This article reviews the historical context in which Canadian legislation and policy for children with special needs has evolved. The potential for the rights of students with special needs in light of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is outlined. The role of the Federal and Provincial governments in legislation and policy vis-à-vis…

The evolution of the federal role in education policy has entailed increasing activism in matters traditionally controlled by states and school districts. However, the expanding federal role has not resulted in a zero sum game for states and localities. Focusing on the policy-implementation process, this article examines recent state and local…

This article offers an analysis of the origins, evolution, and impact of the Obama administration's Race to the Top (RTTT) competitive grant program and places it in the broader context of the debate over the No Child Left Behind Act and the shifting intergovernmental relations around education. RTTT is fundamentally about two things: creating…

This report is a comparative analysis of the administration and implementation of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title I programs in 32 local school districts in 8 states (un-named). The goal of the study was to explain and understand the major and diverse aspects of administrative behavior at the three levels of Title I program management…

On March 31, 1993, President Clinton signed into law the Goals 2000: Educate America Act. The Goals 2000 Act sets educational improvement and participation as national priorities to be achieved through local and state ingenuity, not federal control. This document offers general information on the Act and provides questions to help educators and…

This report discusses weaknesses in the educational process that have led to the crises schools are facing. These defects are explored in (1) the role played by each government level in providing quality education, (2) the role played by the nonpublic sector in American education, (3) the financing of elementary and secondary education, (4) the…

This report focuses on the new intergovernmental relationships developing between cities, States and the Federal government as funds are "block granted." The first chapter discusses the historical background of federalism and the redistributive role of government, and puts the "new federalism" in perspective. The following…

During the past five years, postsecondary student assistance programs administered by the Office of Education have enabled an estimated nine million students to receive a postsecondary education who might otherwise have been unable to do so. These programs include the Federally Insured Student Loan program, the National Direct Student Loan…

Recommendations for state and federal policies on need-based student assistance are presented in this position paper from the Education Commission of the States. Student assistance is viewed as one of the most effective ways of meeting state and national goals for expanding access and choice in postsecondary education. The importance of effective…

For nearly 50 years, the unemployment insurance program has functioned as a unique and largely successful intergovernmental effort. From its inception, federal and state governments have each had principal jurisdiction over particular aspects of the program and both have shared responsibilities for others. The distribution of authority and…

The effectiveness of state enterprise zone programs was examined by using a hypothetical-firm model called the Tax and Incentives Model-Enterprise Zones (TAIM-ez) model to analyze the value of enterprise zone incentives to businesses across the United States and especially in the 13 states that had substantial enterprise zone programs by 1990. The…