No Child Left Behind (NCLB) gives states wide discretion to define what students must learn, how that knowledge should be tested, what test scores constitute proficiency, set standards for high school graduation rates, teacher qualifications, school safety and many other aspects of school performance. As a result, states are largely free to define…

Renewed attention on educational quality is forcing educators to consider experimenting with new organizational structures for achieving public school objectives. Eight recent reports on the state of public precollegiate education in the United States address the need for better educational quality. Although the eight reports vary in emphasis,…

This volume contains the following 19 papers delivered at a national conference on the design of assessment of vocational education: "The National Assessment of Vocational Education: An Introduction" (Gilbert T. Sewall); "Vocational Education--Opportunity and Challenge: Perspectives on the National Assessment of Vocational…

This report presents descriptions of successful Canadian public and private programs to aid the homeless and alleviate homelessness as part of participation in the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (IYSH). Part 1, "The International Year of Shelter for the Homeless," includes the following: (1) objectives; (2) global…

This report was written for the Technology Policy Task Force of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives. The report examines the nature and history of technological change, its impact on large and small firms and their workers, and its policy implications. The paper stresses that individuals, schools, firms,…

The role of the federal government in higher education in the United States is considered in an address to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The federal government is reducing expenditures in education and seeking to limit the government's involvement in developing education policy. The federal support for higher education…

Focusing on law enforcement personnel at the city, county, and state levels (including police, sheriffs, and highway patrol agencies), this document is one in a series of six volumes reporting the results of the National Manpower Survey (NMS) of the Criminal Justice System. Chapter 1 of six chapters summarizes the major results of a national…

State intervention in higher education is discussed, and state and federal regulations that affect higher education are discussed and contrasted. The structures and procedures by which states intervene in higher education are outlined, and the issue of institutional autonomy is considered. Policy areas through which the state can affect higher…

A study undertaken in 1977 by the Sloan Commission on the Regulation of Higher Education addressed the issue of government influence on postsecondary institutions. This overview of the study, the first chapter of the final report, summarizes the major recommendations in these areas: federal regulation, the role of the states (composition of higher…

This document presents findings and recommendations on the implementation of court ordered school desegregation in Boston. Major divisions of the document include a general section, the Boston municipal government, the State government, leadership of Boston's private sector, and the Federal government. Within these major categories, various…

The positions and goals of the Council of Chief State School Officers regarding the relationships of state and federal education agencies are explored. Separate chapters deal with the need for cooperative efforts in state and federal relationships; the establishment of national goals and priorities; administration and services of the Office of…

This guide provides information about the U.S. Department of Education's latest initiatives, updates specific programs for schools and teachers, and lists services and resources. The introductory section provides information on the Department's seven priorities as outlined in President Clinton's fifth State of the Union Address, on President…

Keeping the existing information technology (IT) workforce viable and rapidly increasing the number of these workers presents a United States public policy workforce development (WD) challenge at all government levels. Public policy human capital investments have been undertaken to address the IT workforce supply and demand mismatch. States seem…

This paper discusses the role of public policy in the skills development system of the United States. It further examines the implications of that policy for the skill development and career progression of black workers. The paper describes the current "system" for skills development as a two-tiered system composed of (1) the "first…

The "new federalism" paradigm offers an explanation why the federal government has devolved much of its administration of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, formerly AFDC) and Medicaid (through managed care) programs. A review of child and family outcomes data resulting from these devolutionary changes in TANF and…