Today's increasingly complex financial services market offers consumers a vast array of products, services, and providers to choose from to meet their financial needs. While this degree of choice provides consumers with a great number of options, it also requires that they be equipped with the information, knowledge, and skills to evaluate their…

In 2006, a good education is no longer just a way for an individual to get ahead. It is also, and increasingly, the best way a state can get ahead-and therefore a real economic priority. A college degree confers specific, calculable benefits on a state's citizens: the average lifetime income of an individual with a bachelor's degree is $2.1…

Employment in Hawaii (including hourly and salaried jobs and self-employment) is projected to grow by 14 percent from 2002 to 2012, adding over 78,000 new jobs to the state's economy and growing the workforce from 558,220 to 636,480. The rate of growth is slightly lower than the 15 percent increase projected for the nation as a whole. Over the…

Income replacement and reemployment programs in Michigan and its neighboring states were examined in the context of recent changes in federal policy regarding compensation and services for individuals who have lost their jobs or sustained job-related injuries. The analysis focused primarily on the following programs: (1) Unemployment Insurance…

The various parties interested in reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program are considering a number of issues related to the program's work requirements. The following policy questions have sparked particular debate: (1) the impact that allowing additional activities to count toward federal participation rates…

The purpose of this resource guide is to identify and describe teaching, training, and staff development materials that meet three basic criteria: they are good, they are readily available, and they are inexpensive. These resources may assist educators, trainers, supervisors, and other personnel preparation decisionmakers in designing quality…

This Congressional report contains the testimony and documents presented for the record of a hearing to gather input regarding the Strengthening Working Families Act of 2001, which was drafted to provide the assistance needed by former welfare recipients and other poor working parents to remain employed and advance in the labor market. The…

This report summarizes findings from the first year of an implementation study of the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI). ECCI is a prekindergarten program in ten elementary schools and a community child care center in Palm Beach County, based on the design of the High/Scope Perry Preschool model. The initiative is characterized by low…

This document examines three studies that explored additional support, retention, and guidance in England's urban colleges. The foreword and summary discuss the mission, focus, and results of each study. "Funding and Tracking Additional Support in Basic Skills and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)" (Liz Lawson, Philida…

This curriculum is designed to meet the needs of adult students trying to make a transition from welfare to work or further education. Special focus is on Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program participants enrolled in adult basic education or life skills classes. The curriculum is built around four questions: Who am I?, What's out there?,…

This document is a compilation of 166 abstracts of journal articles relevant to community integration for people with developmental disabilities. Articles were published from 1988 through 1997 and were selected for inclusion based on their relevance to policy and practice with research articles included if they had a strong applied emphasis.…

The Lowell Public Library (Indiana) Adult Literacy Program expanded literacy efforts of the library and its volunteer tutors by increasing the program enrollment numbers of the functionally illiterate English-speaking, English as a Second Language (ESL), migrant workers, and Basic Math students; assisted students in achieving their stated goals in…

The Family Literacy: Aid in Reading (FLAIR) program was a project of the Blanchard Community Library (Santa Paula, California), conducted during fiscal year 1992-93. The project involved recruitment, retention, public awareness, basic literacy, tutoring, computer assisted, employment oriented, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The…

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library (Alaska) conducted a project that involved recruitment, coalition building, public awareness, training, basic literacy, collection development, tutoring, computer assisted services, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The project served a community of 50,000-100,000, and targeted inmates…

The Lee Library Association conducted a project that involved recruitment, public awareness, training, rural oriented, basic literacy, collection development, tutoring, computer assisted services, and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The project served a community of 25,000-50,000 people, and targeted the homeless, learning disabled,…