A new agreement among federal agencies aims to bring an end to animal testing when evaluating the safety of new chemicals and drugs. The Environmental Protection Agency, the National Toxicology Program, and the National Institutes of Health have signed on to the effort. The conversion will take about 10 years, since the alternative testing methods proposed need to be scientifically validated. Animal rights groups applaud the agreement, which will spare the lives of millions of animals used each year in toxicity testing.

Google is teaming up with the Cleveland Clinic to digitize the medical records of several thousand volunteer patients. Under the pilot program, participants can access their individual password-protected health profile, including information about prescriptions, allergies, and medical histories. While critics express privacy concerns, supporters argue that the effort will make it easier for patients to get their medical records when they change doctors or health insurance plans, and cite the federal push toward electronic medical records.

Connecticut is considering the establishment of a state-administered 401(k) plan for small businesses, self-employed individuals, and nonprofits. Such entities often cannot achieve the economies of scale to make the creation of a retirement plan cost-effective because of high administrative fees. This leaves small businesses at a competitive disadvantage when recruiting and retaining employees. If implemented, the program would be the first of its kind in the nation.

A new plan will offer amnesty to Texas drivers owing large sums in unpaid fines, even for serious traffic violations, and the option to pay their fines in installments. The plan is designed to enhance traffic safety as well as to recoup some of the $700 million in uncollected revenues owed to trauma care centers and the state's general revenues funds.

In Hartford, Connecticut, the Grandfamily Housing Development—a joint city, state, and federal effort—typifies the growing public policy importance of addressing the needs of grandfamilies, in which relatives or family friends raise children when the biological parents are unwilling or unable to. Often the uncertain legal status of such caregivers can impair their ability to obtain medical, educational, public assistance services for those children. Offering subsidized housing can help ease the financial burden.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board has launched "The 3,000-Mile Myth" campaign to encourage consumers to follow car manufacturers' guidelines concerning oil changes, and not the "window sticker" suggestions of those performing oil changes. Research has found that 73 percent of state residents change their oil more frequently than their manufacturer recommends, posing increased environmental risk due to excess oil waste and unnecessary consumer expense.

New Orleans will use a computerized tracking system while targeting thousands of unoccupied properties. The system will allow for easier data retrieval, giving officials instant access to details not usually available from one source, such as information about liens, past code violations, and unpaid taxes for every address.

Rocket engineering, medical microbiology, and aquatic science are among the offerings that Texas high schools are considering as the state adds an extra year of science course requirements in order to graduate. The new total of four years of science education is designed to strengthen students' college preparation and enhance their career prospects in a changing global economy.

New York City has unveiled a new Web site that allows citizens to track and monitor over 300 indicators of municipal performance. Citywide Performance Reporting posts data, which is updated monthly, from more than 40 city agencies and organizations and which is organized into broad themes.

Fillmore Middle School students in California will have the opportunity to take advantage of a new curriculum for safe skateboard instruction. The unique offering is part of a growing trend in physical education that provides individual non-competitive alternatives to traditional sports. The ultimate goal of any physical activity, supporters argue, is to keep children interested in staying active and to increase their self-esteem.

Several towns in Pennsylvania are sharing one part-time borough manager. Many smaller communities with budgetary constraints are finding that sharing some public services can be both practical and cost effective. Successful agreements can lead to further inter-municipal cooperation between communities.

A new study found that when parents of preschool-aged children received an eight-week training course on improving communication with their children, their children tested higher in standardized measures of language skills, IQ, memory, and attention span. The research, funded by the US Department of Education, also revealed that parents benefited from the training; they reported lower stress and enhanced interaction with their children.

1,800 teachers from 200 school districts in Texas have already enrolled in a master's program offered through a public-private partnership of a state school and a local company specializing in for-profit education. The program provides an online curriculum, which allows teachers to graduate faster and for half the price of traditional master's programs.