State Policy Reports

July 2019, Volume 37, Issue 14

A CRS Summary of School Finance Practices

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released a survey of school finance practices among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The report highlights a dearth of school-level finance data at a time when there is heightened federal interest in it.

July 2019, Volume 37, Issue 13

Twenty Years On, Remembering Hal Hovey

Reprinted here is an interview Hal Hovey gave shortly before his death in October 1999, which ran in Reports Volume 17, Issue 10, plus an accounting of how well his observations have stood the test of time.

June 2019, Volume 37, Issue 12

Index of State Economic Momentum

The Index of State Economic Momentum ranks states based on their most recent performance in three key measures of economic vitality: personal income growth, employment growth, and population growth. Reports updates the index each quarter. In the second quarter of 2019, Nevada retained the top spot, while Minnesota and Alabama most closely approximated the national average economic performance.

June 2019, Volume 37, Issue 11

Medicaid and CHIP Enrollment Decline

Thirty-eight states saw the enrollment of children in their Medicaid and CHIP programs decline between December 2017 and December 2018.

On Merit and Need

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) has released a 50-state comparison of student aid programs.

May 2019, Volume 37, Issue 10

A Teaching Penalty?

An updated report finds that teachers face a wage penalty compared to other professionals, which is only partly offset by a fringe benefits advantage.

How to Adjust the Official Poverty Measure

A recent request by a federal agency is purportedly intended to gather information to inform a future decision, but some observers see a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

May 2019, Volume 37, Issue 9

Remembering Alice Rivlin: Sorting Out

Alice Rivlin passed away earlier this month. To honor her memory, this issue of Reports revisits her "sorting out" proposal from Reviving the American Dream.