This document discusses a range of policy and practice options that states can undertake to increase college student access to public benefits. The Center for Law and Social Policy, Inc. (CLASP) has leveraged its hands-on policy and cross-issue technical assistance expertise to identify these options. Many states have already implemented one or…

Minnesota provides supplemental state funding to existing federal Head Start and Early Head Start (EHS) grantees to increase their capacity to serve additional infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. The initiative was started in 1997 when the state legislature earmarked $1 million of the general state Head Start supplemental funds for children…

Missouri's Early Head Start/Child Care Partnership Project expands access to Early Head Start (EHS) services for children birth to age 3 by developing partnerships between federal Head Start, EHS contractors, and child care providers. Head Start and EHS contractors that participate in the initiative provide services through community child care…

Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has developed this resource to help state leaders strategize how to create or improve early childhood systems to meet the needs of vulnerable babies and toddlers, their families, and pregnant women. Every state has the pieces of a comprehensive early childhood system in place. This tool will help state…

To determine how state and institutional officials perceive their own state programs for student financial aid, what legislation exists or is proposed in the field, and what alternative steps should be recommended, 350 questionnaires were distributed to selected state officials, and to the largest public and private institutions of higher…

The 16th Annual Legislative Work Conference, attended by senators and delegates from 13 states and representatives of universities, higher education associations, and state boards of education, addressed itself to such basic questions as: What kinds of institutions make up a comprehensive state system of higher education? What are the specific…

This paper examines compensatory education and bilingual education programs, outlines their general characteristics, and discusses their differences. The following kinds of information are provided: (1) the nature of the authorizing legislation including patterns in the distribution of funds, (2) the criteria used to determine which students and…

Two California laws have increased the autonomy of local school districts. As of January 1982, virtually all provisions of the California Education Code can be waived at the request of local school boards with the approval of the state board of education. Under Article 2 of Assembly Bill 777, Chapter 100, programs that may be waived include state…

This paper reports a study to determine national policy needs with respect to lifelong learning by focusing on state-level policy development, including the implications of federal policy; the arrangements for planning, coordination, and financing at the state level; the patterns created and the issues raised by these arrangements; and the…

In 1988, Congress passed the "Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act" (P.L. 100-407) ("Tech Act") to assist states with identifying and responding to the assistive technology (AT) needs of individuals with disabilities. Grants awarded under the "Tech Act" were used by states to create…

The Iowa vision of early childhood described in this document was developed in 1990 with input and feedback from many Iowa Department of Education staff, and from individuals and groups outside the department. The goal of the Iowa vision is to insure that early childhood opportunities are available to all children in Iowa. The vision's rationale…

To investigate fiscal retrenchment effects on states' related services for handicapped youth and to help evaluate Public Law (PL) 94-142 regulations, researchers conducted 120 telephone interviews with state education agency staff in charge of related services and with other educators and citizens in 16 states representing different geographical…

Cable television for the State of New York is discussed in detail with relation to: (1) the regents of the University of the State of New York, (2) legislation, (3) planning and proposals for franchises, (4) the Federal Communications Commission, (5) access rules, (6) a list of companies and those serving schools, and (7) federal/state/local…

The purpose of this report is to comply with the legislative mandate of the Assistive Technology (AT) Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-394) requiring the Secretary of Education to report annually on the activities funded under this Act (Section 103(c)). Section 103(c) of the AT Act of 1998 requires the following information on the AT State Grant…

A Texas study on prekindergarten and early childhood care that was developed for the Texas legislature in response to an amendment of the Texas Education Code is presented. Also presented are findings on: (1) the developmental appropriateness of prekindergarten programs, defined here as programs for eligible 4-year-olds; (2) the potential for…