The Forum for Youth Investment (our publisher) says Nashville, Tennessee has launched a quality-based citywide coordination of after-school services for middle school students.

Illinois made major strides this year to keep more teens out of the adult prison system and implement a pilot program focusing on alternatives to incarceration. Youth Today reports that the state's model child welfare system along with its new ground-breaking juvenile justice reforms are threatened by state budget cuts.

Education Secretary Duncan is outlining priorities for the "Race to the Top" Fund. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, states must offer assurances that they are making progress in adopting rigorous standards; recruiting and retaining effective teachers where they are needed most; turning around low-performing schools; and building data systems to track student achievement and teacher effectiveness.

President Obama recently announced a new summer service initiative in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service. Local service projects can find volunteers and volunteers can find projects in education, health, energy, the environment and more.

About 60 percent of the federal stimulus money is going to states and localities for health and education. Track how states are managing the red tape and using the money, with the help of these new Stateline.org reports.

My late mother-in-law used to tell the story of how her neighbor said "you have to talk to them" when she had her first baby. Now there's proof! A UCLA study reported in Pediatrics confirms that young children develop better learning skills the more adults talk with them in back-and-forth conversation.

This new report by the organizing group POWER-PAC reveals what has stymied Pre-K attendance among children with the greatest need for it and offers a series of recommendations for how to increase enrollment. The best part? It was written by low-income Black and Latina mothers and grandmothers who went door to door for two years to survey more than 5,000 parents and caregivers.

July 1, 2009 was a big day for student loans. The U.S. Department of Education reports good news about students needing loans, from locking in lower interest rates on previous student loans to increases in Pell Grant awards for current students.

A June 23, 2009 New York Times editorial put a human face on the struggles of students arriving in America as children and graduating high school only to face huge barriers imposed by their undocumented status. The editorial argued that the DREAM Act could open doors for these young people and should not be held hostage to larger immigration reform dreams.

What is the secret behind students staying in school? Interesting courses? GPA? A new CDC study shows the unwavering support of teachers and community members is a primary contributor to students' success in school. During a June 23, 2009 Congressional briefing, experts from the Search Institute, CDC and local schools shared their insight on how to create these essential connections and their lasting impact on students. We've got the scoop.