Estimating the Impact of the American Jobs Act PDF - On September 12, President Obama submitted the "American Jobs Act of 2011" (AJA) to the U.S. Congress. The AJA contains $450 billion in tax cuts and spending programs designed to spur employment. This alert discusses the details of the proposal....

Maximizing Reform in the Stimulus Bill: Supporting Effective Early Education MS Word PDF - Countless studies have shown that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs narrow achievement gaps and produce long-term gains in student learning and educational attainment. States have made substantial investments in pre-K and other early education programs over the past decade. But current state budget shortfalls threaten states’ progress in improving access to high-quality early education programs. This ECS Briefing Memo argues that the solution is to use ARRA funds to creatively support quality early education programs. (Sara Mead, The New America Foundation and the Education Commission of the States, May 2009)...

ECS Policy Alert MS Word PDF - The "Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" contains almost $100 billion in new federal education spending. ECS staff have produced a short summary of the bill to help state policymakers better understand its implications. (Mike Griffith, Education Commission of the States, February 2009)...

Economic Situation in the States PDF - A recent presentation from Senior Finance Policy Anlayst Mike Griffith takes a look at (1) The national and state economic situation; (2) How past economic downturns have impacted education spending; and (3) How education budgets will be impacted. (Education Commmission of the States, Mike Griffith, December 2008)...

Big Money for School Improvement: Title I School Improvement Funds Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) and the Fiscal Year 2009 Appropriations - This report outlines how ARRA funds are distributed to school districts and what types of activities those funds can support. (Center on Education Policy, April 2009)...