This article provides merchandising, housing, and design professionals, as well as educators, with a clear understanding of the program objectives and development of the Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC), an industry-driven voluntary product safety association. The central mission of UFAC is to conduct research on cigarette-ignition…

When Congress passed the GI Bill, it linked the accreditation process with the distribution of federal funds. As Congress saw it, accreditation would ensure accountability without subjecting institutions to harmful external controls. While accreditation began as a voluntary system, it has now become virtually mandatory. Policymakers and trustees…

The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) submits these comments in response to the US Department of Education's (ED) draft requirements, priorities, selection criteria, and definitions for the Race to the Top District (RTT-D) competition. DQC applauds ED for including the following components of the proposal: (1) Data is acknowledged throughout the…

The U.S. Department of Education, overriding opposition from colleges and accreditors, is pushing ahead with a plan to remake American higher education by requiring that colleges show results if they want to remain eligible for more than $90-billion in federal student aid. At the end of a three-day session last month, representatives of colleges…

Currently, the federal government administers several programs that aim to address the "unique educational and culturally related academic needs" (Title VII, Part A, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 2002) of Native American students. What does this mean for today's teachers and learners? Unfortunately, the drive to significantly raise…

Most public schools are funded through a combination of local, state, and federal sources. Each funding stream is often accompanied by a host of regulations on how schools and districts can use the funds. Often such regulations can be highly restrictive, limiting the ability of schools to align their budgets with their instructional programs.…

The movement to strengthen and expand the role of religious groups in social services has had a significant effect on sex education in this country. In part because of the government support they receive, religious conservatives have come to dominate the public discourse on faith and sexuality. This obscures the fact that other, more progressive…

The Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA) does not mince words when describing the looming data storage problem. In its 2007 report, "Solving the Coming Archive Crisis--the 100-Year Dilemma," the trade group asserts that the volume of disparate digital information sources being kept online for long-term preservation is overwhelming and…

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the federal stimulus package, will over the next two years provide all states with federal funding to support early learning opportunities for 3- and 4-year-olds. This investment clearly reflects Washington's acknowledgement of the link between high-quality early education and the nation's…

The Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) "Guide to Accreditation" includes a full description of TEAC's principles and standards, the accreditation process and audit, and detailed instruction on writing the "Brief." This revision includes expanded information on (1) preparing an "Inquiry Brief Proposal" and the audit of the "Inquiry…

Research administrators can be assisted in resolving issues with awareness of the critical period of policy formation divulged in the Joseph Warner Papers. He and his colleagues on the Subcommittee on Grants and Contracts Provisions of COGR adopted the philosophy that research administrators needed flexibility and reduced paperwork and costs.…

In a comprehensive action intended to change how the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) law is carried out, the U.S. Secretary of Education formally proposed a package of new regulations that would require state and local school officials to provide more and better information about high school graduation rates, student test performance, and the…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 established a requirement that all states develop and submit to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) a performance plan designed to move the state from its current level of compliance with the statutory and regulatory requirements of the law and…

Since taking office, President Obama has taken historic steps to lay the foundation for the innovation economy of the future. The Obama Innovation Strategy builds on well over $100 billion of Recovery Act funds that support innovation, additional support for education, infrastructure and others in the Recovery Act and the President's Budget, and…

Special education as practiced today remains firmly anchored in the original logic of the Amendments to the Education of the Handicapped Act (PL 94-142). Subsequent reauthorizations of the statute have included language designed to increase access to the general curriculum by special needs students but have not addressed the underlying…