Current federal student financial assistance programs are described, and their impact on access to and choice of postsecondary education are assessed. In addition, recommendations and policy options for promoting educational opportunity are offered. Findings of the following eight studies are analyzed: (1) changes in college attendance and student…

This document contains transcripts of U.S. Senate hearings leading to the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act. During the hearings, testimony and/or prepared statements were given by the U.S. Secretary of Education, representatives of business and industry (especially the training sector), educators (especially vocational education…

Presented in this volume is the final report of the first phase of a study designed to assess initiatives available to the National Science Foundation (NSF) to address problems and opportunities in K-12 science education. The report begins with a discussion of NSF's mission in K-12 science education, followed by a review of the problems that limit…

The condition of migrant students is detailed in this report, which points out that the problems facing migrant students are shared by many at-risk students and the recommendations for migrant students apply to many segments of the at-risk population. Chapter 1 outlines migrant student demographics noting racial and ethnic minority status, limited…

A survey was conducted to obtain more reliable data on Native Americans in higher education and to ascertain the factor contributing to their success and failure in college. A questionnaire was mailed to 79 colleges and universities serving the largest percentage of Native Americans in the United States. A total of 33 valid responses were…

A study was conducted in Illinois to determine how effectively the vocational education system was meeting its responsibilities to train, retrain, and upgrade employed and unemployed workers in new skills for which there is a demand in the state, under the terms of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984. Responses were received from…

The impact of student aid policies on women is assessed. Patterns of enrollment and economic profiles differ for male and female students. Women, for example, far surpass men as adult, part-time, independent, and unclassified students, the categories most likely to present barriers to participating in most financial aid programs. Gender issues in…

This performance report presents the services and activities provided to youth and adults in secondary and postsecondary vocational education in North Carolina from July 1, 1985, to June 30, 1986. Data are provided to reflect services to special populations, trends, growth in enrollment, student and employer assessment of the value of vocational…

Data on enrollments, student characteristics, number of teachers, and finance are reported for public and private U.S. colleges and elementary and secondary schools for 1970-1971, 1975-1976, 1980-1981, and 1985-1986. Statistics are also presented on: public school revenues by source of funds (federal, state, local); high school graduates by…

Fifteen papers commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education's School Finance Project are contained in this volume. The papers examine the changing dimensions of the federal-state partnership in education. The volume is organized into four sections. The first section is devoted to state educational policy concerns, including various state…

The impact of student aid policies on women is assessed. Differences in the conditions affecting men's and women's need for aid are identified, along with actions that could improve women's participation in student aid programs. Gender issues in student aid policy include: loan burden, default, and bankruptcy; the award of merit scholarships;…

The purposes, accomplishments, and future of the Higher Education Act are considered in hearings of the U.S. House of Representatives. A brief history of the Higher Education Act over the 20 years since its inception in 1965 is traced, and the role of the federal government in higher education is addressed. The centerpiece of the legislation was…

The contents of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965 are summarized, with attention to competing interests and policy areas of concern to the California Postsecondary Education Commission. Current provisions and proposed changes are reviewed for: Title I, Continuing Postsecondary Education Program and Planning; Title II, College and Research…

This policy paper explores the nature and significance of human capital development. Its intended audience includes policymakers, students and researchers, and citizens who bear the ultimate responsibility for public policy. An introductory section defines human capital broadly to include all productive capacities acquired at some cost and…

The effects of five environmental and five institutional factors on college and university enrollments during the period between 1975-1976 and 1980-1981 were studied with a sample of 2,101 institutions. The environmental factors were federal student aid, state student aid, number of 18-year-olds, unemployment, and level of economic wealth as…