Kansas and a handbook providing guidelines for program development at the local school level. The plan includes the following information: (1) the results of a two-year needs assessment survey; (2) its two goals: first, to increase awareness of the…