We evaluate the effects of state policy design features on SCHIP take-up rates and on the degree to which SCHIP benefits crowd out private benefits. The results indicate overall program take-up rates of approximately 10 percent. However, there is considerable heterogeneity across states, suggesting a potential role of inter-state variation in…

This article reports that education leaders in Los Angeles, faced with unrelenting pressure to raise anemic high school graduation rates, are turning to YouTube, MySpace, text messaging, and the radio waves to reach students at risk of dropping out of school and lure back thousands who have already left. The Los Angeles Unified School…

We describe a service-learning course in which college students developed hands-on chemistry laboratory activities for elementary school children. These activities were then conducted with children both in area classrooms and in our own laboratories. This course allowed our students to apply their knowledge of chemical principles while introducing…

This paper uses ethnographic data from research in three middle schools in Queens, New York and analyzes school choice publications created and distributed by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) to answer questions about how the district and school-level communication strategies and materials facilitate and/or complicate Latin…

College and career readiness has become a unifying principle for education reform leaders across the country. A majority of states have made it a top policy priority, with an increasing number of national foundations and education reform advocates supporting this work. To help state leaders build strategies for sustaining their education agendas…

State public policy has been an important tool for improving the educational preparation and opportunity for many communities. However, without concerted statewide efforts it will continue to be difficult to substantially expand opportunities to accelerate higher education attainment and workforce preparation. Over the next 15 years, the states…

From its inception, Penn State has played a role in Pennsylvania's economy. As a land-grant university, it has functioned as a change agent, transferring research and knowledge to increase farm yields, encouraging business and "the mechanic arts," and transmitting technology to the general population. While the university still does…

These two comic books are part of the "Very Special Family" series, created by and for Hispanic parents of children with special needs. The materials are designed to help parents deal with the emotional difficulties of raising a child with disabilities. The booklets are printed in both English and Spanish. In Part 1, "Mario and Clara Hernandez," a…

This survey of 39 University Affiliated Program (UAP) Outreach Training Directors describes UAP outreach training efforts to improve services to people with developmental disabilities. The survey examined the influence of different staffing strategies on the structure of outreach training programs, and the degree of participation by various groups…

A qualitative research approach was used to investigate the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) educational efforts in achieving scientific literacy through mass media and other communication technologies. Six in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with various NASA education and public affairs officers throughout the…

This report is the outcome of a regional workshop on development of science, technology and outreach courses held at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo. The workshop emanated from UNESCO's commitment and continued effort to promote cooperation among the distance teaching universities in the region through the sharing of their experience and…

This document reports on a mini-summit meeting on family involvement in education that was held at the Education Center of the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals' Association. The one-day working conference brought together 95 leaders from K-12 schools, higher education and research institutions, parent involvement advocacy groups, and the…

The Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) Summer Associates program enabled 708 people to work full time in low-income areas with 33 existing VISTA sponsors throughout the country for 8-10 weeks in direct service roles performing counseling, tutoring, community outreach, office work, surveys, and home construction. Associates served an average…

A 3-year project to generate awareness and utilization of the nontraditional services offered by the Florida public libraries is described. The presentation is divided into two sections: an overview of the program to date and examples from the media campaign. Within section 1, three distinct phases of the project are identified and described:…

The report summarizes activities and accomplishments of the Portage Project Outreach approach which provides training and technical assistance to Project Outreach approach, which provides training and technical assistance to Portage Project model focuses on early intervention in either home or center-based settings. Following a brief overview of…