ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
It Takes a Community: Civic Life and Community Involvement among Coos County Youth. New England Issue Brief No. 32
Author: Young, Justin R.
Date: 2012-00-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Youth,Community Involvement,Group Membership,Youth Opportunities,Youth Programs,Youth Agencies,Citizen Participation,Citizenship Education,Citizenship Responsibility,Community Cooperation,Community Characteristics,Demography,Rural Youth,Adolescent Attitudes,Interviews,Gender Differences,Community Attitudes,Organizational Effectiveness,Organizational Theories,Performance Factors,Group Dynamics

Among the many notable features of Coos County, New Hampshire, is the region's high level of community engagement and a rich civic culture. Community and Environment in Rural America (CERA) surveys by the Carsey Institute have shown that nearly one-fourth of adults in the community report membership in a civic or fraternal organization, and an overwhelming majority agrees that residents can work together to resolve local problems. Yet we know relatively little about the role of youth in the community life of Coos County. Recent research suggests that, across the nation, levels of civic engagement among young people are greater than many might assume, though there is significant variation in youth involvement across different kinds of activities and from one region to the next. Places with a long history of civic life such as Coos County might exhibit higher levels of youth involvement than rural areas with long histories of inequality, underinvestment, and chronic poverty, where social ties are fewer and community cohesion lower, such as those in central Appalachia or the Mississippi Delta. Like adult residents, youth are one social resource that communities can draw on as they seek to resolve local problems and foster community well-being. This issue brief explores the extent to which Coos County youth are involved in a variety of civic-related activities, with particular attention to the demographic and attitudinal factors associated with such participation. It also assesses the successes and struggles of local organizations in getting youth involved in community affairs. (Contains 5 figures and 10 endnotes.)
Updating WIA Title II to Help More Adult Education Students Gain Postsecondary Credentials and Move up to Better Jobs
Author: Strawn, Julie
Date: 2007-04-11
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Credentials,Student Financial Aid,Adult Education,Job Training,Remedial Instruction,Labor Market,Education Work Relationship,Adult Students,Postsecondary Education,Basic Skills,Compensation (Remuneration),High School Equivalency Programs,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Dual Enrollment,Alignment (Education),Accountability,Federal Legislation

Two facts have become clear since passage of the Workforce Investment Act in 1998. First, when low-skilled individuals increase their basic skills, these higher skills pay off in the labor market in the form of higher employment and earnings. Second, these earnings increases are typically modest and fall short of what people need to become self-sufficient, even for adult education participants that earn a GED. These facts have led a number of states and localities to focus on increasing transitions from adult education to postsecondary education and training. The early results are quite promising: (1) The Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training initiative (I-BEST) in Washington State pairs adult education/ESL instructors with vocational instructors to integrate contextualized remediation and English language services with occupational training; and (2) Kentucky has encouraged and supported local efforts to dual enroll students in adult education and college remediation, enabling them to work toward their GED and complete college coursework at the same time. Adult education students benefit greatly from programs such as those in Washington and Kentucky because they can earn marketable postsecondary credentials more quickly and avoid using up their limited student aid and personal resources on tuition for college remediation, accessing free adult education remediation for their coursework below college level. Many more states and localities could follow their example, but some are hesitant to do so without clearer guidance in this area from Congress. Currently Title II does not reflect this new consensus on the importance of postsecondary transitions for adult education students, and in fact there is much confusion in the field as to whether services that promote transitions are encouraged or even allowed under WIA. The recommendations offered in this paper are intended to update Title II to support state and local innovations in this critical area, which in turn will increase persistence in adult education, increase transitions to postsecondary programs, and help low-income adults attain marketable postsecondary credentials. (Contains 4 footnotes.)
Recommendations to Support High-Quality Early Education Programs through Reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act
Author: Ewen, Danielle
Date: 2007-05-17
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Risk,Integrated Services,Second Language Learning,Child Development,Early Childhood Education,Young Children,English Language Learners,Professional Development,State Departments of Education,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Child Care Centers,Data Collection,Child Care,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Educational Quality

By the time they enter kindergarten, many low-income children are already behind their peers from more advantaged backgrounds. During early childhood, low-income children face a number of risk factors that threaten healthy development and learning, including low birth weight, stunted growth, obesity, and lead poisoning--all of which are associated with physical disabilities, reduced IQ, and grade repetition. Well-designed and well-implemented early care and education programs can improve outcomes for all children, particularly those in low-income families. High-quality programs should also address other risks to child development by helping parents access comprehensive services for themselves and their children--such as medical, dental, mental health, and family support services--that are necessary for healthy development. While states and local communities recognize the importance of these investments, limited funding has constrained policymakers' ability to create and expand programs that meet young children's needs from birth through school entry. Unlike other funding sources, Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has seen some increases in funding levels since 2002. As a result, a number of policymakers interested in investing in high-quality early care and education programs have turned to Title I as a funding source. The child care and early education team at CLASP has spent the last two years examining the relationship between Title I and the provision of high-quality early education programs in local communities. It has collected information on more than 100 programs and has conducted interviews with nearly half of these to understand the barriers and flexibility in the law. Its work has led to the following recommendations for the reauthorization of NCLB: (1) Improve data collection; (2) Enhance language on transitions between community-based early childhood programs and local schools; (3) Sustain and support local flexibility in use of funds for discretionary purposes, such as early childhood programs; (4) Ensure that joint professional development opportunities are available to build knowledge of child development and appropriate practices with English language learners (ELLs); (5) Encourage state educational agencies to promote early childhood programs at the local level; and (6) Increase funding. (Contains 23 endnotes.)
Improving Access to Education and Training for TANF Participants
Author: Lower-Basch, Elizabeth
Date: 2007-05-18
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Access to Education,Educational Attainment,Block Grants,Welfare Services,Education Work Relationship,Vocational Education,English (Second Language),English Language Learners,Second Language Learning,Adult Education,Low Income Groups

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant is one of the major sources of funding for services designed to help low-income parents succeed in the workplace. The TANF law limits the degree to which states can count TANF families engaged in education and training activities toward federal work participation rate requirements--an unfortunate limitation, given the strong link between educational attainment and earnings. This paper recommends that Congress remove these arbitrary limits and allow vocational educational training to count for at least 24 months, along with allowing adult education and English language services to count for at least six months so that students can transition into training. (Contains 3 footnotes.)
Making Pre-Kindergarten Work for Low-Income Working Families. CLASP Child Care and Early Education Series. Policy Paper No. 1
Author: Schumacher, Rachel
Date: 2007-06-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Child Care,Income,Child Development,Preschool Education,Low Income Groups,Family Income,Child Care Centers,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Welfare Services,Welfare Recipients,State Programs

A growing number of state leaders believe that it is essential to expand high-quality early learning and development opportunities for all young children before they reach kindergarten. A key component of this strategy is providing access to voluntary, high-quality pre-kindergarten programs, especially for low-income children. Over the last few years, a number of governors have announced their intention to expand pre-kindergarten. Yet for states to improve the chances of children who might otherwise start school at a disadvantage, pre-kindergarten programs must be designed with their families in mind. It is critical that pre-kindergarten policies promote healthy child development &quot;and&quot; be supportive of the needs of low-income working families. The opportunity to make state pre-kindergarten programs work for working families is often lost. The vast majority of state pre-kindergarten programs offer part-day services limited to the school year. States can help working families who rely on child care access state pre-kindergarten programs by including community-based child care settings in the delivery of pre-kindergarten. This model has the potential to break the traditional barrier between pre-kindergarten and child care policies and to address the needs of children in working families in a coordinated way, as well as to improve the various early care and education settings where children of working families already spend significant time. Although the vast majority of states now allow pre-kindergarten to be delivered in community-based early care and education settings, simply allowing this option does not in itself guarantee that low-income working families' needs will be met. A handful of states are working to realize these opportunities, but more could be done. This paper is based on a review of the first in-depth national research on the 29 states that, as of 2004, allowed mixed delivery in their pre-kindergarten programs. The review focused on promising practices and ideas for improvement. This paper: (1) provides evidence that policymakers need to review their pre-kindergarten initiatives to ensure maximum access for children in working families, especially low-income children; (2) describes some models states and localities are using to be responsive to low-income working families' needs by delivering pre-kindergarten in community-based settings; and (3) highlights key strategies to address the needs of low-income working families and examines the extent to which state pre-kindergarten policies currently do so. (Contains 3 figures and 65 endnotes.)
Recommended Changes to the No Child Left Behind Act to Address Workforce Issues. Submitted to the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness of the Committee on Education and Labor
Author: Harris, Linda
Date: 2007-07-12
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Lifelong Learning,Educational Change,Education Work Relationship,High Schools,Best Practices,Change Strategies,Educational Improvement,Program Improvement,Federal Legislation,Federal Programs,Educational Policy,Labor Market,Educational Needs,Labor Needs,Accountability,Dropout Prevention,Reentry Students,Capacity Building,Integrated Services,Program Implementation,Labor Force Development

This paper presents Center for Law and Social Policy's (CLASP's) recommendations on how No Child Left Behind (NCLB) could better address the workforce challenges faced by this country. CLASP is a nonprofit organization engaged in research, analysis, technical assistance, and advocacy on a range of issues affecting low-income families. The reauthorization efforts underway for both the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and NCLB provide the opportunity to elevate attention to the role that high schools must play in preparing youth for success in the future economy. They also serve as an opening to define a more active role for the workforce system and youth councils to play as a reauthorized NCLB pushes districts to undertake high school reform. Research has identified several key ingredients in effective programs, including: (1) Adult support, structure, and high expectations; (2) Creative forms of contextual learning; (3) Rich workplace connections and career guidance; (4) Access to wide network of resources to meet student's personal needs; (5) Engagement of youth as resources--youth leadership and civic engagement opportunities; and (6) High-quality management and accountability. Schools alone can't turn this tide, but solutions exist, and the NCLB reauthorization provides the opportunity to infuse high schools with the best of what has been learned about what works, especially for high-risk populations. (Contains 7 endnotes.)
Recommendations to Improve No Child Left Behind for Struggling Students and Disconnected Youth
Author: Tsoi-A-Fatt, Rhonda
Date: 2007-09-11
Type: Opinion Papers
Subjects: Dropouts,Educational Change,High Schools,Federal Legislation,Educational Legislation,Dropout Prevention,Dropout Rate,High School Students,Educational Opportunities,Partnerships in Education,Graduation Rate,Educational Finance,Financial Support,Intervention,Academic Achievement,White Students,African American Students,Hispanic American Students

Every day, an estimated 2,500 students across the nation drop out of high school. In the last decade, approximately 30 percent of students who enrolled in high school have failed to graduate four years later. The situation is even more dismal for youth of color. In 2003, only 55 percent of African Americans and 53 percent of Hispanics graduated from high school--compared with 78 percent of white students. Communities are losing the battle to successfully educate huge numbers of youth. While the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has succeeded in bringing to light the disparities that exist in the education system, it has failed to shine a light and provide solutions to the pressing problem of high school dropouts. The reauthorization of NCLB is a prime opportunity to rethink how educators can strengthen the systems of services to reconnect with youth who have left school without receiving their diploma or are at significant risk of this grim fate. By opening the door for flexible education options, partnerships with other youth-serving systems, and replication of successful models for serving struggling students and dropouts, NCLB can empower communities to give their youth the education and skills they need to be successful. The authors' comments focus on how the resources in NCLB can be used to ensure that these youth have access to systems, support, and funding to attain a viable education that prepares them for future learning opportunities and the world of work. (Contains 16 endnotes.)
Congress Expands Access to Postsecondary Education and Training for Low-Income Adults
Author: Duke, Amy-Ellen
Date: 2007-09-18
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Student Financial Aid,Eligibility,Nontraditional Students,Grants,Income,Dislocated Workers,Labor,Tax Credits,Student Loan Programs,Access to Education,Postsecondary Education,Student Needs,Federal Legislation,Credit (Finance),Paying for College,Employment Level

On September 7, 2007, Congress enacted H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which will raise the maximum Pell Grant to $5,400 over five years and halve interest rates on subsidized student loans. The act is part of the budget reconciliation process, which secured billions of dollars for increasing Pell Grants and for reducing student loan interest rates by cutting nearly $21 billion from subsidies to student lenders. The legislation, which received bipartisan support, now goes to President Bush for signature. While many of the act's benefits are directed toward traditional students, the authors applaud members of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the House's Education and Labor Committee for recognizing the importance of also expanding access for nontraditional students. The act substantially helps nontraditional students, such as working adults and older youth, by expanding grant aid and simplifying access to aid. Specifically, the act: (1) increases the maximum Pell Grant; (2) substantially decreases the "work penalty"; (3) eliminates tuition sensitivity; (4) excludes the Earned Income Tax Credit (EIC) from financial aid calculations; (5) expands the independent student definition; (6) expands "professional judgment" to include recently unemployed students and family members of dislocated workers; (7) expands eligibility for the simplified needs test (SNT); and (8) increases the automatic zero expected family contribution (EFC) threshold to $30,000 and expands eligibility. The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has been working since 2003 to expand federal support for nontraditional students and has pushed especially hard for reducing the work penalty for low-income, working adults. Many of its recommendations are reflected in the above changes, as well as in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Act. (Contains 6 endnotes.)
A Strong Step for Students: House Higher Education Bill Promotes Innovation and Student Success
Author: Duke, Amy-Ellen
Date: 2008-02-13
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Educational Policy,Higher Education,Student Financial Aid,Federal Aid,Low Income Groups,Nontraditional Students,Educational Legislation,Federal Legislation,Financial Aid Applicants,Access to Education,Disproportionate Representation,Grants,State Action,State Government,Government Role

Last Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act in a vote of 354-58. This legislation, H.R. 4137, moves Congress one step closer to the long-awaited reauthorization of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which governs federal student financial aid and other programs that promote access for low-income and underrepresented students. The Senate passed its version of the legislation to renew the law in July. The bill now goes to a conference committee of House and Senate members where differences will be ironed out. In general the House bill seeks to address the rising cost of college, simplifies the financial aid application process, increases the ceiling on the maximum Pell Grant, and requires states to maintain their financial support of higher education. The House Education and Labor Committee also recognized and addressed several key challenges faced by low-income adults and older youth pursuing postsecondary education.
Education and Training for TANF Recipients: Opportunities and Challenges under the Final Rule
Author: Lower-Basch, Elizabeth
Date: 2008-03-18
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Access to Education,Vocational Education,Welfare Services,Welfare Recipients,Postsecondary Education,English (Second Language),Second Language Instruction,Adult Basic Education,Homework,On the Job Training,State Action,State Government

On February 5, 2008, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the final rules implementing changes in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program made by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). While these rules do not affect the overall statutory limitations on counting education and training toward the work participation rates, they do lift some of the restrictions included in the interim final rule of June 29, 2006 and the subsequent guidance to states. This paper explains the changes in the new rules that affect recipients' access to education and training, and the actions that states will need to take in order to take advantage of these changes. The changes include: (1) Postsecondary education can count under vocational education; (2) Up to one hour of unsupervised homework time can count per hour of class time; and (3) Basic education and ESL can count under vocational educational training, as long as embedded. Definitions of Work Activities Under Final Rule are appended. (Contains 3 footnotes.)
Building on the Promise: State Initiatives to Expand Access to Early Head Start for Young Children and Their Families
Author: Schumacher, Rachel
Date: 2008-04-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Pregnancy,Eligibility,Emotional Development,Early Intervention,Infants,Poverty,Disadvantaged Youth,Federal Legislation,Toddlers,Family Programs,State Programs,Access to Education,Young Children,Educational Quality,Child Development,Federal Programs,Educational Change,Change Strategies,State Aid,Financial Support

Babies need good health, strong families, and positive early learning experiences to promote their healthy intellectual, social, and emotional development. However, as the poverty rate for children under age 3 continues to increase, a rising number of young children are going without these supports. The federal Early Head Start program (EHS) was created to help minimize the disparities caused by poverty by supporting the healthy development of pregnant women and low-income infants and toddlers in the context of their families and communities. Research has shown that EHS positively impacts children's cognitive, language, and social-emotional development; parents' progress toward self-sufficiency; as well as a wide range of parenting outcomes. Unfortunately, federal funds reach less than 3 percent of all eligible children. Changes made in the 2007 reauthorization of the federal legislation will present new opportunities to build on EHS at the federal, state, and local levels, but without new funds at the federal level, these opportunities cannot be realized. Through interviews with state leaders, this study found 20 states that have taken action to expand and enhance EHS services for infants, toddlers, and their families. Based on an in-depth study of these state efforts, the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and ZERO TO THREE recommend that state leaders interested in promoting better futures for at-risk children review the approaches, opportunities and challenges, and recommendations in this paper, and take appropriate action to build on the promise of EHS. Overview of State Initiatives Building on Early Head Start is appended. (Contains 5 tables and 57 endnotes.) [This paper was also supported by the Irving Harris Foundation.]