Narrates U.S. soil conservation history since the late eighteenth century. Discusses early practices such as contour plowing. Profiles individuals who promoted soil conservation and were largely responsible for the creation of the Soil Conservation Service. Explains the causes of erosion and how soil conservation districts help farmers prevent…

Describes how computer technology has been integrated into the mission of the National Reading Research Center (NRRC). NRRC's rationale for including computer technology in its research agenda is outlined, current research projects involving computers and literacy are reviewed, and several projects that reflect NRRC's major emphases and goals are…

Achievement of true tribal self-determination is seriously compromised by declining federal expenditures on Indian programs. Current proposals do not assure adequate funding for tribes to carry out basic government functions and do not address the question of tribal sovereignty. Contains 25 references and 7 data tables of expenditures. (SV)

Describes a Camden (New Jersey) study that assessed the effects of student mobility and stability on achievement and examined interactions between the instructional program and student mobility. Results indicated direct instruction was as effective as traditional instruction that was aligned with a specific standardized test, and it produced…

Examines mechanisms that influenced access to federal vocational programs in the pre-desegregation U.S. South. Explores how local political conditions affected training opportunities. Shows that access was shaped by racially segregated labor markets and that African Americans' access was shaped by the political dimension of the southern racial…

One of the benefits of 1996 Telecommunications Act is a federal program nicknamed "E-Rate," which discounts the cost of providing Internet connections to schools and libraries. This article provides an overview of the program, describes the application process, and suggests how to maximize E-Rate. Answers common questions about E-Rate…

Examines the legitimacy of claims (specifically the ability of the arts to serve myriad social, educational, and economic development functions) made by arts bureaucrats and advocates desperate to maintain the federal arts support structure. Scrutinizes the motives and consequences of these claims and explores their effects on elementary and…

Describes the newly proposed federal agency called the National Institute for the Environment (NIE). Discusses the history of the NIE concept; NIE goals; proposed NIE activities involving environmental research, assessment, information, and education and training; and ways in which environmental educators can assist the NIE effort. (MDH)

Provides an extensive state-level and local-level analysis of the distribution of the federal government's financial aid to elementary and secondary schools, especially from the U.S. Department of Education. (PKP)

This article poses three scenarios for national personnel preparation initiatives that would parallel the structure of the former Deans' Grants: a national initiative on the intersection of disability and diversity, a national initiative on school-university partnerships and disability, and a national initiative on service learning and disability.…

Title I, concerned with providing equal learning opportunities for disadvantaged students, is the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act's centerpiece and has been institutionalized in U.S. schools. Recent reauthorizations have allowed local districts and schools to determine which type of program will best serve students' needs. (18…

The author maintains that the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 brands good schools with "failing" labels, places the heaviest burdens on states that were already striving to meet challenging education goals, imposes inflexible rules, and fails to make good on promises to pay for programs that would help struggling schools meet the…

At a time when many states are poised to roll out new standardized tests to evaluate English-language proficiency in unprecedented depth, California is balking at carrying out a federal requirement to test the literacy of young children who are learning English. Recently, the California board of education decided to ask the U.S. Department of…

The turnaround recommendations and framework in "The Turnaround Challenge" grew out of both new research and synthesis of extensive existing research, as carried out by Mass Insight Education & Research Institute and its partners since September 2005. If the main report is the tip of the proverbial iceberg, this supplement represents…

The "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" is one of the most important legislative acts signed into law. The goals of this Act are clear; each state, school, and local education agency must make specific progress towards student achievement results each year until every child is 100 percent proficient by the year 2014. The goal of this…