After four years of failed attempts, lawmakers in the State of Florida sanctioned charter schools in 1996. This paper traces the political origins of the charter school movement in Florida and the USA as a whole. Examining legislation and reforms at the federal level, as well as state legislative proceedings, this paper identifies key political…

Reading forward from the recently released secret Downing Street Memos, to the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, in this performance text I critique the Bush Administration and its reliance on science, or evidence-based models of inquiry (SBR). SBR raises issues concerning the politics of truth and evidence. These issues intersect with the ways in…

Questions have been raised about whether parents with limited English proficiency are having difficulty accessing child care and early education programs for their children. Research suggests that quality early care experiences can greatly improve the school readiness of young children. GAO was asked to provide information on: (1) the…

This report presents a summary of the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget for the National Drug Control Strategy within the three key priority areas; education and community action, treatment and intervention, and disruption in the illegal drug market. The first chapter, "Stopping Drug Use Before It Starts," outlines the Administration's work to prevent the…

The United States is a world leader in scientific and technological innovation. To help maintain this advantage, the federal government has spent billions of dollars on education programs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for many years. However, concerns have been raised about the nation's ability to maintain…

Internal controls are important to ensure your Parent Center's resources are well protected. Steps should be taken to ensure that finance transactions are authorized by management, executed properly and on time, and recorded appropriately. Some centers may not have staff with all of the titles used in the procedures presented in this paper.…

One of the benefits of an applied research funding program such as those within the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Education and Human Resources is the reading and referencing across fields of study and application of ideas from diverse literatures for common social good such as STEM teaching and learning. This benefit resonates…

Mary Story, Karen Kaphingst, and Simone French argue that researchers and policymakers focused on childhood obesity have paid insufficient attention to child care. Although child care settings can be a major force in shaping children's dietary intake, physical activity, and energy balance--and thus in combating the childhood obesity…

A 1994 Department of Education national evaluation of federally-supported adult education programs looked at programs' effectiveness in improving literacy skills, English language proficiency, and secondary school completion. National policy on adult literacy education is articulated in the Adult Education Act (AEA) and National Literacy Act,…

In light of significant restructuring in New Jersey higher education and shrinking public funds, this project comprehensively examined New Jersey's system of financial aid. It was conducted through the compilation and assessment of program data as well as through interviews with several individuals in the New Jersey higher education community. The…

This directory contains a list of public and other nonprofit private elementary and secondary schools designated as having a high concentration of students from low-income families and thus qualifying as teaching sites for teachers with Federal Perkins Loans and National Direct Student Loans who may be eligible to have their payments canceled or…

About 36,500 infants die each year in the United States, due largely to low birth weight and inadequate prenatal care. The United States ranks twenty-second among the world's nations in infant mortality. This brochure addresses the high infant mortality rate in the United States compared to other developed nations, and notes actions that…

A joint Senate committee hearing received testimony on the unique circumstances and needs of American Indian Head Start programs. There are currently about 120 Indian Head Start programs providing services to 181 American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. The Associate Commissioner of the Head Start Bureau described the ongoing federal initiative…

In the Healthy Meals for Healthy Americans Act of 1994, Congress directed the Government Accounting Office (GAO) to examine the use of private food establishments and caterers by schools participating in federal programs for school meals. In conducting its review, the GAO relied primarily on questionnaires returned by food authorities that had…

The feasibility of using performance indicators to improve the effectiveness of welfare-to-work programs was examined. First, previous and current experience with performance indicators for welfare-to-work and related programs (including the Job Training and Partnership Act and Job Opportunities and Basic Skills programs) was analyzed. Next, the…