Broadly conceptualized, federal-state partnerships refer to collaborations between the federal government and states to create or implement policy. In the higher education policy arena, such partnerships have the potential to transform how higher education is funded and regulated, making college more affordable and more accessible to a larger…

In this brief, the authors review some of the main goals of state student financial aid programs and provide a few examples of how these programs are organized. They also describe how state programs vary in terms of who benefits. They then discuss various possible designs for joint federal-state policymaking in this area and study their impact.…

Access and affordability are the main themes of Goal 1 of The Virginia Plan for Higher Education. Progress toward these goals can be measured by a variety of means, but access and affordability serve as foundational guiding principles as the Commonwealth of Virginia crafts its annual and biennial higher-education budgets. Student-loan debt is but…

The findings summarized in this report are intended to shed light on what it means to cultivate demand for the arts, why it is necessary and important to cultivate this demand, and what state arts agencies (SAAs) and other arts and education policymakers can do to help. The research considered only the benchmark arts central to public policy:…

The history of governmental support for private higher education is a long one, and current pressures have led to calls for more support at both the state and federal level. Those calls have not been fruitless. Thirty-nine states now have some program of direct or indirect support for private colleges and universities. In many cases, programs seem…

In the last few years government agencies have expanded their controls over higher education and thus diminished the autonomy of public insitutions. Some of the recent instances of government intervention were the responses of legislators and government officials to student and faculty behavior they considered irresponsible and disruptive. In…

This article focuses on technology policy recommendations for elected officials and educators. Highlights include state government's role, state funding policies, regulatory changes, and county government's role. (LRW)

This document presents a comprehensive picture of educational personnel development. In addition to updating Federal and state involvement in educational development, the report begins with a history of professional development of teachers and ends with an analysis of research on teacher education. It is divided into the following major sections:…

A general commentary on the present education reform in the country is made using the examples of the five state reports. Certain common national trends are noted, and a summary is given of the effects of these reforms. Speculation is offered on the future of the reforms. (JD)

Student costs in most institutions are not determined by any simple economic model or desire to charge as much as possible; they are the product of a variety of state policy decisions. State governments should become more forceful in controlling future increases, especially for noninstructional services. (MSE)

This serial issue summarizes findings from a survey of 20 state mental retardation and developmental disabilities agencies and 93 community based providers on developing and financing community services. The survey queried respondents concerning: (1) which models or strategies for financing community services have been most effective; (2) what…

Tuition policy is interrelated with many issues addressed by state higher education executive officers (SHEEOs), including quality, access, choice, and funding. The central policy issue is how to set tuition levels in amounts and in a manner that support the state's substantive higher education policies, explicit or implicit. Tuition and financial…

Information about current policy issues and relationships Between state governments and higher education is presented, with focus on the conceptual issue of accountability and autonomy. The relationship between state governments and colleges is continually evolving. Four sections cover the following: (1) leadership in higher education (the…

Presented are the results of the sixth annual tabular survey of programs in operation or approved for state support of private higher education in the 50 states. As a result of the growth of such programs in the six survey years, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) formed a task force to look carefully at the issue of public support for…

School finance reform has reflected, over the last 10 years, the changing relationship between education and state government. Emerging from the case histories presented here is the conclusion that, gradually, the barriers separating education policymakers from general government have been lowered. At the same time, the fragmentation among…