Employment projections show that the majority of job growth will occur in occupations that require a postsecondary vocational certificate or academic degree. Yet despite the need for skills upgrading and postsecondary credentials in a globalized economy, low-income adults are generally underrepresented in community colleges and other higher education programs within states.

*This is an archived past project.

*This is an archived past project.

The NGA Center Education Division is helping governors and their advisors better align their ECE and K-12 reform efforts, especially during the years between birth and third grade, when children need to develop a strong foundation for future success.

Governors are increasingly incorporating arts and cultural exchanges into their economic development approaches. Many states have invested in the arts as a strategy to attract the "creative class" and reverse “brain drain.”

*This is an archived past project.

The U.S. relies on coal to provide more than 50 percent of the country’s electricity needs, and this percentage is projected to increase by 2030. However, current and future environmental constraints make it likely that coal-fired electricity must emit fewer CO2 emissions to remain viable. Carbon capture and geologic sequestration/storage (CCS) offers one potential option for continuing the use of coal, while addressing emissions concerns.

A variety of factors impact children's health, including family income, household education, and neighborhood conditions. The NGA Center's work focuses on using the right levers to lead to well coordinated policies among agencies that impact children's health.

*This is an archived past project.

Governors from across the country are looking at ways they can help foster a clean energy sector in their state economies. They see an opportunity to spur economic growth, make their companies more competitive, and lower energy costs for their citizens. At the same time, they are looking to create a cleaner environment, diversify their energy resources, and reduce dependence on oil imports.

Many clean energy efforts face high upfront capital costs that serve as barriers to reaping longer term energy savings and environmental and economic development benefits. In the past, efforts to address these barriers have come through rebate and grant programs.

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the NGA Center and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). More information can be found at www.corestandards.org.

The economic recession has dealt a severe blow to state budgets throughout the country. To sustain and strengthen the momentum of state early childhood initiatives that shift the odds in favor of young children at-risk for poor health and developmental outcomes, governors will require support in developing innovative policy strategies and implementing data-driven policy decisions that maximize the investment of limited resources.

To address the challenges and threats presented by the growth of cyber and electronic crimes, the NGA Center and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) have worked together since 2006 to provide state policymakers with solutions and tools to strategically address and prevent cybercrime through education that promotes evidence-based practices and research and technical assistance that facilitates implementation of improved policies.

National health reform may influence some aspects of the delivery of care, but the current system is likely to remain mostly untouched.  Without system improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and value, the sustainability of other reforms are jeopardized. 

*This is an archived past project.

The NGA Center’s disease management work examines how such programs can impact public health insurance programs like state employee benefits and Medicaid.

The United States is facing a dropout crisis with far reaching consequences. More than a fifth of the U.S. population ages 18-24 have neither a high school diploma nor a GED. Students from low-income families drop out at six times the rate of those from high-income families.

The Improving Head Start Act of 2007 called for the establishment of state early childhood advisory councils to improve the quality, availability, and coordination of programs and services for children ages birth to five.

Effective collection and use of data are vital to inform state early care and education (ECE) policies and investments.

*This is an archived past project.