This Issue Brief reviews general state practices to maintain safe schools and federal education programs that fund and shape some local school practices. Re-examining how school safety initiatives are implemented in states suggests the need for increased collaboration among states and new flexibility for states when it comes to the use of existing…

The State Family Outcomes Measurement System Framework (S-FOMS) is a framework originally developed by the Early Childhood Outcomes Center that identifies seven key components of a high-quality family outcomes measurement system at the state level. The seven components are: (1) Purpose; (2) Data collection and transmission; (3) Analysis; (4)…

The purpose of this policy analysis was to examine the responses of selected states to the special education monitoring requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA) with particular attention paid to the years after this most recent reauthorization. This study examined the legislative and litigative history of…

U.S. educators and policymakers are concerned about the poor performance of the public schools, particularly schools that serve students from low-income families. Although education is primarily a state function, the federal government also has a longstanding interest in improving education for disadvantaged students, and it targets funding to…

Technological innovation is driving fundamental changes in all aspects of our lives. This is especially true of digital content, as our use of e-books, downloadable music, streaming television and movies, and online social networks has exploded. However, the explosive growth in our use of digital content seems so far to have eluded many of the 50…

As the national education policy community prepares for the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), revamping the school improvement approach leveraged by accountability systems has risen to the top of the agenda. There is an emerging consensus that the school improvement process should be systemic, led by states and…

This issue brief explores the problem of child pornography and teenage prostitution and examines some of the strategies federal, state, and local governments employ to address these social problems. After a brief review of Congressional actions and Supreme Court decisions, state statutes affecting pornography and prostitution are reviewed, and…

The three days of House subcommittee hearings reported in this transcript deal with the proposed Maritime Education and Training Act, H.R. 5451 and the Maritime Education and Training Elements of Maritime Appropriations Authorization Act--H.R. 6554. The primary goal of the legislation is to provide for the supply of merchant marine officers from…

This report explores how the states carried out the first year implementation of AmeriCorps, the signature component of the 1993 National and Community Service Trust Act. This initial study is part of a larger study of the effectiveness of the 1993 Act. The report is based on: interviews with the staff of the Corporation for National Service,…

A senate hearing on the role of older volunteers in the schools was held at the Spanish River High School in Boca Raton, Florida. At the time of the hearing, Florida was the only state in the United States with a school volunteer program supported by legislation, appropriation, and a state program coordinating office. Students, volunteer program…

The National Apprenticeship Program is the term used to describe the coalition of management, labor, and government that supports the apprenticeship program in the United States and the aggregate nationwide of such programs and enrolled apprentices. Apprenticeship programs are operated by employers, employer associations, or jointly by management…

An American labor leader questions the nation's sense of priorities and offers his views on the sponsorship of day care services. (ED)

This report describes the application requirements that state agencies need to follow in order to obtain federal funding for family support and preservation (FSP) programs, as budgeted under Title IV-B of the Social Security Act for fiscal years (FYs) 1994 through 1998. Part I of the report serves as an introduction and provides background…

This report concerns the coordination of goals, objectives, and activities of agencies which have responsibilities for programs and activities related to child abuse and neglect, as required by P.L. 93-247, as amended. It describes some of the combined efforts of federal agencies and other organizations for the calendar years 1983 and 1984 and…