This annual report describes the activities of the four Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Partnerships created by the Office of Special Education Programs to provide reliable information on IDEA. The Partnerships include: (1) the Associations of Service Providers Implementing IDEA Reforms in Education (ASPIIRE) Partnership; (2)…

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act gave American Indian and Alaska Native tribes the option to administer Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs either alone or in a tribal consortium. The law also granted tribal TANF programs more flexibility in program design than it gave to state programs.…

The passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1994 represented a fundamental shift in the character of federal aid to education and demanded new roles and responsibilities for states, districts, and the federal government. This handbook presents findings from a…

Citizens can play an important role in helping their states develop pollution control programs and spurring effective efforts to deal with nonpoint-source pollution. This guide takes the reader step-by-step through the process that states must follow to comply with water quality legislation relevant to nonpoint-source pollution. Part I provides…

A study focused on results from seven of the earliest state welfare reform initiatives with some form of welfare time limit. Four programs--Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, and Wisconsin--- included benefit-termination time limits triggering cancellation of a family's entire welfare grant. Arizona and Indiana imposed benefit-reduction time limits,…

Although there is a great deal of interest in the concept of literacy coaching in the wake of the No Child Left Behind legislation, and a number of programs exist that incorporate this technique, there has been little reliable research done on the impact of literacy coaches on student achievement. Currently, the information that is available…

Discusses how the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 denies noncitizens public assistance, defines "qualified aliens", and points out the inequities of the Act. Examines how this legislation affects several federal programs administered by state agencies, such as Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for…

This qualitative policy study of 6 states and 12 school districts identified 6 factors that influenced implementation of least restrictive environment provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Factors included financing, the state-local context, organization, advocacy, implementors, and knowledge and values. The study…

Reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) specifies that a behavioral intervention plan (BIP) must be developed for students with disabilities under certain disciplinary exclusions. IDEA, however, does not provide details as to what should be included in BIPs, and this lack of specific guidance often results in…

On October 20, 1994, President Clinton signed into law the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994. This statute contains amendments to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, including the reauthorization of Chapter 1, as the newly entitled Title I. The reauthorized Title I drastically restructures the direction of former remedial…

A study to ascertain state progress in building school-to-work systems reviewed the state applications for school-to-work planning grants submitted in December 1993 and 1993 state reports on progress toward achieving the National Education Goals. State infrastructure to support and guide local programs included clear goals, public understanding…

Four years after passage of Public Law 99-457, a survey was conducted of 30 state Part H Coordinators regarding the financing of Part H services. Coordinators were asked to estimate the percentage of the state's total funding that came from each of 44 potential sources for financing the implementation of Part H. Every one of the 44 sources was…

This handbook (prepared to assist charter school operators, state department of education personnel, and policymakers) reviews special education case law and legislation as well as pertinent issues that can guide charter school personnel, host or sponsoring districts, and state agency personnel in the implementation of special education in charter…

In 1975, Congress established the School Breakfast Program, which gives federal funds to help schools provide morning meals to children. The Food Research and Action Center has worked to increase the number of schools participating in the program. This document is a handbook for organizing a school breakfast program at the local level. Chapters in…

Under Subtitle B Part I, Serve-America, of the National and Community Service Act of 1990, $1.1 million was awarded to fund 44 school-based service-learning programs in Pennsylvania. A study collected data on program implementation and impact on students, Serve-America coordinators, and supervisors during visits to 43 sites and at meetings with…