Postsecondary education is a primary goal for the majority of high school students with transition plans, according to the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2. However, according to that same study, only about 3 in 10 young adults with disabilities have taken postsecondary education classes since high school. And among those with the lowest…

This commentary highlights the work of the Collaborative for Building After-School Systems (CBASS), a collaborative of mature, city and county-wide nonprofit OST intermediaries, to develop and adopt common youth-, program- and system-level measures that are easy and cost-effective for local systems to implement. By agreeing to adopt and publicly…

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) promotes research on the civic and political engagements of Americans between the ages of 15 and 25. The following topics are covered in this issue of "Around the CIRCLE": (1) Common Social Studies Teaching Practices and their Civic Outcomes; (2) CIRCLE Jointly Hosts…

More than 10 million children from birth through age six in the US live in low-income families. Although large investments in early childhood intervention programs are evident, is the field fully exploiting its potential to address the diverse needs of children and families? One means of addressing this question is to focus on the efficacy of…

In New Jersey, bright elementary and middle school students whose parents are financially limited have an opportunity to participate in a program called New Jersey SEEDS (Scholars, Educators, Excellence, Dedication, Success). SEEDS provides intellectually challenging academic enrichment classes on Saturdays and during the summer so that students…

This issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" focuses on out-of-school time (OST). Several authors provide insights into how they, and others, are tackling measurement issues, from using technology and data systems to collect information and track progress, to applying lessons learned from developing early childhood quality measures. Other authors…

Recently, policy makers have begun to insist on evidence showing whether public investment in programs for children has achieved its desired results. No longer will it be sufficient to show that programs are meeting established standards for practice or that families are satisfied with services. Data are needed to show that services are effective.…

States and communities across the country recognize that creating a shared set of desired outcomes for young people provides the opportunity to take stock in how well children and teens are doing on national and local levels. While some of this data is available across time and states, much of it focuses on the negative indicators (e.g., teen…

This Summer 2003 issue of "Y&E Lessons in Learning" contains the following articles: (1) Playgrounds Where All Kids Are Able to Play; (2) Kellogg Foundation Promotes Youth Voices in Special Comic Book; (3) Families for Kids: A Powerful Approach to System Reform; (4) New Program Focuses Community Leaders on Educational Change; (5)…

Wisconsin's Open Enrollment program, which policymakers hope will improve educational performance by introducing competition to public schools, allows students to enroll in any district in the state, provided space is available. First implemented in the 1998-1999 school year, the program now includes 1% of all Wisconsin K-12 students. In its first…

The purpose of "Focus" is to provide coverage of poverty-related research, events, and issues, and to acquaint a large audience with the work of the Institute for Research on Poverty by means of short essays on selected pieces of research. This issue contains the following articles: (1) The new global labor market (Richard B. Freeman);…