Presents impressions of the first two years' impact of the block grant provisions of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act on nine public schools districts and four private schools in Michigan. Briefly discusses Chapter 2's effects on intergovernmental relationships and major state actions and decisions. (PGD)

Examines the impact during a period of extensive curricular and school finance reform in Texas of the implementation of the block grant provisions of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. Considers governmental response, effects on transaction costs and resource allocation, and the potential for further savings. (PGD)

Outlines the latest Federal budget and regulatory proposals being discussed, examines the spending and taxation priorities on which they are based, and suggests alternatives for the funding of education and other human services. (Available from Gutman Library, 6 Appian Way, Cambridge, MA 02138.) (Author/GC)

The history of intergovernmental relations in educational policy has been dominated by regulations, categorical programs, and technical assistance by higher levels of government to stimulate or require lower levels to make changes in policy and practice. This paper summarizes recent research collected by the Consortium of Policy Research in…

The 104th Congress seems intent on reforming the financing of federal programs and, in the process, devolving more authority for the design and delivery of supports and services to states and communities. This paper reviews the experience and lessons from the Reagan block grants of the 1980s, highlighting the similarities and differences between…

The General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) was created in 1968 to take into consideration the specific concerns of education as they relate to the federal regulatory process. Setting down standard procedures for education regulation, the GEPA has created enforcement problems, turf battles, and mountains of regulations. In a major revamping of…

A variety of federal, state, and local programs provide public financial or in-kind support of private schools. This paper explores the impact of selected federal programs on minority employment patterns and focuses on the factors accounting for variation in racial staffing patterns among public, Catholic, and private schools. The study concludes…

In this compilation, five alumni of the Institute for Educational Leadership's Journalism Fellowship Program assess the impact of policies and conditions under the Reagan administration on state education in Washington, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and Texas. An introduction reviews the Reagan administration's education program and budget.…

This series of articles discusses categorical grants, defined as financial assistance by a higher level of government to a lower level for educational services of a specific type or for a particular group of students. In the first article, criticism of such programs is discussed, as well as alternative approaches to better meet the goals of…

This paper traces the historical context of the passage and implementation of Vermont's Act 230 in 1990, which initiated a new special education funding system to increase equity, predictability, and flexibility in program design as well as to ensure placement neutrality. Specific objectives of the funding system included increasing the use of…

The effects of cuts in the federal education budget during the Reagan Administration and the outlook for the future for education programs during the next 4 years are discussed in this speech by a U. S. Senator. The current status of the following programs is compared to their status in 1980: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, bilingual education, vocational…

Assessing the Reagan Administration's first 3 years in office, this paper evaluates the administration's inability to enact its education agenda, which included reductions of federal regulations, cuts in education spending, tuition tax credits, prayer in the public schools, and abolishing the Department of Education. The consolidation of programs…

Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981 consolidated 28 separate federal education programs into a single block grant. This report evaluates the effectiveness of Chapter 2 as public policy, assessing whether it has led to improvement in education, whether the consolidated programs are more responsive to…

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…

Characterizes federal support for education as a political process involving Congress, the president, special interest groups, program administrators, and the general public. Examines policy shifts from bipartisan congressional leadership in the late 1940s through John Kennedy's advocacy of federal aid and Ronald Reagan's endorsement of state and…