Discusses the shift of responsibility for public schooling back to the states and localities and the fact that block grants have become an integral part of national policy. Explains the effect of the cut in federal funds on the nation's schools. (JOW)

Reports on major bills passed by the houses of Congress, designed to cut federal funding and also to streamline delivery systems for child care and related services. In addition, discusses the Clinton administration's proposed budget for Federal Year 1996, which calls for increased funding for child care. (AA)

This paper poses and responds to 10 questions about the policy issues affecting state education agencies raised by the federal government's plans to reduce expenditures for education and to consolidate several categorical aid programs into two major block grants. These 10 questions focus on the shifting relationships among and responsibilities of…

The impact of and justification for using federal grants to carry out national policies in education is explored in this document. The paper opens by noting that the locally-made decisions typical of our federal system of government do not always take into account such national interests as those in increasing equality of opportunity, providing…

Reviews national interests in education and considers the effectiveness of different forms of federal grants in addressing those interests. Concludes that providing equalization aid is the only appropriate purpose for block grants since such grants do not encourage state and local agencies to concern themselves with national priorities. (PGD)

This issue brief, which is intended for individuals involved in planning and delivering adult literacy programs, examines several major characteristics of recent House and Senate bills regarding block grants, describes the new requirements of block grants and their potential effects on adult education and literacy services, and suggests actions…

American educational policy is based on three preeminent values: equity, efficiency, and choice. The problem is that these values are often antithetical: an emphasis on one deemphasizes the others. Coming to an acceptable balance among all three values is therefore the essence of public policymaking. Accordingly, this paper takes one of these…

Predicting the federal government's role in education in the 1980s requires being aware of existing patterns and trends, noting their interaction with likely federal policy changes, and assessing the possible outcomes of this interaction. The existing patterns, or "historical givens," include trends in educational economics and…

The need for a new approach to federal support of education by reducing the number of narrow categorical aid programs is developed through a case study of the 1976 Ford Administration proposal for a consolidated block grant of 24 separate authorities. The merits of block grant funding are examined both in terms of the administration-sponsored bill…

To inform educators of the changes in federal educational policy taking place under the Reagan administration, this paper includes comments on education made by participants in a legislative conference held in Washington, D.C. during February 1981. An introductory chapter by the editors summarizes the policy changes that can be expected to take…

Recent block grant legislation requires both state and local education agencies to provide private school students a range of services equivalent to that provided public school students. These requirements pose administrative and operational problems for state agencies, since these agencies must simultaneously avoid relationships with religiously…

A number of basic questions exist about the nature of the federal system, about the role education plays in that system, and about how that role should be expressed in policy. This paper examines the doctrinal, functional, and strategic meanings of the term "federalism." The author argues, first, that there is no doctrinal support for…

The Advisory Panel on Financing Elementary and Secondary Education appointed by President Reagan in 1982 developed recommendations regarding both the Federal role in education and the practical means for carrying out that role. To encourage accountability and educational quality, the panel urged giving locally selected authorities primary…

Discusses the significance of the shift in federal educational policies marked by the adoption of the block grant approach to federal aid in Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Reviews several general findings of case studies of the first year of Chapter 2 grant implementation. (PGD)

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…