The major findings of nine State case studies on the effects and implementation of Chapter 2 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) of 1981, are summarized and synthesized in this report. The States examined (Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington) were selected to…

Libraries will play a key role in establishing a learning society and in halting the decline in education described in "A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform," the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education. The block grant program has already aided the advancement of library and education programs,…

This paper poses and responds to 10 questions about the policy issues affecting state education agencies raised by the federal government's plans to reduce expenditures for education and to consolidate several categorical aid programs into two major block grants. These 10 questions focus on the shifting relationships among and responsibilities of…

The impact of and justification for using federal grants to carry out national policies in education is explored in this document. The paper opens by noting that the locally-made decisions typical of our federal system of government do not always take into account such national interests as those in increasing equality of opportunity, providing…

The deregulation critique of the federal role in education asserts that education can be as productive with less federal intervention. This critique can be broken down into three groupings of separate criticisms. The first group denies the value or feasibility of federal goals. These criticisms insist either that federal goals are not worthwhile…

The second in a series investigating child and maternal health care in the United States, this hearing explores the social impact of the 1981 spending cuts in funds for the federal maternal and child health block grant program. Statements from three senators describe the legislative history and successes of the program and detail the senators'…

Methods of accountability are presented in considering the Reagan administration plan to consolidate 84 federal health, education and social service grants into six block grant areas and to cut overall funding. After matching aspects of public criticism with proposal objectives, a rationale is developed for building elements of accountability into…

Federal aid programs in education and other areas first appeared as categorical grants, permitting resources to be concentrated on specific policy areas and allowing accountability on the part of grantees to be demanded. During recent years block grants and general purpose grants, permitting greater local control, have grown more popular, partly…

Reviews national interests in education and considers the effectiveness of different forms of federal grants in addressing those interests. Concludes that providing equalization aid is the only appropriate purpose for block grants since such grants do not encourage state and local agencies to concern themselves with national priorities. (PGD)

This Child Care Action Campaign (CCAC) issue brief details an audio conference convened by CCAC and the Child Care Law Center. Issues discussed include changes and implications resulting from the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Areas covered, in a question-and-answer format, include: (1) Temporary…

This report presents data from research on New York state and city compliance with changes in federal welfare laws. It outlines how children and families are faring after 5 years of welfare reform (e.g., caseloads have dropped, but child poverty persists, families leave welfare for low paying jobs and unstable work, and family homelessness is…

The Chamber of Commerce of the United States supports the act because the block grant concept turns decision making over to state and local control. The chamber recommends strengthening the act's career education provisions, protecting private school pupils, and including proprietary schools. (SK)

Develops an input-output model, with related multipliers, showing how changes in earmarked and discretionary educational funds (whether local, state, or federal) affect all of a state's districts and educational programs. Illustrates the model with Pennsylvania data and relates it to the usual educational finance approach, which uses demand…

Discusses implications of federal budget cuts on services to children and families, types of revenues which will be available, and organizational efforts to increase chances for securing public funds for child and family services. (Author/DB)

Discusses federal and state initiatives to enhance child care quality and child care teachers' compensation. These initiatives have resulted from the passage of the Child Care and Development Block Grant in 1990. (BB)