Large numbers of schools across the country are low performing and have been for years. This longstanding and widespread problem painfully reveals that individual schools are not the only ones responsible for their performance. The public school system as a whole is unable, and sometimes unwilling, to address the root causes of dysfunction.…

Before awarding waivers from core tenets of the No Child Left Behind Act to 11 states, the U.S. Department of Education ordered changes to address a significant weakness in most states' proposals: how they would hold schools accountable for groups of students deemed academically at risk, particularly those in special education or learning English.…

This paper reviews nationwide education reforms under No Child Left Behind and state reforms in Florida--comparing federal and state results. The paper examines the danger that federal regulations and incentives pose to testing and accountability systems in Florida and every other state. The limits of No Child Left Behind and the promise of…

Against a shifting set of assessment preferences in the US regarding whether educational assessment should continue to be a states rights game or become a federally dominated undertaking, the publication of five first-rate analyses about England's national curriculum assessment (NCA) is particularly propitious. Taken together, these five papers…

This book looks at the issue of the transfer of power from the local (district and school) level to the state and national levels. It traces the origins of the process, examines the implications, and considers where these changes might lead. More specifically, the book explores the direction of education policy and the way in which both…

Work requirements in welfare reform proposed by the George W. Bush administration would impose much tougher work requirements on welfare recipients. Seventy percent of all adults would be required to work 40 hours per week, versus the 50 percent who are required to work 30 hours per week currently. In addition, states would be given little leeway…

This short paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It discusses educational voucher programs. It states that proponents of voucher programs, having scored a major victory in the U.S. Supreme Court with "Zelman v. Simmons-Harris" (2002), will continue to…

This paper is part of a collection of 54 papers from the 48th annual conference of the Education Law Association held in November 2002. It discusses the role that states' constitutional mandates play in education finance. It examines why, when one of the few constitutionally shared responsibilities of all 50 states is the provision of education,…

This report recommends passage of the Workforce Investment Partnership Act of 1997. It describes this bill as one that streamlines the current federal job training system, making it more user-friendly, and consolidates the numerous federal job training programs, eliminating confusing and redundant mandates and creating integrated statewide work…

The 1996 welfare reform law--the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act--has contradictory aspects. It gives the states greatly increased fiscal flexibility and at the same time sets extensive and elaborate new behavioral requirements. The dynamics of welfare since the passage of the Social Security Act in 1935 have been…

This publication examines ways to teach about law in the liberal arts. This issue features a dialogue among eight social science, humanities, policy, and legal scholars, in which they discuss a wide range of viewpoints on federalism. The conversation traverses historical perspectives on federal-state relations, changes in selected public policy…

This report analyzes information from 12 Educational Flexibility Partnership Demonstration (EFD) program state reports submitted to the U.S. Department of Education in spring 2000. The EFD program helps schools and districts implement educational reforms and raise student achievement by providing increased flexibility in implementing federal…

This kit, the second of four learning circles on civics and citizenship, explores Australia's federal system of government and the three spheres of government. Introductory materials include lists of 53 print resources, 47 Internet sites, and 7 videos and CDs; and a glossary. Session guides are provided for six sessions: The Three Spheres of…

A 2000 Supreme Court ruling barring age-discrimination suits for money damages by state employees against state agencies (under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act) presaged a 2001 ruling striking down the equivalent provision of the Americans with Disabilities Act. "Garrett" further limits Congress's power to regulate state governments. (MLH)

The growth of government participation in higher education planning over the last two decades is discussed from the dual perspective of a college planning officer at Western Washington State College, and also a Washington state senator. It is noted that the state-federal planning establishment has flourished after the great growth period in U.S.…