The most recent version of the Build Back Better (BBB) Act includes historic investments in child care and preschool totaling $390 billion. These investments create a child care entitlement for most children from birth through age five and universal pre-kindergarten for three- and four-year-olds, which would provide significant increases to access…

The Build Back Better Act (BBB) will provide significant transformative funding to support the fragile child care and pre-kindergarten (pre-K) sectors and more equitably serve America's children, families, and child care workers. In Understanding the Child Care and Pre-K Provisions in the Build Back Better Act, the Center for Law and Social Policy…

This background paper from the Center on Education Policy (CEP) examines the origins, history, and evolution of federal land grants for public schools, as well as their significance as an early example of the federal role in education. It is intended to serve as a more detailed companion to another CEP paper, "Get the Federal Government Out of…

Two case studies are presented to compare and contrast the challenges encountered when attempting to conduct participatory evaluations (P-Es) with tribal programs that represented two extremes of collaboration between the programs and evaluators. In one case, the P-E was successful because the principals were invested in the program, whereas in…

This study is an exploratory examination of the projected sustainability of more than 100 projects funded by the Australian government. Using data collected by the body that evaluated the projects and data from a government database, it examines the predictors of various forms of sustainability. Findings show that some two thirds of the project…

This field hearing by the House Select Committee on Aging produced testimony on the mental health problems and service delivery needs of American Indian and Hispanic American elderly. A director of research and two American Indian advocates: (1) pointed out the high rate of depression among Indian elderly due to physical impairments and deprived…

Achievement of true tribal self-determination is seriously compromised by declining federal expenditures on Indian programs. Current proposals do not assure adequate funding for tribes to carry out basic government functions and do not address the question of tribal sovereignty. Contains 25 references and 7 data tables of expenditures. (SV)

Analyzes the position of Indian tribal governments within the national political economy, their limited sovereignty and dependence on federal aid, and the consequences of Reagan's "new federalist" policies for tribal programs. Summarizes federal Indian policies from 1783 to the present. Contains 10 references. (SV)

Testimony by the National Tribal Chairmen's Association (NTCA) states NTCA's opposition to S. 991 Section 7 (9) involving transfer of education programs out of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Department of Interior (DOI), into the proposed Department of Education. Reasons for keeping education services of federally recognized tribes within…

Kevin Gover, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, reviews his first-year accomplishments and his relationship with Congress and the tribes, and discusses executive orders on tribal consultation and Indian education; agency budget priorities for law enforcement, education, and management of Indian trust assets;…

This report to Congress by the National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE) includes an explanation of NACIE's history and current operation, ongoing programs, and recommendations for future work. NACIE, which reports to the Department of Education, is the sole Indian organization designated as an executive agency of the federal…

Investigates the implications of recent court litigation with respect to the establishment of tribal identity for the Mississippi Choctaw. Describes the tribe's current confusing status and the complex legal, economic, and other social issues confronting its people. (SB)

This Senate hearing produced testimony on how the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) has been administered by government agencies and the courts. Three members of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs presented background information on the act's intent to confirm the tribe as the primary authority in matters involving an Indian child's…

Testimony on two bills dealing with federal funding for American Indian tribally controlled colleges is reported. Introduced by Senator John McCain (Arizona), S. 2167 seeks to reauthorize the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 and the Navajo Community College Act. Introduced by Senator Kent Conrad (North Dakota), S. 2213…

Passage of the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 is examined via document reviews and interviews with constituent representatives. Findings highlight the remarkable unity of purpose exhibited by the tribal colleges throughout this process, including the initial proposal to Congress in 1974, debates over tribal control in…