U.S. educators and policymakers are concerned about the poor performance of the public schools, particularly schools that serve students from low-income families. Although education is primarily a state function, the federal government also has a longstanding interest in improving education for disadvantaged students, and it targets funding to…

Flaws in the New Communities program that are discussed in this essay include: (1) defective financial arrangements; (2) a lack of strategic aims and/or a special constituency; (3) inadequate backing by State and local governments; (4) poor leadership; (5) insufficient provisions for dealing with a poor national economy; and (6) private developer…

Title IV-B of the Social Security Act authorizes federal funding for services to help families address problems leading to child abuse and neglect and prevent unnecessary separation of children from their families. Subpart 1 of Title IV-B provides funds for almost any child welfare activity, but has statutory limits on foster care maintenance and…

This statement presented as testimony before the U.S. Senate discusses the importance of preschool education for children of low-income families. The testimony focuses on the federal and state commitment to preschool programs, including funding and collaborative efforts, and what is known about the effectiveness of federal preschool programs.…

The report examines progress for the school years 1981-82 and 1982-83 in implementing P.L. 94-142, The Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Following an executive summary, an analysis of four major aspects of the law's implementation is detailed. A section on students receiving a free appropriate public education cites data on the number of…

This book analyzes the responses of five states (Florida, Mississippi, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin) to challenges posed by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to alter state welfare programs and management systems. Using case studies, the book highlights similarities and differences in the states'…

In 1992, the U.S. Department of Labor and Council of Chief State School Officers awarded grants for the development of statewide systems to enhance school-to-work transition (SWT) through youth apprenticeship in eight states: California, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. In June 1993, the programs were…

This study documents the ways in which Chapter 1 services are delivered across the nation at the local school district level. Data were collected by mail and telephone surveys of district and Chapter 1 administrators in 2,200 nationally representative school districts. The following topics are discussed: (1) profile of Chapter 1 districts; (2)…