August 2009
Arkansas 2007-2008 School District Rankings
Arkansas 2007-2008 School District Rankings Michael T. Scoles, Ph.D.1 Overview The Arkansas Policy Foundation (APF) has provided letter- grade rankings of Arkansas school districts, beginning with the spring 2005 administration of the Iowa Test of...
July 2009
New Charter Schools Planned In Failing Arkansas School Districts
"Charter schools create an alternate form of public schooling where schools are granted significant autonomy but are held accountable for results. The 'charter' is essentially a contract ... Unlike other public schools, parents specifically...
July 2009
Community Corrections Needs Independent Performance Review
State government should be measured for accountability and performance. (Murphy Commission, 1998) (July 2009) The state Department of Community Corrections includes performance measures in its "Agency Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2007-2011." The performance measures can...
June 2009
When Will The Recession End?
Summary: U.S. payroll employment or industrial production growth for one quarter will suggest the recession is ending. (June 5, 2009) The most frequent question we hear is: 'When will the recession end?'1 Last May 2 we announced...
June 2009
Physician: Prevention, Team Approach Key To Medical Care Access In Rural Arkansas
"An emphasis on prevention in health care has the potential to create a broader population of healthy Arkansans. It can also serve as the catalyst for the conservation of scarce tax dollars." (Policy Foundation...
May 2009
Failing District In Foundation Survey Among Four Arkansas Districts That Face Restructuring
"The General Assembly should enact legislation which restructures ... Arkansas' existing 311 school districts into not more than 134 "administrative units" where an administrative unit is defined as "one superintendent and an associated superintendent's...
April 2009
Ex-St. Louis Fed Chief Criticizes Bank Bailouts, Sees Long-Term Inflation
(April 2009) Ex-St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President William Poole criticized federal bank bailouts and forecast long-term inflation during three April 16 forums in Conway co-sponsored by Hendrix College and the Policy Foundation. Morning...
March 2009
Democratic State Sen. Mike Beebe’s Performance-Based Budgeting Pilot Program 1999
Excerpts from PA 222 of 1999 Title A Pilot Program Of Performance-Based Program Budgeting And Strategic Planning By The Legislative Council; And For Other Purposes Subtitle Performance-Based Program Budgeting And Strategic Planning Pilot Program Section...
March 2009
Blue Print For Hard Times
Government, in order to be lean and effective, needs to be infused with market forces; less of a monopoly provider of services; and measured for accountability and performance. The most effective government concentrates its resources...
March 2009
Arkansas Government Misses Rolling Deflation
Summary: Rolling deflation surprises Arkansas government. (March 2009) The Consumer Price Index, an inflation measure, was zero in 2008, the lowest reading since 1955 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis). Declining...
