In this dissertation, I analyze the development and dissemination of state-level policies to prohibit colleges from considering criminal history for purposes of admissions otherwise known as ban the box in higher education. This research engages with practical and instructive questions of how individuals or coalitions can learn from other policy…

Objective: The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to understand college students' (1) views and experiences regarding marijuana, (2) voting behaviors, and (3) early perceptions of the impact of legislation. Participants: College students from Washington and Wisconsin were interviewed between May and September 2013. Methods: Participants…

This hearing serves as a first in a set of hearings focusing on early learning. In his opening statement, Senator Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, strongly encouraged members of this committee on both sides of the aisle to hold roundtables and have discussions on early learning in their local…

Context: The 2008 financial crisis had a far-reaching impact on nearly every sector of the economy. As unemployment increased so did the uninsured. Already operating on a slim margin and poor payer mix, many critical access hospitals are facing a tough road ahead. Purpose: We seek to examine the increasing impact of uncompensated care on the…

At least four large urban school districts plan to spend a significant amount of their federal economic-stimulus money to support or improve programs for English-language learners, a fast-growing group in U.S. schools. The districts--Boston, New York City, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Seattle--have had varying degrees of success serving such students.…

Produced every four years by the Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, the education cost study provides detailed instructional cost information for the state's public two-year and four-year institutions. The cost analysis is based on expenditures drawn from two sources: state Near-General Fund appropriations and tuition revenue. By…

Earthquakes are low-probability, high-consequence events. Though they may occur only once in the life of a school, they can have devastating, irreversible consequences. Moderate earthquakes can cause serious damage to building contents and non-structural building systems, serious injury to students and staff, and disruption of building operations.…

Legislative actions affecting higher education in the state of Washington in 1979, enacted by the forty-sixth Washington state legislature are presented. Numbers and brief descriptions of both House and Senate bills are provided in Section 1. Section 2 summarizes Senate and House resolutions and appropriations act study provisos directed to the…

The Council for Postsecondary Education in Washington is required to collect and report information necessary to determine compliance with the law regarding professional leave activity in two- and four-year institutions (RCW 28B.10.650). Various sections of the law deal with the purposes of professional leaves; stipulate that remuneration shall…

The Hartsville, Tennessee nuclear reactor site, the coal plant at Wheatland, Wyoming, and the nuclear plant at Skagit, Washington have mitigation plans developed in response to a federal, state, and local regulatory agency, respectively; the three mitigation plans aim at internalizing community-level social costs and benefits during the…

This report is in response to an order of the Washington State Legislature which directed the state superintendent of public instruction to: (1) define environmental literacy; (2) assess the status and needs of environmental education in Washington and make appropriate recommendations based on that survey data; and (3) develop and submit a report…