Examines the impact of the U.S. government's block grant fiscal policy on the funding policies and program services in drug and alcohol abuse prevention. Uses a case history of Pennsylvania's experience with block grant funding mandates to document the administrative and programmatic considerations affecting policy implementation at the state…

Reviews the first two years of implementation of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act in Washington state, examining political and economic background factors, state responses to block grant authority, and local implementation. Concludes that the state adapted well and quickly to the shift in federal policy. (PGD)

Defines block grants and describes their relationship to categorical aid programs. Discusses potential pros and cons of block grants for states and for local school districts, including intense competition for funds, and specifies strategic steps that school boards might take at the local, state, and federal levels. (CJM)

Draws on case studies from eight states to examine the initial operation of federal block grants. Finds that Chapter 2 worked better in its first year than its critics had predicted and that local education agencies frequently used their "united" money in innovative ways to meet local educational needs. (GC)

Five activities are proposed for a federal evaluation agenda for the 1980s: (1) measuring net impact of social program cost containment; (2) implementing and evaluating new social experiments; (3) examining appropriateness of current social programs; (4) testing alternatives to established programs; and (5) developing procedures to ensure…

President Reagan has announced that he will propose a program to increase numbers of teachers proficient in secondary school science/mathematics. House and Senate bills have also been introduced to provide programs for improving elementary and secondary science/mathematics education. Highlights of these programs, to be administered by the National…

Reviews the fiscal effects on 28 of the largest U.S. school districts of the shift in federal funding of education from categorical aid to block grants. Focuses on the longitudinal pattern of funding, the status of desegregation efforts, and the level of participation of private school students. (PGD)

School district central office administrators were studied to determine the effects of state and federal regulatory policies for categorical funding on administrative costs and administrator behavior. Findings showed significant hidden program costs for local districts. Additionally, regulations diverted local managers from educational concerns to…

A study of Chapter 2 first-year implementation in nine states found that administrators like the flexibility of the block grants. Problems remain concerning the participation of private school students, service to special populations, and the continued use of state advisory councils. (MLF)

It is argued that with New Zealand's new form of block grant funding, greater emphasis is placed on scientific publications than on disseminating research results in a more useful way to clients. It is recommended that successful communication of information be identified and rewarded. (MSE)

Discusses limits and strengths of existing procedural protections for persons affected by the implementation of block grants. Identifies the areas in which State or Federal legislation is most needed to ensure that people are treated fairly and that resources are distributed efficiently. (Author/GC)

It is argued that, with New Zealand's new form of block grant funding, greater emphasis is placed on scientific publications than on disseminating research results in a more useful way to clients. It is recommmended that successful communication of information be identified and rewarded. (MSE)

To maximize freedom from personal and political conflicts of interest, decentralized mechanisms of federal program evaluations are needed. Block grants mean that state legislatures and governors will become more responsible for oversight of funds. Three proposals are presented for helping the states deal with these increased evaluation…

Argues that the Reagan administration is dismantling the educational efforts of the past 50 years, which could result in chaos. Suggests that state departments are incapable of exercising leadership in the absence of a federal role. Predicts the abandonment of educational research and special concerns and the demise of equality. (Author/WD)

Reviews progress made toward educating handicapped children in the United States under Public Law 94-142. Describes how proposals by the Reagan Administration to reduce Federal involvement in education would place a heavy burden on individual States and would erode recent gains in educational opportunity for the handicapped. (GC)