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This report presents state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 12 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education, Device Ownership, and Internet Access; (6) Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment; (7) Transportation and Commuting Patterns; (8) Income and Poverty (9) Health and Insurance Coverage; (10) Disability Status; (11) Migration; and (12) Veteran Status. Most of the data come from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. This year's Chartbook includes two appendices. Appendix A uses selected demographic and socioeconomic measures to provide an overview comparing rural Appalachia (defined here as nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to any metropolitan area) to rural areas outside the Appalachian Region. (It also includes a map showing the location of these rural counties.) Appendix B contains two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions, and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2014-2018 Chartbook, see ED606327.]

These are the appendixes for the report, "Characteristics of Approved Universal Prekindergarten Programs in Vermont in 2018/19." In an effort to increase access to high-quality prekindergarten (preK) programs for all young children in Vermont, the state passed universal preK legislation in 2014 (Act 166). All 3- and 4-year-olds have access to 10 hours a week of state-funded preK through a mixed-delivery system of public school and private programs. Families can enroll their children at no cost in any approved preK program across the state regardless of location. In efforts to better understand program availability, program quality, and characteristics related to family choice among universal preK programs in Vermont, this study examined the characteristics of approved preK programs overall, public school and private programs separately, and programs in local education agencies with different population sizes and poverty levels. Three appendixes are included: (1) Literature review; (2) Methods; and (3) Supporting analyses. [For the full report, see ED610702; for the study snapshot, see ED610706.]

In an effort to increase access to high-quality prekindergarten (preK) programs for all young children in Vermont, the state passed universal preK legislation in 2014 (Act 166). All 3- and 4-year-olds have access to 10 hours a week of state-funded preK through a mixed-delivery system of public school and private programs. Families can enroll their children at no cost in any approved preK program across the state regardless of location. In efforts to better understand program availability, program quality, and characteristics related to family choice among universal preK programs in Vermont, this study examined the characteristics of approved preK programs overall, public school and private programs separately, and programs in local education agencies with different population sizes and poverty levels. The study found that in 2018/19 fewer than 50 percent of programs were at preK capacity and that a higher percentage of private programs than of public school programs and a higher percentage of programs in high-poverty local education agencies than of programs in low-poverty local education agencies were at preK capacity. These findings raise questions about the availability of preK programs in high-poverty areas. The study also found that program quality is similar across local education agencies with different population sizes and poverty rates, suggesting that Act 166 allows for an equitable preK system in terms of program quality for families in rural and low-income areas of the state. The findings also suggest that continuing to allow families to access preK in locations other than their local education agency of residence might maximize preK availability for families in local education agencies with few--sometimes only one--preK programs. Private programs reported being open for more hours per day and for more weeks per year than public school programs were, which might reduce the need for transitions throughout the day and year for children in private programs who need additional child care beyond the 10 hours per week funded by the state. [For the appendixes, see ED610704; for the study snapshot, see ED610706.]

"An Overview of Coal and the Economy in Appalachia," a report commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission, details major trends in coal employment and production in the Appalachian Region over the past two decades. The report examines where employment and production losses have been concentrated within the Region, and also what might be driving these declines. Furthermore, the report also explores the variation in socioeconomic indicators -- labor force, population, income, education, and health -- by mining and non-mining counties within Appalachia.

The State Indicators Database (SID), which is the School Finance Indicators Database's (SFID) primary product, includes approximately 125 variables, but this report focuses on three key school finance measures: fiscal effort, adequacy, and progressivity. This report discusses how states' systems tend to mediate the impact of economic downturns and offers general guidance as to what we can expect as the impact of the current crisis continues to unfold over the next few years. This report includes recommendations as to how policymakers, journalists, parents, and the public can use this data and results to summarize and assess the performance of state school finance systems. [For the second edition, see ED606197.]

This occasional paper presents subgroup findings from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study on levels of, and trends in, the use of a number of substances for nationally representative samples of high school graduates ages 19-30, "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2018. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-60" (see ED599071). The data have been gathered in a series of follow-up surveys of representative subsamples of high school seniors who were first surveyed in 12th grade as part of the MTF study. Data were first available for the 19-22 age group in 1980 and for the older age groups in subsequent years as the early cohorts progressed in age, as the tables and figures in this occasional paper indicate. The subgroup trends shown in the current occasional paper complement the last section of Chapter 5 (Trends in Drug Use in Early and Middle Adulthood) of that monograph by presenting the trend data for young adult subgroups in both graphic and tabular form. The results are described and discussed in Chapter 5, but the extensive set of tables and figures is provided here for the reader who wishes to view the figures and the underlying numerical values in tabular form. Three demographic dimensions are differentiated: gender, region of the country, and population density. Gender includes trends for males and females; region describes trends for each of the four major regions defined by the U.S. Census; and population density differentiates trends for five levels of community size. The Table of Contents and List of Figures in this occasional paper contain links to the content and figures. Following each figure is a table giving the numerical values associated with each trend line in that figure. [For the 1988-2019 Monitoring the Future Occasional Paper, see ED608244.]

The present volume presents new 2019 findings from the U.S. national Monitoring the Future (MTF) follow-up study concerning substance use among the nation's college students and adults from ages 19 through 60. This report includes 2019 prevalence estimates on numerous illicit and licit substances, examines how substance use differs across this age span, and shows how substance use and related behaviors and attitudes have changed over the past four decades. MTF, now in its 46th year, is a research program conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research under a series of investigator-initiated, competing research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse -- one of the National Institutes of Health. The integrated MTF study comprises several ongoing series of annual surveys of nationally representative samples of 8th and 10th grade students (begun in 1991), 12th grade students (begun in 1975), and high school graduates followed into adulthood (begun in 1976). Note that the data reported in this volume were collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors report the results of the repeated cross-sectional surveys of all high school graduating classes since 1976 and follow them into their adult years. Segments of the general adult population represented in these follow-up surveys include: (1) U.S. college students; (2) same-aged youth who also are graduates from high school but not attending college full time, sometimes in the past called the "forgotten half"; (3) all young adult high school graduates of modal ages 19 to 30 (or 19-28 for trend estimates), to whom we refer as the "young adult" sample; and (4) high school graduates at the specific later modal ages of 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60. This volume emphasizes historical and developmental changes in substance use and related attitudes and beliefs occurring at these age strata. [For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2019. Volume I, Secondary School Students," see ED608265. For the report from the previous year, see ED599071.]

Substance use is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality; it is in large part why, among 17 high-income nations, people in the U.S. have the highest probability of dying by age 50. Substance use is also an important contributor to many social ills including child and spousal abuse, violence more generally, theft, suicide, and more; and it typically is initiated during adolescence. It warrants our sustained attention. Monitoring the Future (MTF) is designed to give such attention to substance use among the nation's youth and adults. It is an investigator-initiated study that originated with, and is conducted by, a team of research professors at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Since its onset in 1975, MTF has been funded continuously by the National Institute on Drug Abuse -- one of the National Institutes of Health -- under a series of peer-reviewed, competitive research grants. The 2019 survey, reported here, is the 45th consecutive survey of 12th grade students and the 29th such survey of 8th and 10th graders. Two of the major topics included in the present volume are: (1) the prevalence and frequency of use of a great many substances, both licit and illicit, among U.S. secondary school students in 8th , 10th, and 12th grades; and (2) historical trends in use by students in those grades. Distinctions are made among important demographic subgroups in these populations based on gender, college plans, region of the country, population density, parent education, and race/ethnicity. MTF has demonstrated that key attitudes and beliefs about drug use are important determinants of usage trends, in particular the amount of risk to the user perceived to be associated with the various drugs and disapproval of using them; thus, those measures also are tracked over time, as are students' perceptions of certain relevant aspects of the social environment--in particular, perceived availability, peer norms, use by friends, and exposure to use by others of the various drugs. Data on grade of first use, discontinuation of use, trends in use in lower grades, and intensity of use are also reported here. [For "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2019. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-60," see ED608266. For the report from the previous year, see ED599067.]

This report presents state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 12 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education, Device Ownership, and Internet Access; (6) Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment; (7) Transportation and Commuting Patterns; (8) Income and Poverty (9) Health and Insurance Coverage; (10) Disability Status; (11) Migration; and (12) Veteran Status. Most of the data contained in this chartbook come from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey. This year's Chartbook includes two appendices. Appendix A uses selected demographic and socioeconomic measures to provide an overview comparing rural Appalachia (defined here as nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to any metropolitan area) to rural areas outside the Appalachian Region. (It also includes a map showing the location of these rural counties.) Appendix B contains two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions, and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2012-2016 Chartbook, see ED585953.]

In 2018, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative engaged the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University (Gardner Center) to partner with public school districts in San Mateo County, CA to examine the barriers to educational success that homeless and highly mobile students face. Given the increasing prevalence of homelessness and unstable living arrangements among youth nation-wide, and particular challenges related to income inequality and rising housing costs in San Mateo County, this partnership aims to identify factors that may promote academic achievement among this vulnerable population. This report presents results for the first of three stages of this investigation into the prevalence and distribution of youth experiencing housing instability in San Mateo County, breaking the school districts into three geographically-based sub-groups. The first stage describes youth enrolled in the Sequoia Union High School District and its eight feeder elementary school districts. This report aims to address three key research questions: (1) What is the size and distribution of the homeless and highly mobile student population in Sequoia area school districts during the last three to five years? (2) To what degree do circumstances vary for this student population (e.g., in terms of chronicity of homelessness, instability of current living arrangements, placement in foster care, newcomer immigrant background, family structure)? and (3) How does being homeless or highly mobile affect students' educational outcomes?

This occasional paper presents subgroup findings from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study on levels of, and trends in, the use of a number of substances for nationally representative samples of high school graduates ages 19-30, "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2018. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-60" (see ED599071). The data have been gathered in a series of follow-up surveys of representative subsamples of high school seniors who were first surveyed in 12th grade as part of the MTF study. The subgroup trends shown in this occasional paper complement the last section of Chapter 5 (Trends in Drug Use in Early and Middle Adulthood) of that monograph by presenting the trend data for young adult subgroups in both graphic and tabular form. The results are described and discussed in Chapter 5, but the extensive set of tables and figures is provided in this occasional paper for the reader who wishes to view the figures and the underlying numerical values. Three demographic dimensions are differentiated: gender, region of the country, and population density. Gender includes trends for males and females; region describes trends for each of the four major regions defined by the U.S. Census; and population density differentiates trends for five levels of community size. The Table of Contents and List of Figures in this occasional paper contain links to the content and figures. Following each figure is a table giving the numerical values associated with each trend line in that figure.

This volume presents new 2018 findings from the U.S. national Monitoring the Future (MTF) follow-up study concerning substance use among the nation's college students and adults from ages 19 through 60. The authors report 2018 prevalence estimates on numerous illicit and licit substances, examine how substance use differs across this age span, and show how substance use and related behaviors and attitudes have changed over the past four decades. MTF, now in its 45th year, is a research program conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research under a series of investigator-initiated, competing research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse--one of the National Institutes of Health. The integrated MTF study comprises several ongoing series of annual surveys of nationally representative samples of 8th and 10th grade students (begun in 1991), 12th grade students (begun in 1975), and high school graduates followed into adulthood (begun in 1976). The authors report the results of the repeated cross-sectional surveys of all high school graduating classes since 1976 as they follow them into their adult years. Segments of the general adult population represented in these follow-up surveys include: (1) U.S. college students; (2) their age-peers who are not attending college, sometimes called the "forgotten half"; (3) all young adult high school graduates of modal ages 19 to 30 (or 19-28 for trend estimates), to whom the authors refer to as the "young adult" sample; and (4) high school graduates at the specific later modal ages of 35, 40, 45, 50, and 55. This volume emphasizes historical and developmental changes in substance use and related attitudes and beliefs occurring at these age strata.

Substance use is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality; it is in large part why, among 17 high-income nations, people in the U.S. have the highest probability of dying by age 50. Substance use is also an important contributor to many social ills including child and spousal abuse, violence more generally, theft, suicide, and more; and it typically is initiated during adolescence. It warrants our sustained attention. Monitoring the Future (MTF) is designed to give such attention to substance use among the nation's youth and adults. It is an investigator-initiated study that originated with, and is conducted by, a team of research professors at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. Since its onset in 1975, MTF has been funded continuously by the National Institute on Drug Abuse--one of the National Institutes of Health--under a series of peer-reviewed, competitive research grants. The MTF annual monograph series has been a primary vehicle for disseminating MTF's epidemiological findings. The current monograph presents the results of the 44th survey of drug use and related attitudes and beliefs among U.S. high school seniors and 28th such survey of 8th and 10th grade students.

This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS) and from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates on topics including population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration patterns, and veteran status. Additionally, data are provided on types of housing units, homeownership, types of living arrangements, travel time to work and location of work, and income-to-poverty ratio. New to the study this year is information on computer device ownership, internet access, and household vehicle availability. Information is summarized for five Appalachian subregions and five metro designations. The report also compares data from two recent non-overlapping time periods, allowing the study of trends. [For the 2012-2016 Chartbook, see ED585953.]

The Black population has contributed to Canada's heritage since the early 1600s. Black people in Canada have diverse backgrounds and experiences -- while some can trace their roots in Canada for many generations, others have immigrated in recent decades. They have contributed in many ways to the growth, diversity and development of the country. In conjunction with both the United Nations' initiatives for the "International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024)," and Black History Month, this portrait aims to highlight the diversity of the Black population in terms of ethnic and cultural origins, places of birth, and languages.

This occasional paper presents subgroup findings from the Monitoring the Future (MTF) study on levels of, and trends in, the use of a number of substances for nationally representative samples of high school graduates ages 19-30, "Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975-2018. Volume II, College Students & Adults Ages 19-60" (see ED599071). The data have been gathered in a series of follow-up surveys of representative subsamples of high school seniors who were first surveyed in 12th grade as part of the MTF study. Therefore, the universe being described omits people who did not complete high school--between 8 and 15% of each age group, with the most recent class cohorts closer to the bottom of that range. Surveys of the graduating cohorts of high school seniors started in 1976 and have continued with each graduating class since. Data were first available for the 19-22 age group in 1980 and for the older age groups in subsequent years, as the tables and figures in this occasional paper indicate. The general epidemiological findings from these samples are discussed in "Volume II" of the annual monograph series. The subgroup trends shown in this occasional paper complement the last section of Chapter 5 (Trends in Drug Use in Early and Middle Adulthood) of that monograph by presenting the trend data for young adult subgroups in both graphic and tabular form. The results are described and discussed in Chapter 5, but the extensive set of tables and figures is provided in this paper for the reader who wishes to view the figures and the underlying numerical values. Three demographic dimensions are differentiated: gender, region of the country, and population density. Gender includes trends for males and females; region describes trends for each of the four major regions defined by the U.S. Census; and population density differentiates trends for five levels of community size. The Table of Contents and List of Figures in this occasional paper contain links to the content and figures. Following each figure is a table giving the numerical values associated with each trend line in that figure.

California's public colleges and universities are among the best, from the talent evident in the students to the groundbreaking research conducted by world-renowned faculty. They are also some of the most diverse in the nation. Left out from serving in vital positions of leadership, however, is a proportional representation of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI), African Americans, American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN), and Latinx. Students from these groups are the new majority attending our colleges and universities but experienced and credentialed professionals from these same groups are distinctly underrepresented when it comes to holding faculty and leadership positions in California's public colleges and universities. "Left Out: How Exclusion in California's Colleges and Universities Hurts Our Values, Our Students, and Our Economy" recognizes that a more culturally competent workforce is essential to meet the needs of California's future economy. The University of California (UC), the California State University (CSU), and the California Community Colleges (CCC) will be required to educate and produce the workforce of tomorrow. The challenge for higher education is having the capacity, the internal competence, and the commitment to produce a college-educated workforce that is representative of the state's population diversity when their own leadership and faculty ranks are far from diverse. [This report was written with extensive contributions by Abigail Bates.]

This study examines state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 11 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education; (6) Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment, and Commuting Patterns; (7) Income and Poverty; (8) Health Insurance Coverage (9) Disability Status; (10) Migration; and (11) Veteran Status. Data come from the 2011-2016 American Community Survey (ACS) for the Appalachian region. Beginning with this year's chartbook, the data in Chapters 1 through 3 come not from the ACS, but instead from the postcensal population estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Division. This year's chartbook also includes data for several new subject areas. In addition to information on housing occupancy and tenure, Chapter 4 now also includes tables and maps on the type of housing units (such as single- or multiple-unit dwellings) and types of living arrangements (family households, nonfamily households, and group quarters) for residents in the Appalachian Region. Chapter 6 now includes information on commuting patterns (that is, travel time to and place of work) as well as labor force, employment, and unemployment patterns. Finally, in addition to tables and maps on income and poverty, Chapter 7 now also includes data on income-to-poverty ratios, which measure how closely Appalachian residents' incomes compare to the federal poverty threshold. The chartbook also includes two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2011-2015 Chartbook, see ED580141.]

This report provides comparisons between Kansas and relevant state groups on key demographic variables. It is a companion piece to the "KASB Comparing Kansas 2017" report that helps show how factors outside of school funding may have an impact on student outcomes for each state. In addition, the Appendix contains the detailed tables supporting the summary information on student outcomes and funding as included in the Comparing Kansas report. [For "KASB Comparing Kansas, 2017," see ED590714.]

The Great Recession was the most severe economic downturn in the United States since the Great Depression. Using newly available population-level achievement data from the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA), we estimate the impact of the Great Recession on the math and English language arts (ELA) achievement of all grade 3-8 students in the United States. Employing a difference-in-differences strategy that leverages both cross-district variation in the economic shock of the recession and within-district, cross-cohort variation in school-age years of exposure to the recession, we find that the onset of the Great Recession significantly reduced student math and ELA achievement. Moreover, the recessionary effect on student achievement was concentrated among school districts serving more economically disadvantaged and minority students, indicating that the adverse effects of the recession were not distributed equally among the population of U.S. students. We also find that the academic impact of the recession was more severe for students who were older at the time of first exposure to the recession, compared to their younger counterparts. Finally, the recession's effects on student achievement were concentrated in districts with the largest reductions in teacher personnel, providing evidence that the effects we observe are driven, in part, by the recession's negative effects on school resources. We discuss the implications of and potential policy responses to economic shocks that adversely affect student achievement and widen educational inequality.

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the Census of Governments and the Annual Surveys of State and Local Government Finances as authorized by law under Title 13, U.S. Code, Sections 161 and 182. The Census of Governments has been conducted every 5 years since 1957, while the annual survey has been conducted annually since 1977 in years when the Census of Governments is not conducted. The 2015 Annual Survey of School System Finances, similar to previous annual surveys and censuses of governments, covers the entire range of government finance activities--revenue, expenditure, debt, and assets (cash and security holdings). This report contains financial statistics relating to public elementary-secondary (prekindergarten through grade 12) education. It includes national and state financial aggregates and displays data for the 100 largest school systems by enrollment in the United States. An introduction describes the scope, general concepts, survey methodology, and limitations of the data. It also identifies other Census Bureau products that contain public education data. The tabular section contains 20 tables. Summaries, as well as state-level detail, are presented in Tables 1 through 10. State rankings and national summaries appear in Tables 11 through 14. Finance data for the 100 largest school systems by enrollment in the United States are displayed in Tables 15 through 18. Supplementary data on state-level populations, enrollments, and personal income are shown in Table 19. Per pupil current spending amounts and percentage change for fiscal years 2010-2015 are shown in Table 20. [For the 2014 report, see ED571887.]

This study examines state- and county-level data on population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and housing tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration patterns, and veteran status from the 2011-2015 American Community Survey (ACS) for the 13 Appalachian states. Information is summarized for five Appalachian subregions and five metro designations. The study includes ACS data topics that were in the 2010 decennial census, as well as others that are no longer available in the census, to provide a comparable time series of data for all counties in Appalachia. The report compares two non-overlapping five-year periods and allows for the study of trends in the data. [For the 2010-2014 edition, see ED580140.]

The "Annual Disability Statistics Compendium" is a publication of statistics about people with disabilities and about the government programs which serve them. The "Compendium" is designed to serve as a summary of government statistics. The 2016 "Annual Disability Statistics Compendium" was substantially revised and expanded this year. The "Compendium" presents key overall statistics for each section. A new "Annual Disability Statistics Supplement," only available online, presents tables with additional categorizations of data for each section highlighted in the "Compendium." With the addition of over 150 tables, the "Compendium" and "Supplement" now provide enhanced tables by age, gender and race/ethnicity. In addition, a section on Employment Policy has been added to the "Compendium." The Employment Policy section includes statistics on topics such as minimum wage rates and earned income tax credit rates for people living in the United States. Several sections in the "Compendium" were removed in 2016. The topics removed had not been updated by the authors for several years. Although no longer available in this year's "Compendium" or "Supplement," these older tables can still be accessed in previous Compendiums which are available online at www.disabilitycompendium.org. A companion "Annual Report" is available, providing graphic representations of key findings and state differences. The "Annual Report" highlights state and trend data using maps related to specific tables in the "Compendium" and Supplement. [For the Annual Report, "2016 Disability Statistics Annual Report. A Publication of the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics," see ED583249.]

Among all children under 18 years in the U.S., 43 percent live in low-income families and 21 percent--approximately one in five--lives in a poor family. This means that children are overrepresented among our nation's poor; they represent 23 percent of the population but comprise 33 percent of all people in poverty. Many more children live in families with incomes just above the poverty threshold. Young children under age 6 years appear to be particularly vulnerable, with 45 percent living in low-income and 23 percent living in poor families. Parental education and employment, race/ethnicity, and other factors are associated with children's experience of economic insecurity. This fact sheet describes the demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics of young children and their parents. It highlights important factors that appear to distinguish low-income and poor children in this age group from their less disadvantaged counterparts.

Among all children under 18 years in the U.S., 43 percent live in low-income families and 21 percent--approximately one in five--lives in a poor family. This means that children are overrepresented among our nation's poor; they represent 23 percent of the population but comprise 33 percent of all people in poverty. Many more children live in families with incomes just above the poverty threshold. The very youngest children--infants and toddlers under age 3 years--appear to be particularly vulnerable, with 45 percent living in low-income families, including 23 percent living in poor families. Parental education and employment, race/ethnicity, and other factors are associated with children's experience of economic insecurity. This fact sheet describes the demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics of children and their parents. It highlights important factors that appear to distinguish low-income and poor children from their less disadvantaged counterparts.

As a group, English Language Learners (ELLs) are diverse and come from a variety of home languages, cultures, educational backgrounds, and educational needs. This brief focuses on descriptive characteristics of the ELL students served by the School District of Philadelphia in 2014-2015. Specifically, this brief highlights the diversity of the ELL population in three key characteristics that impact schools' resource needs and program decisions: ELL population concentration, linguistic diversity, and English language proficiency levels.

California is at a crossroads in terms of STEM and health workforce development. On the one hand, California has more available entry-level STEM jobs than any other state in the country and a steadily growing health workforce, giving large segments of its population access to stable careers. On the other hand, California's public colleges and universities rank poorly compared to other states in terms of producing the college graduates needed to fill many of those jobs. Several reasons contribute to California's poor performance in producing STEM and health graduates, including: (1) California sends too few of its high school graduates directly to four-year universities; (2) state funding for higher education is not sufficient to properly maintain and expand STEM and health programs; (3) transfer pathways for community colleges students seeking to major in STEM and health fields are limited; (4) STEM completion rates within the CSU system are relatively low; (5) STEM and health associate degree production within the California Community Colleges is also relatively low; (6) the availability of STEM and health programs within the public higher education system is extremely limited; and (7) racial disparities persist in access to and success in STEM and health programs. The good news is that California is a leader in technological innovation, and has a large and diverse young population that is poised to be the next generation of STEM and health workers needed to meet the state's future economic needs. Recommendations include: (1) Create a statewide plan for higher education; (2) Increase enrollment capacity within California's public universities; (3) Invest in California's public higher education system; (4) Prioritize the development of STEM and health transfer pathways; (5) Improve college readiness and college completion in STEM for CSU students; and (6) Close equity gaps in STEM and health education. Appended are: (1) California's STEM Workforce; (2) California's Health Workforce; (3) Population Estimates for 18-24-year olds; (4) Health and Related Professions Bachelor's Degree Completion Rates Per 1000 in 18-24-year-old Population; (5) Computer Science Bachelor's Degree Completion Rates Per 1000 in 18-24-year-old Population; (6) Engineering Bachelor's Degree Completion Rates Per 1000 in 18-24-year-old Population; (7) The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Majors Listed Under the Field of Computer Science; (8) The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Majors Listed Under the Field of Health; and (9) The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Majors Listed Under the Field of Engineering. [This report was written with contributions from Michele Siqueiros and Audrey Dow. Additional funding for this project was provided by the Sand Hill Foundation and the Vons Foundation.]

This study examines state- and county-level data on population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and housing tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration patterns, and veteran status from the 2010-2014 American Community Survey (ACS) for the 13 Appalachian states. Information is summarized for five Appalachian subregions and five metro designations. The study includes ACS data topics that were in the 2010 decennial census, as well as others that are no longer available in the census, to provide a comparable time series of data for all counties in Appalachia. For the first time, this report compares two non-overlapping five-year periods and allows for the study of trends in the data.

Ensuring access and affordability to a postsecondary education for veterans and their dependents has long been a focus of federal and state education policy. Developing policy to support educational attainment among these individuals has required state policymakers to address residency requirements for veterans to determine eligibility for in-state tuition benefits. Yet recent revisions to federal statute--changes that go into full effect in July 2015-- have shifted the policy landscape in a significant and meaningful way. Beginning July 1, 2015, the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act (Choice Act) requires that all public postsecondary institutions offer in-state tuition rates to qualified veterans and their dependents, regardless of state residency status. This ECS Policy Analysis provides state and postsecondary leaders with a review of the Choice Act requirements, key information on deadlines, considerations for evaluating state policy for compliance and examples of policy actions. Appended to the document are: (1) Data Snapshot: Veteran population; Percent Change in Veteran Population by State; and Endnotes.

The "Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006" ("Perkins IV") sets a minimum allocation requirement that secondary and postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) subgrantees must achieve to receive federal financing. An eligible recipient with an allocation below the funding threshold may obtain a state waiver in some instances that qualifies it to participate as a stand-alone subgrantee, or an eligible recipient may enter into a consortium with other subgrantees. A consortium's funds must be used for purposes and programs that are mutually beneficial to all of its members; "Perkins IV" prohibits the reallocation of funds for uses benefiting only one member. Congress authorized the consortia provision to enable small or rural applicants to access federal funds sufficient to support quality CTE programming. Consortia are more prevalent at the secondary level than at the postsecondary level, in part due to the smaller size of secondary subgrantees, the need for a local educational agency (LEA) and either an area CTE school or an educational service agency to fund such an entity that serves the LEA, and the comparatively larger number of secondary entities applying for funding. Consortia formation also tends to be level-specific. With the exception of two states that require or encourage secondary and postsecondary representation, they are composed exclusively of either secondary or postsecondary subgrantees. This formation of consortia comprised exclusively of secondary or postsecondary subgrantees may be a function of the "Perkins IV" statutory scheme. Grant allocation formulas are contained within different sections of "Perkins IV" and offer no explicit options for distributing combined funding. States must allocate the majority of funds based on the student populations served by the subgrantees, which may contribute to a perception that funds are intended only for those enrolling within a given educational level. This report describes the prevalence of "Title I" consortia under "Perkins IV," examines the characteristics of these entities, and explores whether and how they promote collaboration between and across secondary and postsecondary educational levels. The data and analysis findings included in this report draw on data collected for the National Assessment of Career and Technical Education (NACTE), information contained within states' "Perkins IV" five-year state plans (state plans), and interviews with state CTE directors. A bibliography is included.

These maps provide an overview of existing dual language programs in the district for the 2011-2012 school year and the distribution of English language learners.