This paper is intended to promote discussion among professionals, policymakers, employers, parents, and individuals with disabilities concerning current and future challenges facing secondary education and transition services nationally. The issues identified and discussed should not, however, be viewed as inclusive of the full range of possible…

The purpose of this hearing was to examine the Federal Communications Commission's management and oversight of the E-Rate program. This subcommittee has done much to expose for Congress a range of problems in the E-Rate program management--problems that raise questions about the program's effectiveness and whether the Nation's taxpayers can be…

The purpose of this hearing was to hear testimony on the effects of welfare reform and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant, and to examine one of the most important work supports available to low-income families, Federal child care assistance. The opening statements were delivered by the Honorable Howard P. "Buck"…

This brief summarizes the findings of Mathematica's Valuing Competencies study, which analyzed the effects of students' high school competencies on their postsecondary earnings and educational attainment. The effects of several competency measures, including academic achievement (as captured by test scores) and composite measures of leadership…

In school year 2003-2004, state data showed that the percentage of students with limited English proficiency scoring proficient on a state's language arts and mathematics tests was lower than the state's annual progress goals in nearly two-thirds of the 48 states for which data was obtained. To help these students progress academically, state and…

"Adequacy lawsuits" have emerged as an alternative strategy in pursuit of improved public education in America. Plaintiffs allege insufficient resources to provide students with the quality of education promised in their state's constitution, hoping the courts will step in and order the state to increase its level of aid. Since 1980, 45…

The "State ESEA ["Elementary and Secondary Education Act"] Title I Participation Summary Report for 2002-03" summarizes the participation data for the Title I, Part A, Grants to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) program. This program financially assists eligible school districts and schools in providing opportunities for at-risk…

The profiles provided in this booklet highlight how schools of education are collaborating with communities to improve schools, prepare high-quality teachers, and provide professional development so that all teachers can succeed--toward the ultimate purpose, that all children will succeed. Increasingly, the complex problems facing PK-12 education…

This report is the third in a series of "Reality Check" reports finds that five years into the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act and over a dozen years into the so-called standards movement in American education, the public now sees these reforms as "necessary, but not sufficient." This is consistent across a…

Leadership is key in the success of any reform, especially one as ambitious and complex as that in Philadelphia. "The case of Philadelphia is noteworthy as an exemplar of the implementation of paradigm-breaking new reforms in the governance and delivery of urban education." This report follows the first five years of the state takeover…

Inclusive education addresses the learning needs of all children with a specific focus on those who are vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion. It calls for all children to participate in schooling and be treated equally. The workshop explores the fundamental elements for inclusive education within the framework of Education for All (EFA)…

This brief provides statistical information on U.S. traffic accidents delineated by state. A map details the 2001 traffic fatalities by state and the percent change from 2000. Data tables include: (1) traffic fatalities and fatality rates, 2001; (2) traffic fatalities and percent change, 1975-2001; (3) alcohol involvement in fatal traffic crashes,…

The reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly refereed to as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), require states to demonstrate that all public schools make adequate yearly progress (AYP) with respect to student academic achievement. The measurement unit is schools and the following four subgroups within each school:…

This document briefly outlines recent activities of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in the following Strategic Action Areas: (1) National and International Recognition and Advocacy for Community Colleges; (2) Learning and Accountability; (3) Leadership Development; (4) Economic and Workforce Development; (5) Connectedness…

This paper reports on the state of welfare after the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) passed by Congress in 1996. The National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (NEWWS) is a federally initiated study that explores the questions of what works best and for whom. NEWWS evaluated seven areas across the…