In a recent Afterschool Alliance poll, nearly nine in ten voters (89 percent) say that, given the challenges young people face today, after-school programs are important -- and 76 percent want the new Congress and their newly elected state and local officials to increase funding for out-of-school time programs.

The federal school nutrition programs are the second largest federal funding source for public schools (after Title I), but that doesn't stop schools from losing money on nutrition programs. Many districts are considering tough choices, even as more families rely on the programs. The New America Foundation's Federal Education Budget Project has the only searchable and downloadable source of district-level federal school nutrition data around. (Click on a state to find the information.)

Pre-K? I thought this section was about the economy? But it is: we know that quality pre-K matters for success in school and life. Yet, a large segment of middle-class families earn too much to qualify for state-funded early learning programs, but not enough to pay for even the average private programs on their own. For these families, the rising costs of pre-K are among their top household expenses -- therein lies "the pinch." This Pre-K Now report finds that costs and eligibility limits are shutting nearly a million kids out of effective programs. It includes recommendations to states and policymakers, such as considering eligibility factors outside of income, like single-parent status and military connection.

S.T.E.P. Up DC, a new network led by Critical Exposure and the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates, involves organizations, the community and youth themselves in improving graduation rates. It gives people a chance to express their views about why students drop out of school and identify policy solutions that they believe will help every student graduate prepared for college or a good job.

Which states made progress in supporting early child care and education in 2008 and which saw programs hit budget snags? The State Developments 2008 report from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) looks at public policy developments across the country and finds that while some states experienced budget-related setbacks, others made significant steps forward during the past legislative session.

New from MDRC, this report presents findings on the effectiveness of two professional development strategies on improving the knowledge and practice of second-grade teachers in high-poverty schools and on the reading achievement of their students.

That's the startling hook from the new Education Trust study -- and it's true only for the United States, not any of our industrialized peers. The report, Counting on Graduation, says that states under-measure drop out and set benchmarks too low; it calls on states to "ratchet up expectations for high school graduation, substantially and immediately."

This Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) paper advocates expansion and better integration of efforts to connect high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 24 to postsecondary credentials that truly matter in the labor market. Looking for examples of innovation? You'll find some great ones here, along with federal and state policy recommendations.

Colleges have a number of successful practices to support student learning, but too few students -- especially first-generation college students and other at-risk populations -- have access to them, a study by the Association of American Colleges and Universities finds. Inside Higher Ed has a useful summary and link.

Dropout rates are rising and too many young people are finishing high school without the skills they need for college, work and life. In 2009, Congress will reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly known as No Child Left Behind. Here's how the National Collaboration for Youth hopes to see it done -- add improvements to make education more relevant to young people, to better prepare them for success.