Publication Type: Scholar to Scholar
Abstract: For the past 14 summers students from Brigham Young University Idaho have traveled to Chicago to work with Inner City Youth ages 9-15. These college students teach Chicago youth communication skills, coping skills, and faith in themselves and those around them. Dissertation research, student papers, photographs and video footage tell the story of the learning that occurs between the students and youth of Chicago. It is yet to be determined who learns the most.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This session describes the collaboration of a CSU systemic task force of special education and teacher education faculty to provide resources that strengthen teacher preparation in working successfully with diverse learners.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Over the last decade, the Congress has made significant changes in numerous federal programs that support low-income families, including changes that have shifted program emphases from providing cash assistance to providing services that promote employment and economic independence. As a result of some of the federal policy changes, the support system is more decentralized than before. This heightens the importance of understanding policy choices and practices at the state and local levels as well as those at the federal level. To provide the Congress with information on this system, GAO agreed to address the following questions: (1) To what extent do states provide supports for lowincome families? (2) How have states structured programs to support low-income families? (3) What changes have states made to supports for low-income families in recent years? Our review focused primarily on supports for which states make many of the key decisions about eligibility, benefit amounts, and service provision. To obtain this information, GAO conducted a mail survey of the social service directors in the 50 states and the District of Columbia; conducted site visits in New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Washington, and Wisconsin; and reviewed federal reports and other relevant literature.

States use an array of federal and state funds to provide a wide range of benefits and services that can support the work efforts of low-income families, although the types of supports and coverage of the eligible population vary among the states and sometimes within states. For instance, most states subsidize several types of child care, subsidize use of public transportation, and offer employment services in at least one location in the state, but somewhat fewer states subsidize child care for sick children, assist with the purchase of used cars, or offer employment retention bonuses to parents who find and maintain jobs. The five states we visited structured the eligibility criteria and benefits of many supports in ways that allow them to serve a broad range of low-income families, including families on and off welfare and families who are working and those who are not currently working. The specific support structures vary, however, by state and type of support. These differences create a complex national picture of supports that provide an assortment of benefits and services to a range of populations. Over the last several years, many states have expanded the availability of supports that promote employment and economic independence for lowincome families. State officials reported that both the number of support services available and the number of recipients have increased. However, state officials express uncertainty about their continued ability to provide this level of support. As states plan for the future of supports in the current state fiscal environment, officials reported that they are considering changes that could limit the availability and provision of supports for low-income families. Overall, it its probable that the support system will continue to change as the federal and state governments further amend policies and respond to changes in the demand for services and cyclical fiscal conditions.

Publication Type: Proceeding

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Hurricane Katrina laid bare the inabilities of state and local governments to handle immobile citizens—children, the elderly, ill and disabled persons in hospitals, and institutionalized individuals—in emergency situations. This research, based on a mail survey of a wide array of Florida county and city officials conducted in the Spring of 2007, examines how local government officials have incorporated immobile special needs populations and the agencies that serve them into their emergency management plans (natural disasters; terrorist acts). The study concludes that there is still a lack of attention to children and the disabled and an absence of established networks with private sector agencies serving these populations. The research demonstrates the usefulness of controlling for the type of jurisdiction, population size, and the type of position held by local government officials in gaining a better understanding of how these factors influence vulnerability assessments. We find significant differences in assessments among first responders and their more generalist counterparts. In general, those individuals serving in first responder capacities were more likely to identify the spectrum of population vulnerabilities as of “major” importance to emergency planning efforts. First responders are more familiar with the challenges associated with managing immobile populations and are therefore more likely to prioritize their importance when it comes to emergency preparedness. In addition, first responders in both counties and municipalities rate the quality of their interactions with public and private sector agencies serving immobile populations more highly than non-first responders. Because of their functional responsibilities, first responders tend to have better networks in place with those agencies providing services to the immobile.