State News
Washington Creates Higher Education Funding Task Force
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire has formed a Higher Education Funding Task Force to help increase Washington’s annual degree production by 30 percent over the next decade, while addressing state budget shortfalls. The Task Force will have three goals:

  • Develop a realistic and viable long-range funding strategy that provides Washington’s students with affordable higher education opportunities;
  • Recommend ways to improve accountability and performance in public four-year higher education institutions; and
  • Consider whether the higher education system’s current governance model should be modified to improve system-wide performance and accountability.

The task force will make recommendations in the fall to inform the governor’s 2011 legislative agenda.
(Contact: Amanda Szekely)
 

Connecticut Teen Driving Laws Improve Safety
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles has released findings that show tougher driving laws enacted in 2008 have been successful in improving safety. Specifically, the report found fewer crashes, more safety awareness and increased community involvement in prevention activities since the enactment of the laws, which target 16- and 17-year-old drivers. Specific findings include:

  • Crash fatalities for teen drivers have dropped by 20 percent;
  • Injuries among the target population decreased by 21 percent; and
  • Convictions for speeding, cell phone use, failure to wear seat belts and driving under the influence have all decreased over the last two years.

The tougher regulations, signed into law in 2008, are based on the recommendations of the Connecticut Teen Drive Task Force. These regulations include: requiring parents to attend two hours of instruction on teen-driving laws before a child takes his or her license test; increased suspension periods for reckless driving and motor vehicle racing; and new suspension for cell phone use while driving.
(Contact: Carmen Ferro)

Maryland Expands License Plate Recognition System
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley will expand the Maryland License Plate Recognition Program (LPR) to include local jurisdictions so local law enforcement can network through a new centralized database. Specifically, Maryland will create a new statewide LPR system through which officers can photograph license plates and access the database to assist police in detecting suspected vehicles in crimes ranging from auto theft to kidnappings.

Since 2007, the state has invested $2 million in the program, leading to a 35.8 percent decrease in auto theft statewide. Maryland will double its investment in the program this year to deploy an additional 100 LPR units to local law enforcement and will use the new database to facilitate networking among all LPRs, centralizes in the state fusion center.
(Contact: David Henry)

Indiana Takes Action to Align Teaching Standards with the Common Core
The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has moved quickly to develop new teacher standards as the state shifts to a content-focused approach to teacher licensure. Indiana recently adopted the Common Core Standards established by the NGA Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

IDOE will now establish comprehensive, rigorous teacher standards aligned with the Common Core State Standards and the Indiana’s Academic Standards, which cover five developmental areas and 46 content areas, including building and district level educator leaders. Aligning Indiana’s teacher standards to student standards should mean that teacher education programs will have a very clear roadmap of what content and pedagogy is most important to the future success of teachers and students. 
(Contact: Stephanie Shipton)

Montana Creates Tool to Track Students Achievement
Montana’s Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has a new tool to measure student success after high school. OPI has contracted with the non-profit National Student Clearinghouse to provide data on Montana’s students’ higher education achievement to schools, policymakers, parents and communities through a new Student Tracker tool. The tool will serve as a clearinghouse for the state to maintain a central repository on the enrollment status and educational achievement of postsecondary students.

All accredited high schools will have access to the Tracker to monitor students’ achievement from high school through higher education.
(Contact: Amanda Szekely)

Delaware Develops Coordinated Solutions for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
Delaware Governor Jack Markell’s Executive Cabinet members have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the role for each agency in supporting youth aging out of foster care. The MOU clarifies the responsibilities of each agency including:

  • The Department of Corrections will provide independent living skills training to eligible incarcerated youth;
  • The Department of Education will identify students in foster care and provide specific support to those youth aging out of foster care; and
  • The Department of Health and Social services will assist youth aging out in obtaining uninterrupted Medicaid coverage.

The Cabinet members will also continue to participate in the joint committee to develop coordinated solutions for youth aging out of foster care.
(Contact: Erin Lamos)

Florida Promotes Clean Energy Capital
The Florida Energy and Climate Commission has created a new program to provide financing for Florida-based companies to improve their energy efficiency or demonstrate the use of renewable energy technologies. The state will make $36 million in ARRA funds available as venture capital that can be used for project financing through secured loans, mezzanine financing (in the form of subordinated debt or preferred equity) or direct equity investment in Florida-based clean energy businesses. Eligible companies will be those seeking to:

  • Improve the energy efficiency of their facilities or equipment;
  • Improve the energy efficiency of their production, manufacturing or distribution processes; or
  • Demonstrate or acquire renewable energy technologies.

The investment decisions will be made by the Florida Opportunity Fund, a privately-managed pool of state funds created in 2007 to invest in Florida businesses. The initial funding is an approved use of Florida’s State Energy Program formula grant under ARRA.
(Contact: Andrew Kambour)
 

Massachusetts Law Aimed at Economic Development
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has signed legislation that will: provide access to capital through the newly created Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation; streamline the Commonwealth's economic development activities and agencies; and provide more transparent and equitable bond financing terms for educational and health care facilities, among other provisions. The legislation creates the Massachusetts Marketing Partnership, a new agency to encompass all the state's former marketing and trade offices. Two quasi-public agencies that finance non-profits, MassDevelopment and the Health and Educational Facilities Authority (HEFA), will also be merged. Among the provisions, the legislation:

  • Creates a one stop resource for small businesses seeking capital and advice by launching a $35 million capitalization of the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation (MGCC). The MGCC will offer working capital, loan guarantees, grants and financial guidance - including one-on-one mentoring services.
  • Establishes a two-year permitting extension provision for existing permits issued within the last two years, allowing developers more time to continue to move forward with development projects as the market is expected to improve.

(Contact: Erin Lamos)

West Virginia Successfully Attacks Litter
All of West Virginia’s counties have met a set of statewide litter reduction and cleanup goals under a three-year initiative led by Governor Joe Manchin III. The initiative asked leaders in each of the state’s 55 counties to adopt and implement at least 12 of 16 measures that would reduce the amount of litter and clean up illegal open dumps throughout the state. The Department of Environmental Protection developed the measures in a Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) that addressed enforcement of litter and dumping laws, cleanup policies and education opportunities. Some of the REAP measures adopted by counties include:

  • Developing county-level litter task forces;
  • Hiring county litter control officers;
  • Establishing countywide cleanup and tire collection events;
  • Creating community service or inmate cleanup programs; and
  • Adopting ordinances around junked cars or dilapidated housing.

To incentivize participation, counties who failed to adopt enough of the REAP measures would have risked losing state economic assistance funding. Counties had until 2010 to meet the initiative’s requirements.
(Contact: Andrew Kambour)

North Carolina Law to Reduce Medicaid Kickbacks
North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue has signed a bill to fight Medicaid fraud and reduce waste. Specifically, the state has banned free gifts or kickbacks offered to Medicaid patients encouraging them to seek unnecessary treatments that are paid by the state’s Medicaid program. The law also bans kickbacks to providers to encourage referrals or prescriptions for specific drugs.

Kickbacks have become an emerging national problem that costs Medicaid millions of dollars. Examples of such kickbacks in North Carolina include:

  • A pharmaceutical provider paid nursing homes for drug referrals, costing Medicaid $2.8 million; and
  • A pharmaceutical manufacturer paid physicians to prescribe the company’s drugs, costing Medicaid $8.8 million.

Along with the ban on kickbacks, other anti-fraud enforcement efforts, including the creation of Medicaid SWAT teams that handle the most egregious cases of fraud and doubling the size of the Attorney General’s Medicaid fraud prosecution unit, have been initiated.
(Contact: Caryn Marks)

Massachusetts Adopts School Nutrition and Health Standards
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has signed legislation to improve the nutritional standards and health services offered in public schools. The new law will require that foods sold in public schools during school hours meet new guidelines including:

  • A new requirement that schools purchase and use local, fresh farm products in public schools, as long as the cost of these products is within ten percent of products available outside Massachusetts, and
  • Public schools will be required to make fresh fruits and vegetables available to students as snacks during the school day.

New guidelines will also be set for the training of school nurses around the issues of obesity, diabetes and eating disorders. The legislation is part of a decade-long effort to promote healthier eating habits for Massachusetts’ children.
(Contact: Jason Hsieh)

Other News
Interactive Map Displays Terrorist Activities in U.S.
The Investigative Project on Terrorism recently released a new interactive U.S. Terror History Map, which identifies attempted terrorist plots, terrorist financing and other radical activities in the United States over the past twenty years. Divided into three categories—Court Cases, Mosques and Islamic Centers and Radical Activities— the map condenses information into colored signposts placed in the state where the event took place, which when accessed, unveils background information, complete end notes and associated court documents.
(Contact: Carmen Ferro)

Report Recommends Structural Changes to Teacher Pensions
A new report from Education Sector encourages states to make structural changes to teacher pension systems to address state fiscal challenges and the needs of a changing workforce. Currently, 47 states owe more in pension obligations than they have on hand.

The authors contend that the way pension plans are structured can negatively influence the quality of the teaching work force. For example, pension systems typically incentivize teachers to stay in a classroom for many years, regardless of burnout or a desire to pursue another career. Defined contribution plans could help counter this trend and reduce state liabilities. Education Sector also provides recommendations to states, ranging from short-term technical fixes to more comprehensive reforms.
(Contact: Amanda Szekely)

Busy Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast 
Despite a slow start, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) latest seasonal outlook for the 2010 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season still calls for an above-average storm activity as the season enters its peak. While the latest outlook predicts slightly less activity than the previous prediction in May, NOAA still expects the season to produce:

  • Between 14 and 20 named storms (including Hurricane Alex and Tropical Storms Bonnie and Colin), and
  • Between eight and 12 hurricanes; including between four and six major hurricanes (defined as Category 3 storms or higher).

Average activity for the Atlantic hurricane season is 11 named storms, including six hurricanes, only two of which are major. Factors for the predicted increase in activity and intensity of storms include the development of La Niña in the Pacific, warmer than average water temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean and favorable atmospheric and ocean conditions due to multi-year climate cycles.
(Contact: Andrew Kambour)

Survey Finds Progress and Challenges to Health IT Implementation
The eHealth Initiative has released a report that highlights recent progress, future challenges and priorities for health information technology (HIT) adoption. Included in the report are the results of a survey of health professionals from health systems, hospitals and other health care organizations, which evaluated their perceptions of progress across the HIT landscape. The survey found that the majority of respondents believed the following:

  • Significant progress has been made toward successful adoption and use of HIT since 2007;
  • Outreach to consumers about the value of electronic health records and health information exchange (HIE) is not effective; and
  • The value of health information exchanges is not clearly understood.

The report’s recommendations to further enhance the adoption of HIT include the creation of all-inclusive HIT adoption policies, clear communication of the value of HIE and public education of new privacy and security laws and regulations.
(Contact: Brad Finnegan)

U.S. Wind Market Continues to Grow 
The U.S. Department of Energy released its 2009 Wind Technologies Market Report, an annual assessment of the wind power in the United States. The report shows that wind power generating capacity grew 40 percent from 2008 to 2009, adding 10 gigawatts of capacity, representing 39 percent of all new U.S. electricity generating capacity. The report also found that:

  • Over $21 billion in public and private sector funds were invested in wind power;
  • Five states (Texas, Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota) now generate over 10 percent of their electricity through wind;
  • Approximately 57 percent of new wind generation capacity was built in the 29 states with Renewable Portfolio Standards; and
  • State policies such as utility resource planning requirements, clean energy funds and state and regional carbon reduction policies contributed to increased wind capacity.

The proportion of wind turbines and components manufactured in the United States also increased in 2009. While the U.S. is still a large importer of wind equipment, the growth of added capacity in the U.S. has outpaced the growth of equipment imports. Imports of turbines or components decreased from $5.4 billion, or 50 percent of total costs, in 2008 to $4.2 billion, or 40 percent, in 2009.
(Contact: Greg Dierkers)

Study Emphasizes Role of Small Businesses in Job Creation
A new study by the Kauffman Foundation suggests that small businesses play a larger role in job creation than originally thought. The researchers argue that in the long run, only small businesses are net-creators of jobs. The data shows that, between 1977 and 2005, existing firms were net-destroyers of jobs, eliminating an average 1 million positions each year. On the other hand, in their first year of operation, small businesses added an average of 3 million jobs. The study also yielded some interesting insights about the cyclicality of job growth patterns in small businesses. While employment at existing firms was found to be highly sensitive to economic downturns, job growth at startups remained stable during recessions.
(Contact: Erin Lamos)

What's New
NGA Center Brief Offers Strategy to Set Statewide College - and Career-Ready Goals
The NGA Center released an issue brief, Setting Statewide College- and Career-Ready Goals, which provides direction to state leaders on establishing college- and career-ready performance goals. By setting state education goals, governors can define the vision and inspire the change necessary to prepare all students for success in college and careers.

The brief also suggests that all states should report on five key college- and career-ready performance measures:

  • Percentage of students completing (or on track to complete) a college- and career-ready course of study
  • Percentage of students demonstrating proficiency on “anchor” assessments
  • Percentage of students obtaining college credit or a career certificate in high school
  • Four-year cohort graduation rate
  • Percentage of traditional, first-year students enrolling in remedial coursework at a postsecondary institution

(Contact: Ryan Reyna)

Thirty-Two States Have Adopted Common Academic Standards
As of August 10, 2010, 32 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Common Core State Standards. Those states are: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The NGA Center and the Council of Chief State School Officers released the Common Core State Standards in June. The standards define the knowledge and skills students should gain in K-12 education to graduate high school fully prepared for college and work.
(Contact: Stephanie Shipton)

Federal Grant Opportunity to Support High School Financial Education
State education agencies are eligible to apply for funding from the U.S. Department of Education to support development, implementation and evaluation of high-school level personal finance instructional materials and related teacher training to increase college access and success. Applicants must focus on high-need school districts. One-time funding of $1.7 million is available, and applications are due September 9, 2010.
(Contact: Amanda Szekely)