Steve Aos, Annie Pennucci - January 2013

The Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (Institute) to develop “a repository of research and evaluations of the cost-benefits of various K–12 educational programs and services.”

In this report, we analyze a significant policy question for the legislature: do the benefits of reducing the number of students in K-12 classrooms outweigh the costs?

Carol Webster, Greg Weeks - August 1994

This brief is a review of five welfare-to-work approaches that proved beneficial to welfare recipients.

Steve Aos - October 1996

This research brief provides the latest information on trends in juvenile violence in Washington, based on court conviction and arrest rates.

Matt Lemon, Sean Hanley - February 2014

In 1998, Washington State voters legalized the use of medical marijuana for certain medical purposes. Very little is known about patient access to medical marijuana and other implications of the law. At the local level, some cities and counties have prohibited collective cultivation of medicinal marijuana. Most Washington residents, however, live in areas that allow collective gardens.

This report describes local regulations regarding medical marijuana.

Robert Barnoski - June 2000

In 1997, the Washington State Legislature funded intensive parole for youth under the supervision of the state’s Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration (JRA). This legislation targets 25 percent of the JRA population at the highest risk for re-offending. The goals of the intensive parole program include maintaining public protection in both the short-term and long-term; assuring individual accountability; and providing treatment and support services. JRA's method for achieving these goals is through an overarching case management system intended to help high-risk delinquents make the transition from secure confinement to community supervision.

This briefing paper looks at intensive parole program youth and answers the following questions about parole revocations: How often do intensive parole youth have their parole revoked? How does intensive parole affect parole revocations?

Jian Cao, Ernst Stromsdorfer, Greg Weeks - November 1990

This paper looks at the process of entering employment for women who are on public assistance or who are at risk of receiving public assistance. Family Income Study data were used to investigate the labor market status and movement between different labor market states for the two sample groups.

WSIPP - June 1995

Proposals to limit the length of time a family could receive welfare (Aid to Families With Dependent Children--AFDC) have been made at both the federal and state levels. Limits of two and five years are most common. Although a time limit was not adopted in Washington State in 1995, the legislature passed E2SHB 2798 during the 1994 legislative session. When it goes into effect, this legislation will reduce a family’'s monthly AFDC check by 10 percent after the fourth year.

Steve Aos, Annie Pennucci - October 2012

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy updated its findings on a key public policy question for the Washington State legislature: does spending more money on the K–12 school system lead to better student outcomes? To investigate, we conducted a systematic review of research by analyzing all scientifically rigorous studies we could find on the topic.

Edie Harding, Barbara McLain - January 2000

In 1998, the Institute studied the preparation and development of teachers in Washington State at the request of its Board of Directors. A report was published by the Institute in August 1999, Teacher Preparation and Development . The study included surveys of beginning teachers and principals. Due to space limitations, not all the data from the surveys and from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s (OSPI) certification and employment data base were available in the report. This chartbook provides additional insights from the Institute’s study. The link to the appendix above provides a copy of the survey and a summary of survey responses.

Wade Cole, Robert Barnoski - November 2006

As one in a series of reports on the WASL, this report describes the use of alternate assessments for tenth grade students in special education in spring 2006.