New York State's Education Law requires local school districts with eight or more teachers and all Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to obtain annual independent audits. They are required to submit annual audit reports to the State Education Department. The Department also requires these entities to obtain a "Single…

This document contains the semiannual report on the activities of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the 6-month period ending March 31, 1997. During this time the OIG continued to fulfill its statutory mandate through a carefully designed program of audits and reviews intended to help Education Department…

The financing of guarantee agencies under the U.S. Department of Education's Guaranteed Student Loan Program was reviewed to determine whether, in the aggregate, the agencies are accumulating, retaining, and using reserve funds in accordance with legislative requirements and federal regulations. It was found that reserves exceed the risks…

This paper reviews recent changes in Japanese telecommunications policy, assesses those changes, and evaluates the differences in the policy making and policy implementation processes in Japan and the United States. From this analysis, five lessons are derived for U.S. telecommunications policy: (1) the telecommunications sector is strategically…

The need for an appropriate governance structure of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and a governance proposal are discussed. NAEP provides time series data on student achievement within certain academic areas by age and geographic region. Its main purpose is informational, rather than diagnostic. Several objectives are…

New pressures on accreditation and the unique factors that are the foundation of its continuing value to postsecondary education are addressed. The expanding variety of institutions to be accredited, government regulation, state authorization, legal sanctions, and self-regulation are also discussed. (Author/LBH)

In a report issued in September 2000, the Federal Trade Commission reported that the motion picture, music recording, and electronic game segments of the entertainment industry intentionally promoted products to children that warranted parent cautions. This report responds to the request of the Senate Commerce Committee by focusing on advertising…

In a report issued in September 2000, the Federal Trade Commission contended that the motion picture, music recording, and electronic game industries had engaged in widespread marketing of violent movies, music, and games to children inconsistent with their own parental advisories and undermining parents attempts to make informed decisions about…

This report from the United States Commission on Civil Rights focuses specifically on the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce Title II, Subtitle A of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability by public entities such as state and local governments. The report evaluates DOJ's…

A new approach is needed to develop effective energy education programs. Energy education for teachers will be increasingly based on cooperative efforts between teacher education programs, school districts, energy companies, federal agencies, and environmental organizations. (JN)

Sweden's newly deregulated university system, characterized by increased privatization and performance-based funding, is compared with a model of "responsive regulation" characterized by a cooperative regulatory relationship. Developments and actions during the first few years of reform are also analyzed in this context. Suggestions for…

Discusses issues surrounding federal law and policy and how they affect the college campus. Explores ways to develop strategies for complying with federal mandates and examines selected issues associated with compliance with federal policy. Argues that student affairs administrators should be aware of increased federal involvement and shifts in…

Reviews the two major elements (an employer survey and a hiring audit) of the General Accounting Office (GAO) study of discrimination related to implementation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). Notes some of the criticisms lodged against each element, and discusses policy implications of the report. (AF)

Responds to the article by Fix and Bean in this issue on the General Accounting Office (GAO) report on discrimination related to provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). Questions interpretation of the GAO report and an Urban Institute-sponsored study. Endorses IRCA and recommends stronger employer sanctions. (AF)

The objectives and content of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) proposed comprehensive guidelines for conducting audits of tax-exempt organizations are outlined, and feedback received from higher education institutions concerning those guidelines are summarized. Comments reflect institutions' concerns about the IRS' lack of understanding of…