Federal student loans include a complex consolidation option that gives borrowers the opportunity to combine several loans into a single loan with a longer term to maturity and, for loans originated before July 2006, to convert from a variable- to a fixed-rate loan. The consolidation option adds substantial costs to the federal student loan…

Every spring, education-related newspaper and magazine stories raise the alarm that schools are "teaching to the test." Scores of articles and editorials paint a disheartening picture of frustrated teachers forced to abandon good instructional practices for a relentless stream of worksheets based on boring, repetitive test-preparation…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children with Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), which establishes work-focused, time-limited welfare benefits. TANF permits tribes to receive funds directly from the federal government to administer their own…

Serving as a vehicle for raising the profile of and thereby gaining recognition for the important research and development work being conducted in Canada in support of children and families, the "Research Connections Canada" series compiles research and/or development papers as well as background papers, analytical literature reviews,…

Most analyses of California's nursing shortage find that too few nurses are being educated to meet future demand. Coffman and Spetz (1999) estimate that state nursing programs need to educate an additional 3,600 students per year between 2000 and 2010, and 5,000 more per year between 2010 and 2020 to maintain an adequate nursing force. Unless the…

In view of the pending reauthorization of Head Start in 2003, this paper presents information on the effectiveness of Head Start, alternatives to Head Start, program funding, performance standards, and other issues germane to its reauthorization. Topics considered in the question-and-answer format of the report are: (1) Head Start benefits for…

This document presents the 50th semiannual report on the activities and accomplishments of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Education (Department). During this reporting period, the OIG issued 123 audits, inspection reports and memoranda, and closed 95 investigations. As detailed in this report, this office continues to…

Schools and school districts across the country are under pressure to show that student performance on standardized tests is improving. Much of this pressure is based on the idea that clear expectations, combined with sanctions for poor performance, will motivate educators and students to try harder and do better. The federal No Child Left Behind…

The purpose of this study was to determine how career and technical education teachers(CTE) in West Virginia perceived the impact of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. A purposive sample was used to select thirty-seven (N=37) career and technical education teachers from five Southern West Virginia vocational schools. The data collection…

Noting that North Carolina is a leader in the integration of family support into services for families with young children, this brochure provides practical information and guidelines for family supportive early care and education programs, early intervention, parenting programs, and health services for families with young children. The brochure…

This kit, the first of four learning circles on civics and citizenship, addresses a series of broad issues about the way in which Australia is governed. Introductory materials include a synopsis of the six sessions; lists of 51 references, 29 Internet sites, and 13 videos and CDs; glossary; and list of 19 resource materials. Session guides are…

This is the third in a series of annual reports that summarize financial trends affecting higher education. State appropriations to higher education reached $60.6 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2001, an increase of 7.0% over FY 2000 in current funds, and a 5.0 constant dollar increase. However, total state general fund appropriations for all…

Legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act mandates testing accommodations in order to ensure that examinations accurately reflect the abilities of a person. This document describes different types of testing for hearing impaired and visually impaired. Individualized testing accommodations such as changes to the test directions,…

This document is for administrators, rehabilitation counselors, and other professionals who support the employment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients with disabilities. It contains strategies for vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs to improve an SSI or SSDI…

The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the fourth in a series to use an ethics-based…