The recent overhaul of the federal welfare system gives states new flexibility to set child care policies, develop child care programs, and fund new initiatives. The Child Care Action Campaign (CCAC) conducted an audioconference on July 31, 1997, to examine key elements of new state plans and to take a close look at how one state, Illinois, made…

This case study is intended to provide education planners in other states with information on Colorado's experience with the Lifelong Learning Project. It is organized into several sections. To set the context, major circumstances affecting state-level planning and policy development are described. They are presented under two headings: (1)…

The overall objective of the project was to formulate a set of statewide policies to provide for a continuing and systematic approach to the problem of updating the content knowledge of vocational teachers in secondary and postsecondary schools. The opportunity for an individualized, planned, two-week work experience in business, industry,…

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 booklet is part of a series on state-level family support and education policy published by the Harvard Family Research Project. It is based on a more detailed set of studies collected in "Innovative Models to Guide Family Support and Education Policy in the 1990s." Connecticut's Parent Education Support Centers program offers…

The five states featured in this second edition of "Innovative States" were chosen because they reflect crucial elements in an emerging understanding of state policy making in family support and education. Creative state partnerships involving program development and funding are a key ingredient to successful endeavors. States rely on…

The decline in Federal funding for state-provided social services during the 1980s triggered a transformation in the states' roles in family policymaking. This booklet documents four state initiatives designed to bring about systems change: (1) Healthy Start (California); (2) the Governor's Families and Children Initiative (Colorado); (3) the…

Noting that fundamental reform of child support policy that builds on state and local innovations is essential, this report provides recommendations for state policymakers and advocates to address deficiencies in child support enforcement. The recommendations are in the areas of resources, paternity, and outreach. They include: (1) establishing…

On October 16, 1989, a statewide conference was held in New Jersey to assist in increasing the supply of employer supported, affordable, high quality child care in the state through a working partnership with the public, private, voluntary, and business sectors of the community. One of the conference objectives was to provide employers with…

A rebuttal is offered to the criticisms made of the State Education Department (SED) and its Board of Regents in a program audit of the Legislative Commission on Expenditure Review (LCER). Comments of four major types are made. First, the Regents contend that the LCER report ignored many of the SED's activities in the area of instructional fixed…

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…

This policy brief synthesizes the proceedings of a symposium on children and family services, focusing on elements of successful collaboration among human services agencies. In the first section of the brief, the meaning of collaboration in the family services context is clarified, and ways in which the current focus on collaboration differs from…

As states work to provide public funds for early care and education programs, they need data on the current system to better provide a system that supports parents' need to work, promotes healthy child development, and ensures the educational quality of all early education and care programs. This report provides Massachusetts' policy makers with a…

Discussed in this report is the MacArthur/Spencer Special Project on Educational Finance conducted on the campuses of the Illinois State University. This 5-year research effort is designed to conduct research into equity, adequacy, and efficiency aspects of educational finance in Illinois. When possible, conclusions and generalizations are…