This is one of two papers that draw on state and community experiences to share lessons learned in bringing a results orientation to community mobilization, strategic planning, budgeting, management and accountability processes. Although the focus of these papers is on child and family policy, the lessons learned and advice given are just as relevant to other policy areas.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 dramatically transformed the nature of public assistance in the United States, replacing the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. This paper seeks to paint a picture of what welfare reform looks like in states today, how goals and strategies have evolved over the five years of implementation, and how states have used TANF's flexibility to help welfare recipients and other low-income families.

Missouri's Special Task Force on Prescription Drugs is holding hearings to determine the best approach to provide prescription drug assistance for its seniors.

New Community Design (NCD) offers a distinct alternative to the developmental "sprawl" that has dominated real estate growth over the last 50 years. NCD principles can be used to create vibrant neighborhoods of housing, parks, and schools within walking distance of shops, civic services, jobs, and transit - in short, a modern version of the traditional American town of times past.

Materials and speeches related to the Domestic Terrorism National Summit

Since the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, states have dramatically reduced cash assistance caseloads and have placed substantial numbers of former welfare recipients into jobs. However, states still face challenges as they continue to implement welfare reform, including helping individuals with substance abuse and mental health problems successfully make the transition to work.

The National Governors Association, in conjunction with Governing magazine's Managing Technology conference, held a special session on Leadership for eGovernment Transformation. Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer and Kentucky Gov. Paul E. Patton, co-chairs of NGA's eGovernance Task Force, moderated and provided remarks on fostering eGovernment transformation.

The arts are emerging as a potent force in the economic life of cities and rural areas nationwide and are serving as a direct and indirect contributor to state economies.

As programs mature, states are building on the core purposes of work, personal responsibility, and family formation and are articulating more specific goals related to job retention and career advancement, child and family well-being, and long-term self-sufficiency.  States' welfare reform goals continue to evolve as they learn from research and evaluation, and respond to changing caseload dynamics and increasing expectations.

NGA is co-hosting a discussion on the Urban Institute's report 'From Prison to Home: The Dimensions and Consequences of Prisoner Reentry.'

The vision of high standards is within reach. This report points out the ways of sustaining school improvement.

While the U.S. Congress and the Bush administration debate the inclusion of a prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program, many states are designing and implementing individual pharmaceutical assistance programs for their low-income populations.

On April 5-6, the NGA Center--in partnership with the other members of the State Education Improvement Partnership and Achieve, Inc.--will host a conference for state policymakers on addressing some of the most critical issues and challenges of standards-based reform. This conference is designed to help states sustain the progress they are making in raising standards and improving student achievement.

Governors and other state policymakers are turning to volunteer reading tutoring programs to improve children's reading ability. This Issue Brief discusses the four elements of an effective volunteer reading tutoring program.

A noticeable percentage of all fourth grade children have reading skills below the “basic” level. According to research, demonstrates that early intervention can make a difference. States can use several strategies to build literacy skills and lower special education referrals.

This Issue Brief provides Governors and other policymakers with recommendations and strategies for strengthening the nexus between reading and writing instruction.

Early reading success is a strong predictor of academic success in later grades, and the early childhood years (birth through age eight) are critical ones for literacy development. This Issue Brief defines literacy-rich environments and discusses what actions states can take to support these environments.

Most teachers are not prepared to teach reading. Teaching reading requires specialized knowledge about language, how children learn and acquire literacy skills, and a variety of instructional strategies. This Issue Brief discusses strategies policymakers can take to improve reading instruction.

Beginning in the mid 1970s states have been establishing and expanding programs that assist the elderly, disabled, and chronically ill to purchase and acquire pharmaceuticals. This chart provides information on state pharmaceutical assistance programs for these populations.

More and more states are implementing statewide initiatives for children that give communities the flexibility to coordinate services to meet local needs. Funders, both state and private, require outcome-based evaluations that show the services are having positive impacts on the children served. This Issue Brief summarizes the challenges of evaluating state and local children's initiatives and probes some of the solutions to these challenges.

A fact sheet which explains the roles and responsibilities of the Red Cross in disaster response activities.

This issue brief describes actions that states need to take to effectively implement the Mobile Telecommunications Sourcing Act

By creatively combining transportation and growth planning, some states are doing a better job of addressing traffic congestion -- the number-one quality-of-life complaint of Americans.

Presenting justice-related integration goals in the context of broader information systems goals for the state