Beginning in 2011, the Department of Education (Education) used its statutory authority to invite states to apply for waivers from certain provisions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) through its Flexibility initiative. To receive Flexibility waivers, states had to agree to meet other requirements related to college- and…

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…

Major programatic reforms or significant changes in roles and relationships within the educational system are unlikely to emerge given the lack of attention to the actors, process of implementation, and underlying values of the reform movement. The article's focus is state-level reform initiatives. (IAH)

The Reading First program was designed to help students in kindergarten through third grade develop stronger reading skills. This report examines the implementation of the Reading First program, including: (1) changes that have occurred to reading instruction; (2) criteria states have used to award sub-grants to districts, and the difficulties, if…

This report consolidates the information from a series of reports by the General Accounting Office (GAO) on states' fiscal, programmatic, and managerial responses to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981. Section 1 describes the major issues related to block grant implementation: (1) fiscal strategies adopted by states in response to…

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…

This report presents the findings from the first of three rounds of research in a projected 3-year study of the way state governments have begun to implement the new Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS). JOBS is a part of the Family Support Act of 1988 and provides employment, education, and training services that recipients…

In 1980 the federal government mandated that assistance be given states to conduct systematic assessment of current practices in Title XX funded day care programs and that a summary report of this assessment be provided to Congress. Assessment findings are given in this document. Overall, provider practices exceeded state licensing standards and…

This guide explains how to design and implement financial work supports in order to improve family and child well-being. The information provided draws heavily from the study of these three programs that increased employment and earnings while improving employment stability, boosting income, and reducing poverty: Minnesota Family Investment…

Since the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) was enacted in 1998, considerable efforts have been expended at the federal, state, and local levels to effect the transition to the new system mandated by WIA. Several states phased into the new system in July 1999, and all other states followed in mid-2000. Active participation by partner agencies has…

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) was the first significant attempt to retool the nation's workforce development programs since the early 1980s. Titles I-V of the WIA do the following things: (1) establish the purposes, goals and operational framework of a workforce development system designed to increase participants' employment,…