Developed for users of the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY), this user guide consolidates information about the LSAY 2009 cohort into one document. The guide aims to address all aspects of the LSAY data including: how to access the data; data restrictions; variable naming conventions; the structure of the data; documentation;…

This guide provides brief descriptions of the ever-increasing number of data and information resources available to those who work in the child and youth indicators field. It is a resource useful to the novice and the veteran, to those who work in governance, advocacy, research, and the media. Items covered include: books, journals, and other…

The program development process for substance abusers is very challenging. Planning and evaluation in substance abuse prevention and treatment is continuously affected by change. It requires extraordinary flexibility, adaptability, and creativity to insure that programs are designed to effectively meet the multiple needs of the clientele.…

This "Pocket Guide" is derived from the "2004 KIDS COUNT Special Report: City & Rural KIDSCOUNT Data Book." It is designed to give state-level policymakers a better understanding of conditions faced by families in their rural communities and how they compare to those in the rural parts of other states, as well as the country as a whole. This…

In 2002, the Bush administration adopted the Children's Defense Fund's (CDF's) mission to "Leave No Child Behind" as a motto. This report details the CDF's assessment of the state of children in the United States, examines how the Bush administration has translated the President's promise to "leave no child behind," and lays…

This guide for Connecticut policymakers and advocacy groups provides instructions for conducting a community assessment--gathering and analyzing data on child well-being, using social indicators. The guide first details the steps for a community assessment: create goals and objectives, identify outcomes and indicators, develop a plan, find…

Shifting to results-based accountability is a difficult stage in reforming family and children's services. Heretofore, these services have been more concerned with the number of clients seen or papers processed than in their clients' quality of life. This document should help communities find the data they need to measure qualitative outcomes. It…

This Massachusetts Kids Count report focuses on child abuse and neglect in the state of Massachusetts and presents recommendations for alleviating stressors contributing to child maltreatment. The report presents incidence information and identifies the impact of child abuse on future risk status. In addition, the report differentiates the 12…

This paper proposes using nontest indicators, along with academic tests, to assess school effects on youth development. Relationships between indicators and tests are explored and examples presented of nontest indicators of intellectual development, career development, and health and personal safety. Data sources for indicators are…

The second in a series, this volume highlights 18 indicators of children's well-being in the 50 states and presents case studies of 5 states' strategies to prevent various problems among the birth to 5-year-old population. Indicators are grouped according to factors that may place young children at risk; these include: (1) mandatory kindergarten…

This publication provides the objective data needed to track and monitor the well-being of children in different types of American communities. It is part of the ongoing work of the Casey Foundation -- advanced primarily through our KIDS COUNT initiative -- designed to give policymakers data that can help them better understand how conditions of…

Addresses the feasibility of establishing standards that would guide communities in protecting the environments of children and families. Recommends an environmental assessment tool that evaluates child well-being, compares community averages in terms of high-risk factors, includes longitudinal assessments of child well-being, examines community…

As part of a series of reports designed to support the implementation of Proposition 10: The California Children and Families Act and to provide comprehensive and authoritative information on critical issues concerning young children and families in California, this report addresses how Proposition 10 Commissions can organize their work and their…

Presents findings on public attitudes toward educational policies pursued by the Reagan Administration from the 1987 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll. It is a 13-page report with statistical data and an explanation of how the research was conducted. (MD)

Prepared to help small towns assess community population and economic trends, this publication provides a step-by-step guide for establishing an on-going local data collection system, which is based on four local indicators and will provide accurate, up-to-date estimates of population, family income, and gross sales within a town's trade area. The…