Do employees at public colleges and universities have better retirement benefits than K-12 employees? This is the central question in the new report "Choice and Quality Among Retirement Plans for Educators." To answer this question, we evaluate the quality of higher education and K-12 retirement plans using five key variables: (1)…

Background: In 2016, the United States Department of Agriculture issued a final rule to strengthen local wellness policies (LWPs). As school districts pursue compliance, states can provide critical guidance by leveraging support from intermediary programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program--Education (SNAP-Ed). After Arizona…

The issue of early childhood trauma is becoming more prominent in early childhood policy discussions, driven by a growing recognition of the potentially devastating impacts of trauma and violence on infants, toddlers, and families. This article provides facts about the impacts of trauma and other adverse early experiences on child health and…

Texas faces numerous challenges but also has abundant opportunities to build the middle class and increase prosperity. Unfortunately, too many Texans are on the sideline, lacking access to opportunities to learn, earn, and save to secure a more prosperous future for themselves and their families. To create jobs, increase income, and promote…

For the past 25 years, the Public Policy Forum has compiled and analyzed data from southeast Wisconsin's public school districts to produce an annual report on trends in educational performance and demographics. This year's report, however, may take on greater importance than those of previous years in light of the monumental impacts of the new…

This report represents the latest State Governance Action Report (SGAR) covering current or just recently completed legislative sessions. Among the most important issues being considered are management autonomy, such as relaxed rules for purchasing, procurement, and human resources, and greater fiscal autonomy measures such as carry-over budgeting…

Describes eight components of planning initiatives for improving the quality and delivery of early childhood education: (1) creating linkages; (2) using data in planning; (3) improving program quality; (4) developing a coordinated professional development system; (5) financing the system; (6) creating new systems of governance; (7) building public…

Over the past 20 years, the share of Kentucky's general fund dollars spent on police and corrections, and health and human services, has increased. Meanwhile, the share spent on elementary and secondary education has not changed, while higher education funding has fallen. Compared to similar states, Kentucky spends less money per student at all…

The chief planing officer of the University of Bath outlines the demographic and academic reasons for the institution's recent, unpopular planning and policy decisions. This information is presented in the context of current British national higher education policy. (MSE)

A follow-up report on the California State University's Contra Costa Center, a proposed permanent off-campus center, is presented. The California Postsecondary Education Commission approved the original proposal in 1987, contingent on finding solutions to concerns about transportation access and services to disadvantaged students. The university…

The work of the 1984-1987 California Commission for the Review of the Master Plan for Higher Education (which spelled out how the function of each of its three public higher education segments would be differentiated, governed, and coordinated) is reviewed with focus on its effectiveness. Members of the Commission were asked to determine their…

Approximately 250 manpower planning specialists employed by federal, state, and local governments and universities attended a 2-day conference, which examined the planning process for manpower action geared to state and local area needs. Topics covered in papers at the conference included: (1) principles and problems of manpower policy planning,…

In December 1991, the Nevada Workforce Group and Nevada Workforce Agencies (NWA) were formed in an effort to expand/improve joint planning and collaboration between occupational education (OE) and job training (JT) throughout Nevada. The NWA consists of the directors, administrators, or designated representatives of 13 state agencies involved in…

The Early Childhood Education Network was created as a result of a year-long collaborative project between the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) and the Policymaker Partnership to help states create an infrastructure to support the delivery of quality services to children and their families. The boards of education in six…