Betsy DeVos, the new U.S. Secretary of Education, has a reform agenda to advance school choice. Her track record includes enabling charter school growth in Michigan at taxpayers' expense with little oversight or accountability. Although an effective advocate, DeVos represents a broader policy movement to privatize American education, much of it…

Tragic events in recent years underscore the need for school to be a safe and positive learning environment for every student. In the absence of a safe and positive learning environment, a student may feel disconnected, disregard consequences, and engage in bullying or other destructive behaviors. These conditions can foreshadow acts of violence…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Fair & Effective Education Policy." Contents include: (1) What Students…

This report synthesizes major themes in local policymaking during the last year, as local school districts continue to grapple with legal and economic constraints on policies that are aimed at creating diverse schools. The report last year on the second anniversary of "Parents Involved" began to uncover some of the consequences of the difficult…

"Research Universities and the Future of America" presents critically important strategies for ensuring that our nation's research universities contribute strongly to America's prosperity, security, and national goals. Widely considered the best in the world, our nation's research universities today confront significant financial…

This article discusses the tensions between the federal government and the states in several areas in modern commerce where consumers and business have competing interests. First the article discusses traditional approaches to express preemption and the constitutional and economic policy behind its uses by Congress. Even when Congress expressly…

"International Education and Foreign Languages" reviews the Department of Education's Title VI and Fulbright-Hays Programs, which provide higher education funding for international education and foreign language programs. This book offers a timely look at issues that are increasingly important in an interconnected world. It discusses the…

In the twenty-first century, differences in the treatment of trade in alcoholic beverages in comparison to other commercial goods seem at odds with the federal regulation of interstate trade under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which prohibits "differential treatment of in-state and out-of-state economic interests that…

Designed to serve as a framework in which high school debate students, coaches, and judges can evaluate the issues, arguments, and evidence concerning which agricultural policies best serve the United States, this booklet provides guidelines for research on the 1986-87 debate resolutions selected by the National Federation of State High School…

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which brought an official end to the Mexican American War (1846-1848) was signed on February 2, 1848. Nicholas Trist, chief clerk of the U.S. Statement Department at the time, negotiated the peace treaty in defiance of 1845-1849 President James K. Polk. Trist believed that Mexico must surrender fully, including…

From the 1860s through the 1870s the U.S. frontier saw many Indian wars and skirmishes. A study and report on the conditions of the Indian tribes, released in 1867, led to an act to establish an Indian Peace Commission to end the wars and prevent future Indian conflicts. In the spring of 1868 a conference was held at Fort Laramie (Wyoming) that…

Deputy Undersecretary Linda Combs, U.S. Department of Education (ED), comments on developmental education personnel's role in the public education reform movement, colleges' remedial education responsibilities, ED's role in responding to national literacy requirements and position on postsecondary developmental education, the access vs. excellence…

Personal rights have been targeted by the Supreme Court, executive branch, Congress, state and local governments, private pressure groups, and the public. All are looking for quick solutions to society's problems. Current threats to academic and artistic expression are substantial, but some free speech advocates are still willing to meet the…

Most educators agree that the story of the evolution of money and banking in the United States includes many historical events that have been crucial to the nation's development. This collection of materials consists of a video, a related brochure, and a series of lesson plans about the Federal Reserve. The video provides a 14-minute introduction…

Although it was not directly named in the U.S. Constitution, federalism is a central principle of U.S. government. It is important for students to learn about federalism to comprehend the U.S. federal system and recognize examples of federalism in other countries. Teaching and learning about federalism is essential to education for citizenship in…