In the United States, higher education institutions must be authorized as postsecondary education providers -- through a process known as state authorization -- to be eligible to receive federal student financial aid funds. Through state authorization policies, state governments play a key role in maintaining accountability for higher education.…

California voters signaled their funding priorities by passing a $10 billion state bond for education facilities last November. California's K-12 public schools are expanding their reach with universal transitional kindergarten and dual enrollment in high schools. But K-12 schools face many challenges, including lagging student test scores,…

Drawing on a review of literature and telephone interviews of state agency staff in 25 states, the paper identifies traditional and emerging forms of state differential treatment of districts. The author discusses potential benefits and disadvantages of various approaches to differential treatment and suggests areas for further research. [This…

This study addresses the amount of federal dollars used by state education agencies (SEAS) to fund their administrative and other operating costs, and how SEAS are using these funds to support their operating activities. To determine the amount and sources of federal funding, SEAS in 49 states (excluding Hawaii and the District of Columbia) were…

Public Libraries are an important service traditionally provided by local government in the United States. The national government has furnished assistance in the form of grants to the states since the passage of the Library Services Act in 1956. In 1996, the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) became law, representing major changes to…

The passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1994 represented a fundamental shift in the character of federal aid to education and demanded new roles and responsibilities for states, districts, and the federal government. This handbook presents findings from a…

The federal government requires states that receive funds from the Child Care and Development Fund to establish basic health and safety requirements. The federal government also requires states receiving federal funds for child care to have procedures in place to ensure that providers being paid with grant dollars comply with the applicable safety…

The Gun-Free Schools Act (GFSA) requires that each state or outlying area receiving federal funds under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) have a law that requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) in the state or outlying area to expel from school for at least one year any student found bringing a firearm to school. Their…

This report to Congress examines issues in the transition of students with disabilities into postsecondary education or employment. Major findings are: (1) most IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) youth complete high school, but data on transitions are limited; (2) problems impeding the transition of IDEA youth into postsecondary…

This report analyzes the uses of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B discretionary/set-aside, administrative, and flow-through funds for school reform activities. Telephone interviews were held with state directors of special education or staff from nine state education agencies (California, New Mexico, Iowa, Illinois,…

This report, organized into two parts, presents the needs assessment study conducted for the state of Texas. The first section describes Phase One of the study which identified the goals and criteria pertaining to each of the NET target populations, namely: children, parents, educators, food service personnel, and administrators. The second part…

The summary of a statewide conference on future directions for Iowa education in congruence with national education goals and the results of a follow-up survey are the topics of this report. Roundtable discussion participants assessed 10 educational goals and their associated indicators in relation to validity of the indicators, barriers to…

A survey commissioned by the National Education Association studied how state legislators, especially those in leadership positions, view the current landscape for higher education in their states. The findings are based on in-depth, one-on-one telephone interviews conducted from July 2000 through February 2001 with 64 house and senate education…

Current policies and procedures used by states to oversee implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are reviewed, based on a 1994 survey called Profiles of State Monitoring Systems, with data from 49 states and 9 of the 10 federal jurisdictions subject to the requirements of IDEA. Background information is provided…

The impact of federal aid on state spending in general, and specifically on state spending for institutional support, private education, and two-year institutions was assessed through a telephone survey of 74 legislators in 47 states. Almost all of the legislators chair their legislature's committees responsible for higher education policy-making.…