Since the initiation of PL 94-142 enacted by the United States Congress in 1975, special education has been mandated, funded and regulated by the federal government. There have been both benefits and drawbacks to this initiative. In positive terms and most importantly, children who require different educational services are identified, and…

This report of the Panel on Quality Improvement in Student Financial Aid Programs examines the quality control of federal student financial aid programs covered by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and offers recommendations calling for sweeping revisions of the present system. The report explores: (1) the quality control practices…

The reconciliation of federal purposes (to bring change to those who do and those who don't welcome it) with a user-driven system (a system that maximizes user self-determination) is the basic paradox analyzed in this speech. One of the principles of organizational development is that unless the individual's perceived self-interest can be engaged,…

The purpose and direction of the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) quality improvement program are described. The background and context for the Pell Grant quality control (QC) design study and the meaning of QC are reviewed. The general approach to quality improvement consists of the following elements: a strategic approach that enables OSFA…

An ongoing corrective action framework for the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) is presented. Attention is directed to the formal management structure in OSFA and current initiatives to improve management, and the placement of the corrective action process in the organizational hierarchy. Four formal mechanisms needed to implement the…

This evaluative report by the General Accounting Office (GAO) summarizes Department of Education actions made through April 1996 in response to 205 recommendations to improve the management of federal student financial aid programs. The report concludes that the Department had completed actions or had actions in progress or planned for 186 of the…

This advisory report investigates the possible simplification of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and considers the issue of federal direct lending. The evaluation indicates that complexity in the FFELP is due to multiple, overlapping loan programs with conflicting terms and conditions. Nonstandard policies, procedures, forms, and…

Background questions to support a federally-sponsored assessment of major student aid delivery system options are addressed. Attention is directed to: (1) information needed by the U.S. Secretary of Education to decide about changes to the delivery system; (2) reasons that delivery system redesign is a critical issue; (3) what can be learned from…

This Advisory Committee's final report presents study activities, findings, and recommendations for the simplification of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Analysis showed that the current FFELP program structure and operations are needlessly complex and require major reform. An interim report providing recommendations for the…

Ways to improve college student loans, work-study, and grants programs are suggested, based on the experience of the financial aid director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is recommended that emphasis be shifted from the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL) Program to the National Direct Student Loan (NDSL) Program, which is more…

This report proposes reform recommendations in the Federal Student Loan Program that are intended to reduce government (and taxpayer) costs, allow for the incorporation of the National Service Initiative, and provide more flexible repayment terms for borrowers. The proposal provides for an evaluation period for direct government lending, the…

The interactions between the federal government, colleges, and industry in U.S. research and higher education in the areas of science and engineering were examined by a special panel of the White House Science Council. Recommendations to retain U.S. leadership in areas of science and technology are offered by the panel, which is composed of…

This monograph presents a synthesis of the solutions and strategies generated during a June 1995 national forum of state, territorial, and tribal child care administrators on the inclusion of children with disabilities in community-based child care settings. The monograph is organized into sections focused on the five major issue areas discussed…

The Response to Educational Needs Project (RENP, formerly the Anacostia Community School Project) provides an opportunity to study the adoption, implementation, and institutionalization of plans for improvement of a group of schools in the District of Columbia. The related theory and research on the implementation of change in organizations is…

Findings of a study of 1980-1981 award accuracy of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants (BEOGs), or Pell Grants, are summarized. The study is the first stage of a three-stage quality control project and includes recommended corrective actions to reduce inaccuracies in the grant awards. A sample of 4,500 students were selected as representative…