Every year, "Excelencia" in Education receives submissions for Examples of "Excelencia" from across the country. Our criteria for recognition are focused on a program's success backed by evidence that shows its effectiveness in serving Latino students in higher education. Since 2005, we have recognized over 280 different…

Nearly a quarter of all undergraduate students in the U.S. are parents. All parents, especially younger parents and those returning to school after years in the workforce, face a system that was not designed to accommodate their needs as caretakers. The needs of student parents have become even more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has…

The CollegeKeys Compact[TM] is a national call to action to school districts, colleges and universities, state education agencies, and nonprofit organizations to identify, share and expand programs and practices that address the needs and challenges of low-income students and help them get ready for, get into and get through college. The College…

In 2006, more than 6 million individuals were victimized by violent crimes. Although violence is below levels of the early 1990s, it remains high. The extent of violence and its impact highlight a critical need to develop and implement effective programs to reduce violence and victimization. Communities have initiated a wide range of such…

This document gathers together nine papers prepared in conjunction with a series of four seminars, held from January through May 1982, on the Role of Technical Assistance in the Long Range Plan for School Improvement. The seminars included participants from higher education, intermediate units, and public school superintendents. The following…

This publication highlights lessons learned by participants at the May 2006 AYPF field trip to Philadelphia about the best practices the city uses to sustain its comprehensive out-of-school time system. In May of 2006, the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) led a field trip to Philadelphia, Pa., in an effort to expose Washington, DC policymakers…

Partnerships in education often begin as a way to stretch resources, but then become harmonious, growing relationships. This brochure describes Pennsylvania's Partnerships in Education program, an outgrowth of earlier "adopt-a-school" efforts and a component of Governor Dick Thornburgh's comprehensive reform package. Students benefit by…

The most widespread health and safety problem on college and university campuses in the United States today is high-risk alcohol use and related consequences. The heavy, episodic use of alcohol that 44 percent of college students engage in results in a myriad of consequences for both drinkers and nondrinkers, ranging from disturbed study and…

Research has found a strong relationship between aggregate economic indicators and the number of individuals receiving services from mental health facilities. To examine the relationship between macroeconomics and health, the broad utilization patterns and demographic information on the aggregate number of individuals using the mental health…

This report outlines emerging paradigms of service for mentally retarded adults emerging from a nationwide search for innovative programs and practices. It was prompted by the consistent finding of a Pennsylvania longitudinal study that mentally retarded school completers tend to live indefinitely with parents or guardians. The study found the…

This document examines emerging issues and opportunities for community-based organization (CBO) involvement in welfare reform. The document begins with a brief section of background information on past CBO involvement in helping families move from welfare to work. The next section answers policy questions pertaining to the following issues: (1)…

This report addresses three aspects of the "drug problem" on Pennsylvania's college campuses: (1) education and prevention; (2) diagnosis and treatment; and (3) law enforcement. It describes a wide variety of campus responses to this challenge reflecting the enormous variety of institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth. The…

The diminishing role of the federal government in rural development has created an opportunity for new initiatives in this area. One potentially useful response is the creation of a state-rural policy center. Such centers can combine the efforts of land grant institutions, extension services, and state universities in the development and…

Pennsylvania's family literacy programs were subjected to a statewide evaluation in 1999-2000. Data were collected through focus groups with parents, a survey of staff in community agencies and organizations, and analyses of program data and the findings of selected assessments administered to adults and children involved in the program.…

In their 2004 State of the State speeches, the nation's governors cited many issues competing for their attention and their states' resources, including health care, education, crime, and security (Nodine 2004). Among the most compelling challenges were those related to economic development and the ability of a state's workforce to meet the needs…