According to a report released by the National Academies' National Research Council, the U.S. Department of Education needs a high-ranking official to oversee its efforts to expand Americans' proficiency in foreign languages and knowledge of international affairs. The report was prepared by a committee convened to review the "adequacy and effectiveness" of language and foreign-affairs programs, which are supported under two federal laws--Title VI of the Higher Education Act and the Fulbright-Hays Act. The committee found that the Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs directly support the study of foreign languages and international affairs, and encourage universities to expand those efforts. However, the committee could not find enough reliable assessment data to determine exactly how effective the programs were and how well participants were learning. Even more seriously, financial support for both programs has failed to keep up with the accelerating pace of the mission they are expected to fulfill. But committee members agree that despite uneven progress, there has been an irreversible sea change in the way foreign language education is viewed.