Nonprofits are key partners in delivering federal services yet reportedly often struggle to cover their indirect costs (costs not readily identifiable with particular programs or projects). This raises concerns about fiscal strain on the sector. To provide information on nonprofits' indirect cost reimbursement, especially when funding flows…

The end of World War II heralded an era of urban disinvestment in the United States. While some cities began to rebound in the 1990s with population and economic growth, others--including large cities like Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis as well as many smaller cities and towns--did not, and have continued to decline. As these communities…

Education policy makers have long searched for a system that will recognize and reward outstanding practice, support educators to improve their performance, and, most importantly, increase student achievement. For states and school districts to secure grants from the $4.35 billion Race to the Top (RTTT) Fund, President Barack Obama is requiring…

Stimulus funds unquestionably have helped many schools keep going through tough times, but for many institutions, the tough times aren't going away anytime soon. That is why, a little more than a year after Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and began allocating billions of dollars in aid across the nation, the so-called…

Using primary sources such as a photograph from the Library of Congress American Memory collection engages learners to think about the past and relate it to their life today. Some artifacts come with an explanation, while some do not. These require critical thinking and investigation to locate information and hypothesize answers to questions posed…

"Atkins v. Virginia" (2002) dramatically raised the stakes for mental retardation in capital punishment cases, but neither defined this condition nor imposed uniform standards for its assessment. The basic premise that mean IQ scores shift over time enjoys wide recognition, but its application--including the appropriateness of…

The Brazilian government plays a significant role in both public and private education. It plans, establishes, and implements policies and legislates, regulates, finances, and subsidizes teaching and research. At the same time, the federal government in Brazil maintains public schools; authorizes, recognizes, accredits, and supervises courses and…

This article utilizes Gloria Ladson-Billings' notion of educational debt in order to explore the historical, economic, and cultural politics of education reform under George W. Bush and Barack Obama. It tracks the No Child Left Behind Act across a number of fields in order to claim that Bush's expansion of the educational debt should be understood…

The author reports the finding of a study released by the National Research Council, which is an arm of the National Academies, a scientific body created to advise the federal government on scientific matters. After six years of study, a national panel of prominent scholars has concluded that teachers from alternative programs appear no worse--or…

The Obama administration's proposal to make federal funding for disadvantaged students contingent on states' adoption of reading and math standards intended to prepare students for college or a career has drawn sharp criticism from groups representing grassroots educators and state lawmakers, even as some governors and members of Congress appear…

For the last several years, manufactured crises in Washington have hindered, rather than helped, economic growth and opportunity. Earlier this year, however, Democrats and Republicans came together to produce a 2014 budget that invests in key areas of innovation, education, and infrastructure--investments that will help grow the nation's economy,…

As they grow up, young people face important decisions about relationships, sexuality, and sexual behavior. The decisions they make can impact their health and well-being for the rest of their lives. Young people have the right to lead healthy lives, and society has the responsibility to prepare youth by providing them with comprehensive sexual…

The purpose of this study is to make transparent the current National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The first mission of this project is to clarify how the NSLP functions on a day-to-day basis in Columbus, Ohio. Columbus is used as a sample city, yet the aim of this research is to be transferable to other locations. The second objective is to…

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago will host a conference, Financial Literacy, Financial Education, and the Federal Reserve: Strategies for Success, on September 11, 2009. This article reviews some of the financial education activities throughout the Federal Reserve System. The topics these initiatives cover include financial skill building,…

Child Trends has been asked by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to identify key opportunities that a new Administration might pursue to improve the capacity of the federal statistical system to monitor child and youth well-being. In this paper the authors discuss a number of areas of opportunity, offering concrete steps that can be taken, generally…