The purposes of this paper are (1) to describe background and current content of the Agenda for the United States Department of Education's assessment of the Chapter 2 block grant; (2) to stimulate discussion of the structure and approaches proposed; and (3) to solicit ideas and comments from state, local and university researchers. To meet these…

This is the third volume of a three-volume report on the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) survey project undertaken to assess the impact of the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Services (ADMS) block grant program on the delivery of mental health services to older persons. This volume presents results from a 2-year follow-up survey…

Provided in this report are the text of and explanatory statements about the conference agreement reached by House and Senate committee members concerning the Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1986 (later to become Public Law 99-425). The Act authorizes 4 years of appropriations to continue several existing human services programs of the…

The overall objective of this review was to obtain information on several issues raised in the Congress pertaining to the reauthorization of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program. The information includes: (1) what CSBG funds are used for and whether CSBG-supported services duplicate other local social service programs, (2) what role…

State education agencies are allowed to retain up to 20 percent of the funds they receive from the federal government through the block grant provisions of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act. A review by the General Accounting Office (GAO) of the United States of the uses to which these retained funds were put in California and…

Federal block grants, in contrast to categorical programs and revenue sharing, allow states and localities considerable flexibility in meeting needs within broad functional areas; but, they are also designed to assure that funds are spent to pursue national objectives. Before 1981, block grants included varying levels of recipient accountability…

The future role and importance of educational evaluation are analyzed in terms of the Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act (1981), a block grant whose provisions minimize planning, reporting, evaluation and accountability requirements to ensure that national goals are met. The background in federal and state evaluation programs is…

Recently increased public concern for educational quality and America's international competitiveness has produced a more favorable climate for improving K-12 science education. Two principal federal agencies, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Education (ED), have differing "investment portfolios." ED provides…

Defines the block grant concept and outlines the consequences of the financial freedom offered by block grants from both microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives. Considers effects on institutional autonomy and economic efficiency. Recommends combining marginal cost pricing with formula-matching block grants to support decentralized education.…

Discusses implementation issues surrounding the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (Chapter 2), which consolidates 28 programs, including the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA), the major federal desegregation program. Major concerns include reduced eligibility requirements, distribution of funds, administrative responsibility,…

Federal education programs increase costs because they attach fewer strings to funds than state or local grants, and this is likely to lead to administrative empire-building. Bureaucracy tends pathologically as it grows to generate more work for itself independent of true administrative needs. Some policy implications are drawn. (MJL)

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)

In 1996 the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program was replaced with a federal block grant program called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which imposed time limits and work requirements on welfare recipients. The welfare legislation placed a lifetime ban on TANF and food stamp benefits for convicted drug felons, although…

Federal rules allow states to use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant funds to help pay for a child care tax credit. States also have the option to count a portion of the cost of a child care tax credit toward their "maintenance of effort" requirements under the TANF program. There is an important limitation on…

This document reviews legislative changes in the Social Security Act State Title V programs to improve maternal and child health, including provision of rehabilitative services to children and adolescents eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and describes how state agencies are serving this population. An introductory section explains…