This testimony by the Director of Education and Employment Issues of the Health, Education, and Human Services Division of the General Accounting Office (GAO) is based on a number of GAO studies of substance abuse and violence prevention programs for youth. The testimony focuses on: (1) the information available about substance-abuse and…

This publication answers questions related to the provisions of child care funding and provision for welfare recipients under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. The article addresses specific concerns regarding the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a federal program that guarantees block grants to…

Despite renewed attention to global poverty alleviation and sustainable development, most agencies and organizations donating large amounts of funds for the social sector have been decreasing their aid to literacy and nonformal (basic) education. In most cases, donors trying to combine support for basic education with poverty alleviation focus on…

Projections in this document form the basis of the site-based budget planning process for schools in the Seattle (Washington) School District. These projections are based on the Weighted Student Formula approved by the School Board in February 1997. The Weighted Student Formula is based on three principles: (1) resources follow the student; (2)…

Educational paraprofessionals can provide strong, multidimensional support for students' academic success. The first part of this book presents information on roles for education paraprofessionals in effective schools, focusing on the history of paraprofessionals as multifaceted members of the schools staff, the work of paraprofessionals, how to…

This guide for early childhood program administrators provides guidelines and makes suggestions for planning special events to facilitate opportunities for parents, children, teachers, and organizations to connect in ways that strengthen individuals and communities and raise money for the organization. Part 1, "Planning," focuses on…

This book provides useful "how-to" information to help shelters create a safe, healthful, and supportive environment for their youngest residents. The chapters of the book are: (1) "The Effects of Homelessness on Children and Families" (Janice Molnar); (2) "Children and Domestic Violence: Recognizing Effects and Building…

This publication documents the successes of a Mississippi Arts Commission program, entitled the "Artist Is In!". The program was created to provide arts experiences in rural and inner-city communities which have historically had little access to the arts. The program produced other benefits: spurred economic development and tourism; improved…

Input from a variety of viewpoints is essential in complex policy discussions. Families serving on local interagency coordinating councils (LICCs) and state interagency coordinating councils (SICCs) should reflect the diversity of families served within the early intervention or preschool service system with respect to income level, ethnicity,…

Competition for mental health funding among advocates for treatment, prevention, and research often produces more tension than productivity. Competition is fueled by dependency on varied streams of funding and lack of coherent connections and coordination among the host of public and private agents involved in addressing child and adolescent…

This report provides a snapshot of funding, facilities, staffing, and enrollments in Washington's community and technical colleges in the 1999-2000 academic year. The report also describes key measures of student outcomes, and addresses the most frequently asked questions related to expenditures, personnel and students. Report highlights include:…

The Columbia Group is a network of nine state-based organizations that are committed to promoting education reform. Each of these organizations exists and works in a specific and unique environment. Group members are essentially small nonprofit organizations with full-time staffs. The significant success that Columbia Group organizations have had…

This report describes the history, features, and basis of bulk funding in New Zealand's early childhood services. The report likens bulk funding to a "quasi voucher" system and reviews research studies and evidence of the impact of bulk funding on kindergartens and childcare centers. The review shows that limited funding has pressured…

This report marks a midpoint in the Annenberg $500 million challenge to improve public schools. It comes at a time when evidence from the Annenberg Challenge's first projects has started to accumulate--and to suggest that the program is indeed having a beneficial impact on students, schools, and communities. This report also furnishes early…

This testimony about how federal requirements affect local school districts focuses on three major issues: (1) the major federal requirements that affect school districts; (2) the issues school districts face in implementing these requirements; and (3) recent initiatives by the Congress and the Department of Education (DOE) to provide flexibility…