In response to rising college tuition and student debt over the past three decades, some institutions, localities, and states have implemented a range of tuition-free promise programs to promote college access and success. Programs vary widely in their design features, including eligibility stipulations and award structure. I explore the growing…

All students, including students with disabilities, participate in state accountability systems. Most students with disabilities participate in the regular assessment, with or without accommodations. Students with more significant cognitive disabilities participate in the alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards (AA-AAS). A…

The report examines implications of applying a functional rather than categorical definition of disabilities to Connecticut's services for the developmentally disabled. Specific objectives included preparation of an overview of services available, an analysis of policy options and system constraints, an analysis of the implications of reorganizing…

Noting that families need access to high quality care so that their children can start school ready to learn and so that parents can work, this report examines state child care subsidy policy choices. Following an executive summary, chapter 1 of the report discusses state policy regarding eligibility criteria related to families receiving welfare,…

This document begins with an annotated outline of Public Law 96-272, the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, which encourages states to prevent unnecessary removal of children from their homes and to reunify foster children with their families. The document discusses reasons for the law's enactment, the law's provisions, its…

This document analyzes states' definition of developmental delay and analyzes current eligibility classifications and criteria used by states to identify young children in need of special education and related services. Data were obtained from states' Web sites, the National State Policy Database (2003), and/or provided by coordinators of the…

This article discusses Part H of Public Law 99-457, which requires that each state provide a free, appropriate public education to all eligible handicapped infants and toddlers. The discussion covers the 14 points required in a comprehensive statewide early intervention system, administrative responsibilities, the eligible population, service…

Synthesizes discussions that occurred among a consortium of professionals responsible for the evaluation of early-intervention programs and highlights issues emerging from state-level evaluations of early-intervention programs in the context of six different areas: measures, outcomes, service integration, eligibility, funding models, and cost…

A survey of state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) policies toward postsecondary training or education (PSE) shows that at least 40 states allow more access to PSE than would be countable under the House-passed reauthorization bill (H.R.4737). If it were enacted, these states would likely have to change their policies to reduce…

To examine the diversity and productivity of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) Chapter 1 Migrant Education Program, three types of information were drawn from states' applications and end-of-year evaluation reports: state program descriptive data, student service data, and student impact data. The Migrant Student Record…

This special report summarizes a larger report titled "Linkages in the Delivery and Financing of Special Education Services in New Jersey" by Henry A. Coleman et al. It describes a project which analyzed the linkage between the structure of state aid for special education and the identification, classification, and placement of students…

This report seeks to provide an objective review of Iowa's educational services to students with attention deficit disorders (ADD), and to present recommendations for maintaining and enhancing these services. State laws and rules and federal legislation and regulations guiding such students' eligibility for special education programs and services…

This handbook contains five research papers and extensive reference materials on general immigration, immigrant policy, and related federal and state programs. "Immigration and Immigrant Policy" (Jonathan C. Dunlap) presents an historical overview of U.S. immigration, 1820s-1980s; defines various immigrant statuses and eligibility of each for…

This monograph describes and analyzes major federal and state student financial assistance programs. Chief among those reviewed are the Basic and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, National Direct Student Loans, State Student Incentive Grants, the Guaranteed Student Loans, College Work Study, and the G.I. Bill. The paper explains how…

This document identifies and describes the sources of public support for postsecondary vocational training in the United States, including the mix of public assistance that is currently available to economically disadvantaged individuals. Following an introduction, the second section is an overview of the general financing situation. Tables report…