No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is a federal education law that was passed in 2001 with the laudable but challenging goal of closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and improving academic achievement among all students. To that end, NCLB has held states, school districts, and individual schools to impossibly high standards of…

New guidelines to provide more flexibility and certainty in meeting federal time distribution recordkeeping requirements for U.S. Department of Education programs are outlined in this document. Directed to state, local and Indian tribal governments, the new guidelines are expected to avoid audit appeals and disputes, freeing teachers and…

This report discusses: (1) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) policy requiring that foster care training costs be allocated proportionately between the Social Security Act Title IV-E foster care program and other programs; (2) adherence to this cost-sharing policy; and (3) the effect of cost-sharing on states' training programs. It…

Exposure to asbestos in the air poses serious health threats, particularly to children. The use of asbestos in schools after World War II may have exposed millions of persons before regulations controlling asbestos use began appearing in the 1970s. Federal efforts to reduce exposure to asbestos have included passage of the Asbestos School Hazard…

The Indian Education Act is the only federal program that specifies parent committees rather than parent advisory committees, vesting specific responsibilities and right to consultation, review, and approval upon the parent committees. Thus it is imperative that parent committee members understand these rights and responsibilities and become…

This compilation of federal regulations concerning student aid includes changes through December 31, 1998, that apply to all regulations published in the "Federal Register." An introduction offers suggestions for understanding regulations. The regulations, with original dates and change dates, cover the following parts of Title 34 of the…

This report addresses concerns raised by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the U.S. Senate on : (1) the number and cost of trustee arrangements providing student loans and their shared characteristics; (2) the benefits and protections afforded the federal government through use of trustee arrangements; and (3) the effect…

National-level educational policy is being rapidly decentralized, according to this article, which offers a historical framework for understanding the new era in national education politics. The author analyzes implications of the changes taking place and discusses options open to proponents of a vigorous federal role in education. (Author/WD)

Because of the exceptions to the legislation, the HEW age discrimination regulations will fall far short of imposing age desegregation on the schools. There may, however, be some circumstances in which greater age diversity will be evident in the public schools in the years to come. (Author/IRT)

A study explored the changes in the federal role in education prior to and after the May 1980 Implementation Plan for the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The documents related to the creation of ED determine if any change in the federal role in education was expressed through program components included in the new ED, and those programs not…

Guidelines to help ensure that meals served under the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs meet program requirements are provided in this booklet. Based on the latest federal regulations and meal pattern requirements, average yield information is presented on over 600 food items. Information is provided for calculating accurate quantities…

A study was conducted to determine: (1) whether federal savings could be expected by replacing Stafford student loans with direct loans under a direct loan program proposed by the National Association of State universities and Land Grant Colleges; and (2) what consequent administrative responsibilities would accrue to educational institution and…

This excerpt from a newsletter presents an interview with Robert Lee Chartrand, senior specialist in information policy and technology for the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress, on issues related to information technology and the U.S. Congress. A brief biography of Mr. Chartrand presents his major professional experience,…

The purpose of this report is to review the actions of the United States Office of Education (OE) in the administration and operation of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the 1978 Education Amendments. The report describes the changes Congress mandated OE to implement and examines OE's response to these specific…

Responding to an article from the April 1987 Phi Delta Kappan criticizing Chapter 1 structures, the author points out that radical changes will not improve the program, instead a broader "systems approach" for interpreting rules governing such programs is needed. (MD)