As a new school year begins across the country, many are looking back on a long, hot summer and wondering where did all that time go? For early childhood public policy, three developments over the summer are likely to shape the field for quite some time. By July, many states had wound up their budgets for the coming year. In addition to cuts to…

Each edition of the IDRA Newsletter strives to provide many different perspectives on the issues in education topics discussed and to define its significance in the state and national dialogue. This issue focuses on Enlightened Public Policy and includes: (1) The Status of School Finance Equity in Texas (Albert Cortez); and (2) Disciplinary…

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Professional Student Exchange Program enables students in 12 Western states to enroll in selected out-of-state professional programs, usually because those fields of study are not available at public institutions in their home states. Exchange students receive preference in admission.…

In preparing for changes in federal funding policies the state of Missouri is one of 13 states to participate in the Children's Budget Watch Project, which documents expenditures on children's programs for the fiscal years 1990, 1993, 1994 and 1995. This report from the Citizens for Missouri's Children presents data on Missouri's expenditures in a…

This study of the fiscal, legal, and political dimensions of reform in American school finance responds to the challenge of San Antonio Independent School District vs. Rodriguez. The book focuses specifically on the State of Texas and the way in which injustices were analyzed for the landmark Rodriguez case. The book goes on to describe the role…

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which the allocation of federal, state, and local financial resources for vocational and technical education was sufficient to finance the training and placement of an adequate number of graduates to meet the training needs in Missouri as indicated by the distribution of the work force and…

This summary report on the distribution of federal postsecondary education funds in the Western states is presented by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. The basic concerns addressed in the study are: What major federal assistance programs affect postsecondary education? How should federal program assistance to states be…

Child care provisions in the federal welfare bill allow state policymakers flexibility in child care fund allocation. This report, prepared for the 75th Texas Legislature, reviews research on the importance of child care programs to low-income families. The report notes that the child care needs of many low-income Texas families have not been met…

This paper examines how Head Start and state pre-kindergarten programs can work together to better serve young children and their families. It focuses on two of the several models of early childhood education, acknowledging that these programs are just one piece of a fully integrated system of early care and education for children from birth until…

American Indians are among the most underrepresented and underserved groups in higher education. Fifty-one out of every 100 American Indians graduate from high school. Of these 1, only 7 percent will enroll in college and ultimately earn a bachelor's degree within six years. Some American-Indian students fail to complete their studies for…

During the last 25 years, there has been a major shift in the way that state and federal governments fund financial aid to students attending colleges and universities. This shift has been characterized by the idea of "cost sharing"--a "high tuition, high aid" model that requires students and their families to shoulder a greater percentage of the…

The five largest insular areas of the United States--American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands--receive federal funding through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), joint federal-state programs that finance health care for certain low-income…

This report is an effort to assess what has been accomplished in successfully diversifying and desegregating historically segregated and unequal higher educational institutions across Kentucky, and how this was done. The report discusses the changing legal setting for these initiatives, analyzes the educational achievements and challenges, and…

In response to states' interest, NECTAC (National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center) queried Part C and Section 619 Coordinators regarding certification or endorsements for personnel working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and how states provide services for children diagnosed with ASD. Responses were received…

This report presents results of the Iowa College Student Aid Commission's annual survey of colleges and universities in Iowa concerning racial and ethnic minority representation among students and faculty. The report summarizes trends in student enrollment, state-sponsored student financial aid, and faculty appointments by racial and ethnic…