Arkansas Policy Foundation

Programs: Twenty-one (21) research memos were distributed in 2017. They examined the economy, fiscal policy, and education reform. Issues included (economy) economic conditions in arkansas and the state of the u. S. Expansion in its eighth year; employment and unemployment; the lack of employment growth in arkansas; (fiscal policy) efficiency in state government; state capital gains and income tax rates; spending policy; organizational charts; performance-based pay; increasing access to medical care; (education reform) charter schools; school choice; the little rock school district; citizen involvement; the succeed scholarship program; spending in distressed districts; teacher incentive pay; and education markets. The foundation distributes its research through its website (www. Arkansaspolicyfoundation. Org) and the u. S. Postal service. The foundation has distributed dictionaries to arkansas students since 2005. The foundation sponsored a public forum in 2017 as part of its mission to encourage citizenship. The forum, on school choice and finance was held in october in little rock and featured elected officials, community leaders, school administrators, parents, and analysts. Admission to forums is free. The foundation is an educational organization that seeks to foster citizenship among the people of arkansas. The foundation's governing board includes an economist, retired k-12 administrator insurance agent, two physicians, a foundation executive, an investment professional, and four businessmen. The foundation participates with civic and community groups, including presentations to service clubs. Visibilityarkansas and outstate media cited the foundation's research in 2017. The combined circulation of national and arkansas media citations exceeded 6. 5 million. The foundation's site includes a visibility-media highlights feature that lists media citations. References to the foundation appeared, on average, every week in print or electronic media. Media included the wall street journal, u. S. News & world reports, arkansas democrat-gazette, arkansas business, arkansas times, benton county daily record, city wire, el dorado news times, jonesboro sun, magnolia reporter, northwest arkansas times, southwest times record, talk business, yell county record, katv 7-little rock, kthv 11-little rock, and khbs 40/29-fort smith. These media are based in various regions (central, northeast, northwest, south) of the state.