The outlook for high school graduates who have no postsecondary or industry-recognized credentials can appear bleak. Today, it is critical that young people obtain at least some training beyond high school to succeed in the job market. States bear a cost, too, when this is not achieved: They have a less skilled workforce to attract business…

State budgeting and resource allocation has been a complex process due to the demands of lobbyists for such strongly disputable priorities such as K-12 education, Medicaid, corrections, transportation, and health and human services. Funds, appropriated to institutions of higher education, are typically more delicate to the condition of the economy…

Researchers have shown renewed interest during the past decade in the relationships among politics, policy, finance, and governance of higher education at the state level. Little attention, however, has been paid to state higher education executive officers (SHEEOs), the individuals responsible for leading the agencies that oversee higher…

With 20 new governors and 16 re-elected governors starting new terms in January, 2019 has the potential to be a year of big change at the state level. This is particularly the case in the early childhood policy arena, as many newly elected governors discussed early childhood education as part of their campaigns. Governors are in a prime position…

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) Statewide Survey provides policymakers, the media, and the public with objective, advocacy-free information on the perceptions, opinions, and public policy preferences of California residents. This is the 141st PPIC Statewide Survey in a series that was inaugurated in April 1998 and has generated a…

Since the 1970s, American governors have become increasingly active in education politics. Where they once told state education chiefs to "make me the best education governor ever," they now demand control of state boards of education, push for state control of school funding, and urge statewide standards for teacher evaluation. This…

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) follows education budgets and legislation during regular and special legislative sessions, from governors' proposals through final legislative actions in the 16 SREB states. This report includes legislative Web site addresses and descriptions, by state, of gubernatorial budgetary requests and proposals…

As Congress began debate last week over the size and scope of more than $120 billion in proposed emergency education aid, state leaders were anxiously awaiting the details so they could make specific plans to spend the economic-stimulus money. Governors, state legislators, and state schools chiefs have yet to learn what rules Congress will attach…

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) leads a Mission Growth Working Group, which consists of states that are significantly impacted by the growth of military bases. The group includes state representatives appointed by the governors of Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,…

This account of the creation of the Compact for Education and the Education Commission of the States, may cast some light upon an aspect of the politics of education which is not always highly visible but which may not be entirely atypical, either. (Author/MB)

Reports a study that examined the attitudes of Georgia citizens and legislators toward funding for specific health care services and national health insurance. Legislators were less in favor of national health insurance than were citizens. Both groups set a high priority on providing a wide range of health care services to everyone. (SM)

This bimonthly newsletter provides information about the progress of the Honor States Grant Program, a governor-led effort to improve college--and work-ready graduation rates. This issue explores efforts by governors and state policymakers to experiment with alternative compensation policies that can improve teacher quality. Compensation…

Explores the attitudes of legislators towards the college public relations function through interviews with Florida senators and representatives, and cites the need to establish a clearer identity with them in order to secure necessary funding. (RT)

The review of the funding aspect of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973 (CETA) under Titles 1 and 2 was conducted by the General Accounting Office (GAO). Title 1 of the Act authorizes comprehensive manpower services to be provided by prime sponsors, and Title 2 is designed to provide transitional employment opportunities and…

When voters approved Proposition 98 as an amendment to the California Constitution, they sought to guarantee public schools and community colleges a level of funding that would at least keep pace with growth in student population and the personal income of Californians and at best increase the amount schools receive. The calculation of the…