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| Teacher Recruitment and Training |
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Through tuition reimbursements and compensated leaves of absence for training, IBM is providing its employees with an opportunity to change careers--and offering the U.S. education system a source of qualified math and science teachers. Officials estimate that over a quarter-million math and science teachers will be needed to compensate for both projected future enrollments and the growing demand for qualified workers.
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| Environmental Ethics |
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Thanks to a creative compromise between environmental organizations and windmill owners, the county board of Alameda, California, has mandated the closing of 2,500 windmills for three months this winter to protect migratory birds. This plan is an initial step towards mitigating a 24-year dispute between business interests and environmentalists and is expected to save hundreds of raptors, such as golden eagles, red-tailed hawks, and burrowing owls.
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| Land Resources |
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The California Governor's Office of Planning and Research is compiling an Advisory Planning Handbook to "advise cities, counties, builders, and military personnel on how best to encourage collaboration and compatibility between community land uses and military activities." Housing growth and inconsistencies between government and military planning policies are increasing the likelihood of confusion and conflict regarding land use. This handbook, funded primarily by the Department of Defense, will address best practices and policies for balancing competing land-use interests.
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| Performance Measurement and Management |
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Richmond, Virginia, is bringing the accountability instruments of private industry to its public school system by implementing a Balanced Scorecard to monitor and improve student achievement. The performance-based tool will feature specific and measurable outcomes regarding instruction, fiscal operations, and community support. It will also outline goals, such as increasing graduation rates of students and retention rates of teachers with advanced degrees. School officials believe that the scorecard, designed in collaboration with the University of Virginia, will allow the school system to obtain a better understanding of the disconnect between its long-term goals and present situation, while providing transparency to the surrounding community.
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| Entrepreneurship |
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To promote the awarding of industry and government contracts to small and minority-owned businesses, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Hewlett-Packard, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) have created the Business Matchmaking initiative. Bypassing the trade show format, Business Matchmaking gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their products to procurement managers during scheduled, one-on-one appointments. The success of the program for pilot cities in the past two years has piqued the interests of additional cities. In response, the SBA has created an online component to allow busy small business owners the chance to promote their products and services.
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| Access and Insurance |
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In order to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance for their employees, pending approval, Oklahoma will launch The Oklahoma Employer and Employee Partnership for Coverage this fall. The program, funded with $50 million in state funds, aims to help up to 70,000 uninsured Oklahomans receive coverage. The state will cover 60% of the health insurance costs for people with incomes below 185% of the federal poverty level who work for employers with fewer than 25 employees.
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| National Law Enforcement |
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The State of Utah has unveiled the Endangered Person Advisory to quickly notify government agencies, the media, and the public of missing or abducted children or adults. The successful Amber Alert program, only issued for children under 18 thought to have been abducted, is not available for those missing under suspicious circumstances or potentially in danger because of mental or physical disabilities.
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| Ecosystems |
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In 2004, California created the Ocean Protection Council to improve the management of its coastal and ocean resources. The five-member, bipartisan council, which is chaired by the state's Resources Secretary, has already funded several projects to safeguard marine life, clean the ocean, and enhance the protection of coastal areas.
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| Social Services to Specific Populations |
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The unique social service needs of Alaskans will be aided by a $1.5-million federal pilot project. The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium is testing the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic, which has been designed to help the thousands of citizens who live in isolated parts of Alaska overcome weather and distance obstacles to receive quality health care. Overnight-ready facilities staffed with trained medical professionals and stocked with equipment will temporarily serve as acute-care hospitals until patient transport is readied or no longer needed.
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Creating an Effective Foundation to Prevent Youth Violence: Lessons Learned from Boston in the 1990s
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This new Rappaport Institute Policy Brief is now available on the Government Innovators Newtwork. Anthony Braga and Christopher Winship highlight their research on how the police and community came together in the 1990s to fight a massive increase in violent crime, whether that effort was successful, and what lessons it might suggest for those trying to fight similar problems today. |
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Survey of Recent Innovations in Education
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Learn, at a glance, what state-level innovations in education are taking place across the United States. Compiled by the staff of the Government Innovators Network, this survey is organized by topic and state and offers links to related resources. |
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2005 White House Conference on Aging, Oct. 23-25, 2005
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The 2005 White House Conference on Aging in Washington, DC, occurs as the first wave of the baby boom generation prepares for retirement, creating an important opportunity to creatively reassess aging in America and focus on the lives of older Americans. |
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Special Report: Hurricane Katrina--the Aftermath and Relief Effort
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Hurricane Katrina has ravaged the U.S. Gulf Coast from Florida to Louisiana, leaving behind extreme human suffering and physical devastation. This special report from our partner KnowledgePlex® provides information about how governments and organizations are dealing with the disaster as well as information about the areas that were hit.
Newsletter produced by: Joe Morgan, Vanessa Ruget, and Brendan St. Amant (researchers and writers); Joellen Secondo (editor). |
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