Special education, a discipline that aims to provide specialized instruction to meet the unique needs of each child with a disability, has turned 40 years old in the United States. Ever since the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142) in 1975, every state has been directed to provide a free and appropriate…

This paper examines the U.S. social insurance system, which we define broadly to include both programs supported by dedicated taxes and other federal programs that provide income support, assistance in meeting basic needs, or services to improve economic opportunity. The paper considers the social insurance system as a whole as well as its…

The enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) and the subsequent succession of legislative acts have had a profound impact on educational policy. An increased emphasis on teacher accountability and effectiveness led to the use of standardized test results to determine tangible rewards or punishments. In response, a culture of teaching to…

While the focus in Germany was initially on disabled children only, the promotion of gifted and talented children has become increasingly important. Different organisations and institutions, ranging from parents' associations to foundations, offer a large variety of measures catering for the special demands of gifted and talented children,…

Since Programs of Study (POS) were introduced in 2006, implementation has been uneven around the country. POS were one of the landmark features of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins Act), and have been one of the biggest areas of focus during its implementation. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of…

This article presents important highlights in the development of early care and education in the United States from 1911 to 2005. It was in 1911 when the United States Children's Bureau was created and in 1932 the Works Progress Administration (WPA) paid for nursery schools as a way of providing employment for unemployed teachers. In 2000-2005,…

This paper considers three aspects of federal legislation and policy that are critical to an understanding of federal dissemination of research and development and exemplary practice information in education. One of the major difficulties is the variety of viewpoints on what constitutes dissemination. These range from one-way flow of information…

The scope of this paper is concerned with communicating developments related to elementary and secondary levels of education as mediated through State, intermediate, and local educational agencies. (Author/RK)

Describes the historical development of the United States Department of Education beginning in 1785 and explains the components that will comprise the new Department of Education. (LRA)

The House Committee on Education and Labor has primary oversight responsibility for the Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI) and any new legislation relating to that office. In 1991 the authorizing legislation, set forth in the General Education Provisions Act, is due to expire. The Subcommittee, in the…

Analyzes the Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education (CAUSE) program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The CAUSE awards by type of institution for the fiscal year 1979 and the period between 1976 and 1979 are presented. (HM)

Renewal was initially designed to consolidate certain of the Office of Education's categorical discretionary programs and put them to work in a limited number of local sites where educational needs of the Country were most pronounced. The Objectives of Renewal were later expanded to include specific performance or achievement gains by children…

Presents the new program of Science Education for Early Adolescence planned by the Science Education Directorate of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve science education for early adolescents. Outlines the rationale for this program, the ongoing planning effort, and the probable future plans. (HM)

Describes how the National Science Foundation awarded 59 grants to two- and four-year colleges in the first Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education Program (CAUSE) in 1976. The description of the program and how it responds to changing patterns in higher education are considered. (HM)

The Small College Consortium is funded under Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 for developing institutions. Under this project technical assistance and financial resources are provided to 54 colleges to learn to use new techniques and processes to overcome weak areas of their institutions. The evaluation is for the fiscal year 1976-77…