Worried about the large number of young children from low-income families entering school in their communities, many city and county leaders wonder whether quality preschool might help close the school readiness gap. Longitudinal studies of model programs that began decades ago show that these programs improved not only these children's school…

Longitudinal research demonstrates that: (1) initial consensual goals are formalized incrementally over time; (2) directions of these changes are influenced by constituencies participating in policy formation as well as broader social movements; and (3) evidence for longitudinal implementation studies needs to be garnered from a confluence of…

A comparative case analysis of four urban school districts--Baltimore (Maryland), Dade County (Florida), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), and San Diego (California)--studied the effects of fiscal capacity and local interest group organization and influence on district program compliance and the degree of integration of federal categorical aid programs into…

Drawing on data from a study of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, this report analyzes the technical assistance that local districts receive in compensatory education, with an emphasis on the relationship between technical assistance and the local decision-making that ultimately shapes the program. The first section describes…

Using data from a study of local practices under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), this paper focuses on budget-related decisions in districts that experienced either level funding or significant budget cuts from 1978 to 1982. Following a general discussion of the allocation of Title I funds, the author examines the…