This report investigated the financial expenditures of states for services for individuals with developmental disabilities and examined the factors that influenced the level of expenditure. Eight multiple-regression models are presented which explain 70 to 88 percent of the variation in states' total expenditures. In addition to the obvious…

To determine how best to connect public work force services in Texas with employers' needs, a study reviewed literature on employer involvement in government-sponsored training programs. Study activities included the following: review of findings from two recent national surveys on employer training, identification of states most strongly…

The Arkansas Advanced Placement Incentive Program served as a charter for the establishment, organization, and administration of a program designed to improve the course offerings available to high school students. The act provided three incentives: (1) one-time equipment/materials grants; (2) teacher professional development reimbursements; and…

This report analyzes four programs administered by the Corporation for National Service (CNS): AmeriCorps*National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), AmeriCorps*State/National, AmeriCorps*VISTA, and AmeriCorps*Education Awards. AmeriCorps allows participants to earn education awards to help pay for their postsecondary education in exchange for…

After 25 years of federal and state voucher systems in higher education, public colleges and universities find themselves financially shortchanged. Higher education vouchers (direct student aid) were developed to expand educational opportunity, give lower income students more choices, and support private colleges. Voucher systems produce greater…

Parent involvement in New Mexico, and around the nation, is an essential element in the success of students and their schools. This simple point anchors the federal law known as the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" ("NCLB"). NCLB establishes state, district and school requirements designed to promote more effective parent…

As a result of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation and the reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004, Response to Intervention (RTI) is now a mandated process for documenting the existence or nonexistence of a learning disability. For educators new to the RTI approach, this text presents an overview of key…

This document focuses on how states can use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support early childhood education initiatives. It draws on CLASP's previous report, "Financing Universal Pre-Kindergarten: Possibilities and Technical Issues for States in Using Funds Under the Child Care and Development Fund and Temporary…

This article examines interstate variation in household food security. Using hierarchical modeling, we identify several kinds of state characteristics that appear linked to household food security: the availability and accessibility of federal nutrition assistance programs, policies affecting economic wellbeing of low income families, and states'…

The Minnesota State Council on Vocational Technical Education evaluated programs funded under the Perkins Act and the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) for program years 1992 and 1993. A survey and two focus groups, one for the Twin Cities metropolitan area, and one for greater Minnesota, assessed coordination while the Council addressed the…

In response to proposed federal Job Training 2000 legislation, which called for three elements--skill centers, performance-based certification, and vouchering--a series of six forums were held throughout the state of Idaho in 1992. The forums were conducted by a team of staff from the Departments of Employment, Health and Welfare, and Education,…

This report discusses the impact of child care and welfare reform legislation under consideration by the Senate Republican leadership in the United States 104th Congress, based in part on a national survey of how states are coping, or not coping, with current child care needs and how prepared they are to cope with new demands for child care…

Based on the finding that the most important determinant of child care quality is the presence of consistent, well-trained, and well-compensated caregivers, this report discusses strategies to improve compensation in child care. It analyzes structural and social barriers to investing in decent-paying child care jobs; profiles a wide range of…

In 1991, the Kansas Association of School Boards began a program called Quest for Quality. The program is based on the belief that public schools must adjust to changes in children, families, communities, and economic and political conditions in the nation and the world. Quest for Quality also reaffirms the American school system's responsiveness…

A summary of current demographic trends, best practices, and federal initiatives in adult literacy is presented as a reference for practitioners in the field who are involved in delivering education services to adults with limited English skills. The report is based on U.S. Department of Education annual state adult education statistical and…