The civic education policy framework and gap analysis tool are intended to guide state leaders as they address the complexities of preparing students for college, career and civic life. They allow for adaptation to state- and site-specific circumstances and may be adopted in whole or in piecemeal fashion, according to states' individual…

The "Policy to Performance Toolkit" is designed to provide state adult education staff and key stakeholders with guidance and tools to use in developing, implementing, and monitoring state policies and their associated practices that support an effective state adult basic education (ABE) to postsecondary education and training transition…

This paper reports on the High/Scope National Policy Conference, which was concerned with the process of designing good early childhood legislation and the political processes that enhance or impede legislative passage. Discussion began with an overview of the range of options facing policymakers as they attempt to design legislation or write…

This study of services to young children with special needs in Massachusetts was conducted for the Early Childhood Project, Division of Special Education, Massachusetts Department of Education. The report contains the following: (1) an evaluation of activities carried out between October 1979 and August 1980 by the Birth to Six Project in…

An investigation of smoking polices and smoking practices of residents and employees in 106 Massachusetts state-supported residential programs found that state-operated programs prohibited employees from smoking in residences and restricted residents who smoked to designated areas. One-third of vendor-operated agencies allowed residents and staff…

The enactment and early implementation of remedial education policy reform was examined in Massachusetts and Oklahoma. The study also addressed the question of why "stakes for students" is an increasingly attractive option in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education reform. In these states, as in others, the high levels of…

This report traces the history and accomplishments of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education over the past 12 years, during 3 state administrations. In the early 1990s, as the Commonwealth was feeling the impact of recession, the perceived quality of the system was declining, as were enrollments and retention. State policymakers and leaders…

This bulletin describes types of prepayment and savings plans for financing college education, outlines advantages and disadvantages of these programs, and highlights issues that state and institutional planners and policymakers should consider. A description of existing tuition prepayment plans looks at state plans that typically permit investors…

This paper provides an overview of how Massachusetts has successfully integrated use of the federal Medicaid program into a plan for financing Part H of Public Law 99-457, the 1986 Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act, on a statewide basis. Noted is the lack of a single strategy for accessing Medicaid funds for early intervention…

Constituting a comprehensive child care policy, 30 recommendations are presented with an aim to increase the supply of affordable, high quality day care in Massachusetts. "Quality," defined as "services meeting children's developmental needs," is the critical component and underlying theme of each recommendation. This document…

The Management Information System for Occupational Education (MISOE) supports policy formation at two levels. On the static level, MISOE provides managers with data about students, teachers, administrators, costs, and the social impacts of educational programs which are essential to the accurate analysis of present policy. On another level, the…

This document presents findings from interviews conducted to obtain information on changes that have occurred in state Special Education Advisory Panels (SEAPs) since the passage of the 1997 amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The interviews investigated general organizational changes, SEAP involvement in the…

To help states learn from each other's experiences, this report focuses on what three states--Arizona, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania--are doing to improve and expand family literacy services. It also includes background information on family literacy, resources, and names and addresses of state directors of family literacy. The case studies show…

This report presents the fourth study conducted by the Massachusetts Early Childhood Advisory Council since its inception in 1985, an investigation focusing on how interagency collaboration occurs in local early childhood programs in Massachusetts and whether mandating interagency councils is effective in promoting collaboration. The report also…

This report defines policy and practices for child care assistance for welfare recipients in New York, and explores ways in which the state could use the newly enacted federal welfare reform legislation to create opportunities for children of welfare recipients. The six sections of the report are based on a survey of child care policies and…