December 1855 - "As late as December 1855, the entire protection of San Francisco rested upon the special police, the regular force having resigned en masse. The "Special Police Force" was by then a recognized and separate entity. Yet, municipal revenues were clearly inadequate to support a sufficient number of police. It was clear then why the city fatherers were hesitant to finance a force adequate to the needs of public safety and why they had recourse to a system of unpaid volunteers. The Patrol Specials augmented the police and were paid by the private sector."  http://www.sfpspoa.com/  

1855 - "In 1855 the new San Francisco mint was still unable to meet the coinage needs of the area, and an article in May of that year mentioned that Kellogg & Co. was supplying over 50 percent more coins than the United States Mint. Indeed Kellogg & Co. issued more coins in 1855 than in the previous year; often from $60,000 to $80,000 daily. A large number of these coins is thought to have been lost when the steamer Pacific sank on a trip from San Francisco to New York."  http://www.coinfacts.com/  

Studies in the News is a very current compilation of items significant to the Legislature and Governor's Office. It is created weekly by the State Library's Research Bureau to supplement the public policy debate in California’s Capitol. To help share the latest information with state policymakers, these reading lists are now being made accessible through the State Library’s website. This week's list of current articles in various public policy areas is presented below.

Service to State Employees:

• When available, the URL for the full text of each item is provided.

• California State Employees may contact the State Information & Reference Center (916-654-0206; cslsirc@library.ca.gov) with the SITN issue number and the item number [S#].

• All other interested individuals should contact their local library - the items may be available there, or may be borrowed by your local library on your behalf.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

CORRECTIONAL HEALTH CARE

Marciano Plata, et al. v. Arnold Schwarzenegger, et al. Correctional Expert's Report RE Clinical Staffing. By John Hagar. Prepared for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. November 14, 2005. 35 p.

["Because of soaring vacancy rates for doctors, nurses and supervisors, the California prison health care system is 'disintegrating' and requires emergency intervention by both the federal court and the governor.... 'State officials have no coherent or realistic plan to implement corrective actions,' Hagar wrote. He added, 'Given the steady loss of necessary clinical personnel, it has become apparent that without orders from the court, the (department's) health care system may simply collapse.'" San Francisco Chronicle (November 15, 2005) A1.]

[Request #S54401]

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California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: The Intermediate Sanction Programs Lacked Performance Benchmarks and Were Plagued with Implementation Problems. By the California State Auditor. (Bureau of State Audits, Sacramento, California) November 2005. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.bsa.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2005-111.pdf

["A state audit of 'new parole models' found that 242 offenders were convicted on new felonies committed when they otherwise would have been in prison.... Statistics reported by The Bee in February, however, showed that with the programs in place, fewer offenders were being returned to prison on parole revocations while more were coming back in after committing new crimes." Fresno Bee (November 13, 2005) A1.]

[Request #S54402]

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Focusing Juvenile Justice on Positive Youth Development. By Jeffrey Butts and others, Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. (The Center, Chicago, Illionios) 9 p.

Full Text at: www.chapinhall.org/content_director.aspx?arid=1414&afid=249&dt=1

["Concentrating on positive youth development goals in working with young offenders may provide the juvenile justice system with a new and compelling framework for service delivery, especially in cases involving younger juveniles and those charged with less serious crimes."]

[Request #S54403]

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A 'Crazy Quilt' of Tiny Pieces: State and Local Administration of American Criminal Disenfranchisement Law. By Alec Ewald, the Sentencing Project. (The Project, Washington, DC) November 2005. 40 p.

Full Text at: www.sentencingproject.org/pdfs/crazyquilt.pdf

["Disenfranchisement results in contradictory policies within states. Confusing policies lead to the exclusion of legal voters and the inclusion of illegal voters. Significant variation and uncertainty exists in how states respond to persons with a felony conviction from other states. Disenfranchisement is a time-consuming, expensive practice."]

[Request #S54404]

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CULTURE AND SOCIETY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sex on TV 2005: A Kaiser Family Foundation Report. By Dale Kunkel and others, Henry Kaiser Family Foundation. (The Foundation, Menlo Park, California) November 2005. 81 p.

Full Text at: www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/Sex-on-TV-4-Full-Report.pdf

["The vast majority of TV shows -- 70 percent -- include some sexual content, with an average of five scenes per hour with such content. On the top teen shows, the number is higher -- 6.7 scenes an hour. Sexual content could be anything from discussions about sex to scenes involving intercourse." Sacramento Bee (November 10, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54405]

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Crossworking: High-Tech Motion Picture and Television Workers in California - Employment Patterns and Industry Cross-Over Opportunities. By Entertainment Economy Institute. Prepared for the California Community Colleges Economic and Workforce Development Program. (The Institute, Los Angeles, California) 2005. 62 p.

Full Text at: www.entertainmentecon.org/edp/File/Report/Crossworking.pdf

["This report explores the concept of crossworking among workers in the motion picture and television industry. Crossworking suggests that these workers use similar sets of skills in both entertainment and non-entertainment jobs, which may expand their employment opportunities. It builds on our recent study that showed about half of all motion picture and television workers earn a significant portion of their annual income from jobs outside the industry."]

[Request #S54406]

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DEMOGRAPHY

POPULATION

San Joaquin Valley Land, People and Economy. By Kenneth W. Umbach, California Research Bureau, California State Library. CRB 05-007. (The Bureau, Sacramento, California) November 2005. 145 p.

Full Text at: www.library.ca.gov/crb/05/07/05-007.pdf

["The San Joaquin Valley's population is growing fast and facing considerable challenges. Since 2000, more than 427,000 people have moved to the Valley -- equal to almost the entire population. The population will continue to climb in coming decades." Fresno Bee (November 22, 2005) A1.]

[Request #S54407]

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Planning for California's Future: The State's Population is Growing, Aging, and Becoming More Diverse. By the California Budget Project. (The Project, Sacramento, California) November 2005. 9 p.

Full Text at: www.cbp.org/2005/0511_demographics.pdf

["California's population is not only growing, it's growing older and more diverse - demographic shifts that will challenge state and local budgets, according to a report. The report shows a state faced with an urgent need to prepare to care for its aging population while at the same time getting more young people educated and ready for the work force." Sacramento Bee (November 23, 2005) 1p.]

[Request #S54408]

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ECONOMY

ASIA

2005 Report to Congress. By the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. (The Commission, Washington, DC) November 2005. 271 p.

["The Commission is concerned that, over the last year, there has been little in the way of solutions to problems which we have identified, most importantly China’s manipulation of its currency, its lack of enforcement of violations of Intellectual Property Rights –- which are important for virtually every business that enters China -– and there have been no answers to other problems that we have identified, such as Chinese subsidies to their centrally–directed industries as well as forced technology transfer."]

Executive Summary:
http://www.uscc.gov/annual_report/2005/05_executive_summary.htm

Full Report:
http://www.uscc.gov/annual_report/2005/annual_report_full_05.pdf

[Request #S54409]

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Nothing to be Thankful For: Tax Cuts and the Deteriorating U.S. Job Market. By Anisha Desai and others. (United for a Fair Economy, Boston, Massachusetts) November 2005. 22 p.

Full Text at: www.faireconomy.org/press/2005/NoThanks.pdf

["Advocates for more tax cuts say they are a key tool for strengthening the economy and boosting job growth. United for a Fair Economy, a progressive economic think tank, asserts that the acceleration of tax cuts since 2001 has done little to create jobs while contributing to 'economy-choking deficits.' What’s more, many of the jobs created in recent years are low-paying, 'poor quality' jobs that offer less than $16 an hour and provide few, if any, benefits." Connect for Kids (November 21, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54411]

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State of Texas v. Sony BMG Music Entertainment, LLC. District Court of Travis County, Texas. Complaint. November 21, 2005. 8 p.

Full Text at: news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/cyberlaw/txsony112105pet.pdf

["Texas sued record label Sony BMG over controversial anti-piracy technology that the company started placing on music CDs, charging that it creates security breaches for consumers using secretly installed files on their computers. The lawsuit seeks civil penalties of $100,000 for each violation of the Texas Consumer Protection Against Computer Spyware Act of 2005, attorneys' fees, and investigation costs." Findlaw (November 21, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54412]

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Oil Shale Development in the United States: Prospects and Policy Issues. By James T. Bartis and others. RAND. (RAND, Santa Monica, California) 2005. 68 p.

Full Text at: www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG414.pdf

[“Since the early 1980s, oil shale had not been on the U.S. energy policy agenda, and very little attention had been directed at technology or energy market developments that might change the commercial prospects for oil shale. This report presents an updated assessment of the viability of developing oil shale resources in the United States and related policy issues. The report describes the oil shale resources in the western United States; the suitability, cost, and performance of available technologies for developing the richest of those resources; and the key energy, environmental, land-use, and socioeconomic policy issues that need to be addressed by government decisionmakers in the near future.”]

[Request #S54413]

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EDUCATION

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

The Role of Districts in Fostering Instructional Improvement: Lessons from Three Urban Districts Partnered with the Institute for Learning. By Julie A. Marsh and others, RAND. (RAND, Santa Monica, California) 2005. 222 p.

Full Text at: www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG361.pdf

["Improving school systems is critical to bridging the achievement gap and achieving federal accountability goals. Research in three urban districts partnered with a university based intermediary organization sheds light on promising instructional reform strategies and challenges to bringing about systemwide change.... The reseach also shows that third-party organizations can help facilitate policy alignment and build the capacity of district staff to lead instructional change."]

[Request #S54415]

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Income of U.S. Workforce Projected to Decline if Education Doesn't Improve: Policy Alert. By The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. (The Center, San Jose, California) November 2005. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.highereducation.org/reports/pa_decline/pa_decline.pdf

["The report finds that if states do not improve the education of all racial/ethnic groups, the percentage of the U.S. workforce with less than a high school diploma is projected to increase substantially, while the percentage with an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree is expected to decline. This projected drop in the average level of education of the workforce is due to large increases in those segments of America's young population without a high school diploma or college degree, combined with the retirement of the baby boomers- the most highly educated generation in U.S. history. In addition, a drop in the average level of education of U.S. workers would depress personal income levels for America" U.S. Newswire (November 9, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54416]

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Academic Performance Index Reports. By the California Department of Education. (The Department, Sacramento, California) 2005. Various pagings.

Full Text at: api.cde.ca.gov/reports.asp

["A higher percentage of California schools with ethnically mixed and low-income student bodies met their state-required academic goals this year, suggesting that the kids have gotten brainier. Sixty-eight percent of all schools met their goals on the state's Academic Performance Index this year, compared with 48 percent last year." San Francisco Chronicle (October 28, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54417]

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From Blueprint to Reality: San Diego’s Education Reforms. By Julian R. Butts and others, Public Policy Institute of California. (The Institute, San Francisco, California) 2005. 176 p.

Full Text at: www.ppic.org/content/pubs/R_1005JBR.pdf

["This report … throws new light on the school district’s program of reform know as the Blueprint for Student Success…. The unusually detailed student-level analysis underlying this report provides strong evidence that reforms such as these can produce meaningful reductions in the achievement gap.”]

[Request #S54418]

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"Services Cut for Students as High-pay Jobs Boom." "Free Mansions for People of Means." "UC Piling Extra Cash on Top of Pay 8,500 Top Staffers Pulling Down at Least $20,000 Each in Bonuses, Compensation." "Other Perks Indlucde Gifts, Travel, Parties." And "Database of Highest Paid UC Employees." By Tanya Schevitz and others. IN: San Francisco Chronicle (November 13-14, 2005) A1+.

["Despite complaints from University of California officials that the system has suffered severe cuts in state funding, prompting tuition and fee increases, many faculty members get paid thousands more than is publicly reported. In addition to salaries and overtime, university employees received a total of $871 million in bonuses, stipends, relocation packages and other cash compensation last fiscal year." Sacramento Bee (November 14, 2005) A4.]

Services Cut ... 2 p.
services cut

Free Mansions ... 2 p.
free mansions

UC Piling Extra Cash ... 2 p.
extra cash

Other Perks... 2 p.
other perks

Database of Highest Paid ... Various pagings.
database

[Request #S54419]

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The Higher Drop-out Rate of Foreign-born Teens: The Role of Schooling Abroad. By Richard Fry, Pew Hispanic Center. (The Center, Washington, DC) November 2005. 25 p.

Full Text at: pewhispanic.org/files/reports/55.pdf

["A study confirms the performance of immigrant children in U.S. schools may reflect the education they received or didn't in their home countries. Foreign-born children, especially those from Mexico, are far more likely to drop out of high school if they had a spotty educational record before coming to the United States. But those who start U.S. schools by the second grade are scarcely more likely than native-born American children to drop out.... The report helps illuminate the challenges facing U.S. educators, particularly in states such as California, as they struggle to cope with the largest wave of immigration in the nation's history." Los Angels Times (November 2, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54420]

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EMPLOYMENT

IMMIGRATION

The Pineros: Forest Workers Caught in Web of Exploitation." And "Forest Worker Review Sought." IN: Sacramento Bee (November 13 - 19, 2005) A1+

Full Text at: www.sacbee.com/content/news/projects/pineros/

["Forest Workers endure miserable working conditions and wage exploitation. They return to their native countries with hopes of riches dashed. And too often, they return in coffins.... The number one cause of death among pineros -- Latin forest workers -- is not the slip of a chain saw or the falling trees known as widow-makers. It is van accidents. They are the byproducts of fatigue, poorly maintained vehicles, inffective state and federal laws, inexperienced drivers and poverty-stricken workers hungry for jobs."]

[Request #S54421]

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ENERGY

ENERGY

Energy Action Plan. By the California Energy Commission and the California Public Utilities Commission. (The Commissions, Sacramento, California) September 21, 2005. 24 p.

Full Text at: www.energy.ca.gov/energy_action_plan/2005-09-21_EAP2_FINAL.PDF

["Our overarching goal is for California’s energy to be adequate, affordable, technologically advanced, and environmentally-sound. Energy must be reliable –- provided when and where needed and with minimal environmental risks and impacts. Energy must be affordable to households, businesses and industry, and motorists -– and in particular to disadvantaged customers who rely on us to ensure that they can afford this fundamental commodity."]

[Request #S54422]

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Pulse of U.S. Public Construction. By the PinnacleOne Company. (The Company, Phoenix, Arizona) 2005. 11p.

Full Text at: www.pinnacleone.com/documents/2005_PULSE_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.pdf

["An overwhelming majority (92%) of public building owners have experienced a price increase in construction project bidding during the past year. The average price increase for the 167 owners interviewed was 13.2 percent, more than four times the rate of inflation.... The primary reason identified by the owners is the ever increasing spiral of crude oil costs which affect every material and trade of the construction industry.... Public owners in the western region of the country are leaders in the pursuit of energy efficiency. Eighty percent of these owners (versus 60% of owners overall) have implemented energy efficiency designs in the past year. At the other end of the spectrum, less than half (45%) of owners in the Northeast say they implemented such designs."]

[Request #S54423]

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Report of the Biomass Task Force: Draft. By the Western Governors' Association and Diversified Energy Initiative. (The Association, Denver, Colorado) 2005. 42 p.

Full Text at: www.westgov.org/wga/initiatives/cdeac/Biomassdraft9-6.pdf

["Biomass energy generation in the western U.S. today provides for a wide variety of benefits: the disposal of more than 10 million tons per year of solid wastes and residues; a significant reduction in the need for new landfill capacity; and a significant reduction in smoke and particulate emissions from open burning of agricultural and forest residues."]

[Request #S54424]

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Interim Opinion Adopting Policies and Funding for the California Solar Initiative. By Administrative Law Judge Malcolm. Rulemaking 04-03-017. (California Public Utilities Commission, San Francisco, California) November 15, 2005. 13 p.

Full Text at: www.cpuc.ca.gov/word_pdf/COMMENT_DECISION/51180.pdf

["In recognition of the benefits of solar technologies as a viable energy resource alternative to traditional energy technologies, this order increases funding by $300 million for solar photovoltaic technologies that are currently part of the Self-Generation Incentive Program."]

[Request #S54425]

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ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

WATER POLICY

Still Imperiled, Still Important: The Little Hoover Commission's Review of the CALFED Bay-Delta Program. By the Little Hoover Commission. (The Commission, Sacramento, California) November 2005.

["The authority charged with protecting the vast waterway that supplies water to two-thirds of Californians is so dysfunctional that it should be replaced with a new agency.... 'In recent years, the program also has demonstrated the propensity for rudderless bureaucracies to get caught in inescapable eddies,' the commission's report states.... The report said the authority should be replaced with a policy group of public officials that would be chaired by the U.S. interior secretary and the California resources secretary. They would share the responsibility of making decisions for the state and federal governments." San Jose Mercury News (November 17, 2005) 1.]

Report. 132 p.
http://www.lhc.ca.gov/lhcdir/183/report183.pdf

Executive Summary. 12 p.
http://www.lhc.ca.gov/lhcdir/183/execsum183.pdf.pdf

[Request #S54426]

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GENERAL GOVERNMENT

FEDERAL GRANTS

FFIS Competitive Grant Update. By the Federal Funds Information for States. Update 05-38. (FFIS, Washington, DC) November 8, 2005. Various pagings.

[Includes: "Earn and Serve America Community-based Grant Program;" "Developing and Enhancing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs;" "Grants for Violence-related Injury Prevention Research" and others.]

[Request #S54427]

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Access to Government Information in the United States. By Harold C. Relyea, Congressional Research Service. (Federation of American Scientists, Washington, DC) 2005. 4 p.

Full Text at: www.fas.org/sgp/crs/97-71.pdf

["The Constitution of the United States makes no specific allowance for any one of the co-equal branches to have access to information held by the others and contains no provision expressly establishing a procedure for, or a right of, public access to government information. Nonetheless, Congress has legislated various public access laws."]

[Request #S54428]

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"Strong Revenue Growth Continues in Most States." By Nicholas W. Jenny, Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. (The Institute, Albany, New York) September 2005. 16 p.

Full Text at: rfs.rockinst.org/exhibit/9029/Full%20Text/RR_61.pdf

["Highlights include: 1) State tax revenue in the April-June 2005 quarter grew 13.3 percent compared to the same period in 2004. This was the fastest growth since at least 1991; 2) After adjusting for inflation and legislated tax changes, growth was 8.1 percent; 3) All three major tax sources showed strong growth, with the strongest gains recorded in the corporate income tax; 4) Final personal income tax payments with returns were up 29.3 percent; 5) Revenue growth was stongest in the Mid-Atlantic region (16 percent) and weakest in the Great Lakes and Southwest regions (9.1 percent)."]

[Request #S54431]

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California's Fiscal Outlook: LAO Projections, 2005-06 Through 2010-11. By the California Legislative Analyst's Office. (The Office, Sacramento, California) November 16, 2005. 52 p.

Full Text at: www.lao.ca.gov/2005/fiscal_outlook/fiscal_outlook_05.pdf

["California should have enough money to balance its budget next year for the first time since the dot-com bust because of a sharp increase in business and personal income tax, the state's independent legislative analyst reported.... But unless lawmakers balance spending with revenue, the state will again have to grapple with multibillion dollar deficits from 2007 to 2010. In fiscal year 2008, the spending/revenue gap will grow to $4.3 billion, and there's no expected increase in revenue likely to cover it." San Jose Mercury News (November 17, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54432]

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Medical Board of California Enforcement Program Monitor. By Julianne D'Angelo Fellmeth, Center for Public Interest Law, and Thomas A. Papageorge, Los Angeles District Attorney's Office. (The Center, San Diego, California) November 2005. 266 p.

Full Text at: www.cpil.org/download/MBC_Final/MBC_Enf.Monitor_Final_Report.pdf

["Patients will be far better protected against incompetent and dangerous doctors thanks to a reform package that gives the state Medical Board its biggest power boost in 30 years." San Diego Union-Tribune (November 3, 2005) A1.]

[Request #S54433]

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Final Report of the Federal Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform. By Andrew Chamberlain. The Tax Foundation. (The Foundation, Washington, DC) November 1, 2005. Various pagings.

Full Text at: www.taxfoundation.org/blog/show/1156.html

["The Panel has analyzed the current federal income tax system and considered a number of proposals to reform it.... The Panel reached consensus to recommend two tax reform plans. The Simplified Income Tax Plan dramatically simplifies our tax code, cleans out targeted tax breaks that have cluttered the system, and lowers rates. The second recommended option, the Growth and Investment Tax Plan builds on the Simplified Income Tax Plan and adds a major new feature: moving the tax code closer to a system that would not tax families or businesses on their savings or investments. It would allow businesses to expense or write-off their investments immediately. It would lower tax rates, and impose a single, low tax rate on dividends, interest, and capital gains."]

[Request #S54434]

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The U.S. Corporate Income Tax System: Once a World Leader, Now a Millstone Around the Neck of American Business. By Chris Arkins and Scott Hodge. Tax Foundation. (The Foundation, Washington, DC) November 2005. 8 p.

Full Text at: www.taxfoundation.org/files/f6c39320f8909945da06abb30f781a58.pdf

["In the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the U.S. Congress lowered the top corporate income tax rate from 46 percent to 34 percent, the largest reduction since the tax was enacted in 1909. This change, along with an earlier move in the United Kingdom, started a wave of corporate income tax reduction worldwide."]

[Request #S54435]

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HEALTH

ADOLESCENCE

"Need For and Actual Use of Mental Health Service by Adolescents in the Child Welfare System. By Sunny Hyucksun Shin and others. IN: Children Youth Services Review, vol. 27 no. 10 (October 2005) pp. 1071-1083.

["Although foster youth are at increased risk of mental illness, little is known about need for and actual use of mental health services by adolescents in the child welfare system.... The [study] found that foster youth experienced severe mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and loss of behavioral/emotional control. In this study, need for services was only partially related to mental health services received."]

[Request #S54436]

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Enhancing Child Development Services in Medicaid Managed Care: A Best Clinical and Administrative Practices Toolkit for Medicaid. By Purvi Kobawala Smith, Center for Health Care Strategies. (The Center, Princeton, New Jersey) October 2005. 66 p.

Full Text at: www.chcs.org/usr_doc/Toolkit.pdf

["The first three years of life are critical to a child's later success in school and to their healthy development. Yet, many low-income children do not receive important developmental services during these early years.... This study provides practical guidance and suggested approaches for Medicaid managed care plans and other organizations to improve the quality of well-child care and developmental services. This resource, which is based on the experiences of 11 health plans, presents a quality framework for improving developmental services and highlights strategies for improving the delivery of these services, including ways to identify developmental disabilities early, improve reimbursement and referral practices, and recognize potential returns on health plan investment." Commonwealth Fund (November 2, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54437]

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Anabolic Steroids Are Easily Purchased Without a Prescription and Present Significant Challenges to Law Enforcement Officials. By the U. S. Government Accoutability Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) November 3, 20005. 14 p.

Full Text at: www.gao.gov/new.items/d06243r.pdf

["This report responds to a request that we investigate whether anabolic steroids can be purchased without a prescription and test whether such purchases are easily made. [We also] identify common sources of illegal anabolic steroids, and significant challenges law enforcemnt officials encounter in investigating, prosecuting and determining criminal anabolic steroid traffickers."]

[Request #S54438]

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Toxic Nation: A Report on Pollution in Canadians. By Environmental / Defense. (Environmental, Toronto, Canada) November 2005. 48 p.

Full Text at: www.environmentaldefence.ca/toxicnation/report/Toxic%20Nation%20Report_English_110605.pdf

["The new report ... is the first to determine how many manmade chemicals are ending up in average citizens.... Researchers found that, on average, participants had a cocktail of 44 in their bodies.... While the health effects of these chemicals are not clear, what is clear is that Canadians would be better off without the exposure." Globe and Mail.com (November 9, 2005) 1.]

[Request #S54440]

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2004-05 Physical Fitness Test. By the California Department of Education. (The Department, Sacramento, California) 2005. 40 p.

Full Text at: www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/pf/documents/pftoverview05.pdf

["About three of every four students tested this year failed to meet minimal standards in six areas of fitness tested.... Locally, Sacramento County scored below the state averages; Placer and EL Dorado counties exceeded the state norms; and Yolo and Yuba counties were above average in two grades but slightly below in one." Sacramento Bee (November 22, 2005)1.]

[Request #S54441]

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Childhood Obesity Most Experts Identified Physical Activity and the Use of Best Practices as Key to Successful Programs. By the U. S. Government Accountability Office. (The Office, Washington, DC) October 7, 2005. 78 p.

Full Text at: webmail.frontiernet.net/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gao.gov%2Fcgi-bin%2Fgetrpt%3FGAO-06-127R

["In the past 30 years, the number of obese children has increased throughout the United States, leading some policy makers to rank childhood obesity as a critical public health threat. The rate of childhood obesity has more than tripled for children between the ages of 6 and 11 and also increased for children of other ages over the same period.... An important consequence of childhood obesity is the increasing number of children experiencing illnesses and other health problems associated with obesity, such as hypertension and type II diabetes."]

[Request #S54442]

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HOUSING

LOW INCOME HOUSING

Multiple Efforts to Add Funds to Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program Continue. By Federal Funds Information for States. FFIS Issue Brief 05-46. (FFIS, Washington, DC) October 27, 2005. 5 p.

["Expectations have grown for increased funding for the Low -income Home Energy Assistance Program. However, issues concerning the structure of funding, its distribution and the level of increase have created uncertainties."]

[Request #S54443]

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HUMAN SERVICES

CHILDREN

Children in Urban Areas are Increasingly Low Income. By Ayana Douglas-Hall and others, National Center for Children in Poverty. (The Center, New York, New York) 2005. 4 p.

Full Text at: nccp.org/pub_cua05.html

["More than half the children living in urban areas are low income -- and the proportion is rising -- even though most have at least one parent who is employed. Moving Ideas (November 23, 2005).]

[Request #S54444]

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Counting the Homeless in Los Angeles County. By Richard Berk. Department of Statistics, University of Los Angeles. (The Department, Los Angeles, California) October 27, 2005. 28 p.

Full Text at: repositories.cdlib.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1057&context=uclastat

["Over the past two decades, a variety of methods have been used to count the homeless in large metropolitan areas. In this paper, we report on a recent effort to count the homeless in Los Angeles County, one that employed the sampling of census tracts. A number of complications are discussed, including the need to impute homeless counts to areas of the County not sampled. We conclude that, despite their imperfections, estimated counts provided useful and credible information to the stakeholders involved."]

[Request #S54445]

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A Strategic Housing Plan for Special Needs Populations in Los Angeles County. By Shelter Partnership Incorporated. Prepared for the Los Angeles New Directions Task Force Interagency Operations Group Special Needs Housing Alliance. (The Task Force, Los Angeles, California) September 2005. 217 p.

Full Text at: www.shelterpartnership.org/publications/StratPlan3.pdf

[“Highlighting the need for more emergency shelters, a recent report has found that 61 of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County make no provisions for emergency shelters or transitional housing in their zoning ordinances. The study … found there are 116 emergency shelters countywide, with about 5,240 beds for 84,000 people who are homeless each night.”]

[Request #S54446]

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Marriage Not Enough to Guarantee Economic Security. By Heather Koball and Ayana Douglas-Hall. (National Center for Children in Poverty, New York, New York) September 2005. 8 p.

Full Text at: nccp.org/media/mne05_text.pdf

["Despite assertions to the contrary, having married parents is not enough to ensure economic security for children. One in four children living in married-parent families is low income, although almost all of the parents are employed." Moveon.org (November 23, 2005) 1.]

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[The following studies, reports, and documents have been ordered or requested, but have not yet arrived. Requests may be placed, and copies will be provided when the material arrives.]

CRIMINAL JUSTICE & LAW ENFORCEMENT

PUBLIC SAFETY

12th Annual America's Safest (and Most Dangerous) Cities. By Morgan Quito Awards. (Morgan Quitno, Lawrence, Kansas) 2005.

Full Text at: www.morganquitno.com

["Morgan Quitno ranked 369 cities with a population greater than 75,000 based on FBI crime statistics from 2004. The company used six crime categories, all weighted evenly -- murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor-vehicle theft. Newton, Mass., Clarkstown, N.Y., and Amherst, N.Y, were ranked the safest cities in America. Burbank checked in at No. 75, Palmdale at No. 223, Lancaster at No. 261 and Los Angeles at No. 290." LA Daily News (November 22, 2005) 1.]

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EDUCATION

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Challenged Schools, Remarkable Results: Three Lessons from California's Highest Achieving High Schools. By Springboard Schools. (Springboard, San Francisco, California) November 2005. 73 p.

["This report identifies California's highest achieving, challenged high schools, those schools with large numbers of students challenged by poverty, English as a second language, fewer resources and lower expectations. It also, more importantly, reveals the three secrets to their success: the use of consistent curricula coupled with frequent diagnostic tests, adoption of best practices, and investment in teacher improvement. These three practices resulted in dramatic gains for these California high schools serving large populations of low-income, minority, and English-language learners."]

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