Steve Lerch - November 2000

The federal Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 is intended to increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, focusing on individuals participating in the two federal income assistance programs: Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income.  A key provision of the Ticket to Work law gives states the option of expanding Medicaid coverage to employed persons with severe disabilities. The Medicaid expansion, often referred to as a “buy-in,” represents a major change in access to health care for persons with severe disabilities by greatly increasing the income and asset thresholds for Medicaid eligibility. This report, undertaken at legislative request, examines the impacts of implementing the optional Medicaid buy-in provision of the Ticket to Work law.

Mason Burley - September 2000

At the request of its Board of Directors, the Institute studied the impact of the truancy petition process in the Seattle School District. Revised truancy procedures in Washington State school districts took effect in 1995 as part of the “Becca Bill.” The truancy component of this bill requires school districts to file a petition in juvenile court when students accumulate excessive unexcused absences. This paper describes whether the truancy requirements work to keep truant youth (from the Seattle School District) enrolled in school.

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?

Robert Barnoski - June 2000

This briefing paper looks at intensive parole program youth and answers the following questions about unauthorized leaves: (1) How often do intensive parole youth go on unauthorized leave? and (2) How does intensive parole affect unauthorized leaves?

Steve Lerch, Jim Mayfield, Mason Burley - June 2000

This study examines three questions about the Washington State WorkFirst program: Is TANF cost-effective, are WorkFirst clients becoming harder to employ, and does participating in WorkFirst Job Search improve employment outcomes? The analyses support the following conclusions: 1) When compared with AFDC, the government spends more per TANF household. Under TANF, however, fewer clients use welfare, and overall welfare costs are less.  2) According to four specific factors that impact employment, clients on the caseload in February 2000 were no harder to employ than clients on the caseload when WorkFirst began in August 1997.  3) For those with no recent work experience, job search increases employment rates. Results for clients with a recent work history are mixed. WorkFirst replaced AFDC as the state’s welfare program in 1997.

Robert Barnoski - May 2000

In 1997, the Washington State Legislature funded intensive parole for youth placed 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 reoffending. JRA contracted with the Institute to evaluate the program, determine whether it reduces recidivism, and analyze the costs and benefits to taxpayers and crime victims.

Robert Barnoski - May 2000

This briefing paper looks at intensive parole program youth and answers the following questions: (1) Are intensive parole youth completing their parole supervision within 24 weeks of placement on the supervision? (2) Can we compare the status of these intensive parole youth with the status of youth in a control group? and (3) How does intensive parole affect the likelihood that youth will experience supervision difficulties?

Steve Aos, Polly Phipps, Robert Barnoski, Roxanne Lieb - January 2000

The 1999 Washington Legislature passed E2SSB 5421, the Offender Accountability Act, reforming the way adult criminals, under the jurisdiction of the state, are supervised in the community. The legislation directed the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to carry out an evaluation of the Act. The Institute presented the design of the evaluation to the Legislature in January 2000. This report describes the research design the Institute intends to follow during the course of the evaluation of the Offender Accountability Act.

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.

Steve Lerch, Jim Mayfield - December 1999

This report analyzes the welfare and employment outcomes of clients in the WorkFirst program, Washington State’s implementation of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.  WorkFirst clients are more likely to gain employment, have higher earnings, work more hours, and leave the caseload when compared to similar clients under Aid to Families with Dependent Children-Jobs, Opportunities, and Basic Skills (AFDC-JOBS).