Federal allocations for special education programs are below 10% whereas the federal contribution to state medicaid programs ranges from 50-80%. Third-party billing provides a more equitable distribution of the costs among federal, state, and local governments, in addition to including private-sector contributions. (MLF)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires school districts to educate students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment (LRE). The IDEA does not require mainstreaming in all cases; however, in several recent cases, courts began to tip the scales in favor of inclusive programming for these students. Reviews cases…

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has provisions covering telephone service, telecommunications equipment manufacturing, cable television, radio and television broadcasting, and the Internet and on-line computer services. Most critical for rural areas are universal service provisions that ensure reasonably priced services to all regions and…

This paper describes guidelines issued by the U.S. departments of Education and Labor to ensure that community-based vocational education programs operate in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Federal guidelines are clarified in terms of student eligibility (especially as it relates to disabilities), documentation requirements, program…

A Dayton (Ohio) community college's 21 buildings were cooled by a network of 5 chillers, all of which used soon-to-be-banned chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). A reclamation program provides the college with reusable refrigerant and eliminates chiller replacement costs. Refrigerant from three of the old units is stockpiled for use in the two other…

School business officials may not be aware that their year-end Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports CAFRs) may not satisfy the reporting requirements of state departments of education or those of the U.S. Department of Education. Describes reporting anomalies, such as ghost expenditures, enterprise activities, the differentiation between…

Two attorneys discuss compliance issues surrounding the new rules concerning return of Title IV funds. They explain the calculation process and identify emerging legal issues and risk factors, including determination of student withdrawal rates, allowances for leaves of absence, the handling of inadvertent overpayments, and student grant repayment…

Describes educators' fear that a government proposal to help accommodate new Web-surfing cell phones and other hand-held devices could end up displacing instructional-television operations. The proposal could also undermine partnerships that educational broadcasters have begun negotiating with companies to create new speedy Internet services. (EV)

Secondary school mentors in England (n=273) ranked teacher trainee weaknesses. Comparison over 3 years shows how prescriptive national regulations for teacher training have influenced perceptions of good teaching. Mentors now emphasize short-term examinable characteristics over practices fostering learner engagement. (Contains 20 references.) (SK)

One of the most perplexing realities concerning the attitudes of American citizens toward the proper or desired role of government in society has been an almost schizophrenic mindset for demanding less government, at least in the abstract, while at the same time asking more of that same government in the particular. If, for example, one asks the…

In this article, the author reports the plans of Department of Education to release proposed regulations on testing flexibility for certain students with disabilities, which will guide states in the lengthy process of developing new assessments. In April, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced that 2 percent of students in special…

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 (PL. 104-191) is a multitiered, comprehensive, convoluted, and controversial federal law for sweeping health care reform. Although HIPAA is dramatically broader in scope than privacy protections for health care information, a provision for privacy in the form of a Privacy Rule…

Using Canada as a case study, this article argues that regulating biotechnology and nanotechnology is made unnecessarily complex and inherently unstable because of a failure to consult the public early and often enough. Furthermore, it is argued that future regulators (and promoters) of nanotechnology may learn valuable lessons from the mistakes…

The February 7, 2005 report by the Honorable Bob Rae--"Ontario: A Leader in Learning"--focused national attention, at least fleetingly, on a matter of prime importance to Canada's future: vulnerable state of higher education in this country, a subject that has, unfortunately, largely escaped serious public discussion. Although Mr. Rae, a…

Communicating why and how school leaders are effective in their work will go a long way toward increasing awareness of the profession and highlighting academic successes in our schools. Research shows school leadership and school performance are closely linked. According to a report by the Wallace Foundation, leadership is second only to teaching…