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General | No Child Left Behind Act | Specific Topics | Online Links

General Overviews

Budget Summary and Background Information, FY2005
Summary of the U.S. Department of Education budget for the fiscal year 2005.
http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget05/summary/05summary.pdf

The Condition of Education 2004
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics, 2004. An annual compendium report to Congress which describes the current status and recent progress of education in the United States.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004077.pdf

The Condition of Education 2004 in Brief
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educational Statistics, 2003. This summary report contains a sample of the 44 indicators included in the complete report (listed above).
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004076.pdf

The Federal Role in Education
U.S. Department of Education. A history and explanation of the federal contribution to national education.
http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html?src=ln

Lessons of a Century
Education Week's review of 100 years of U.S. education.
http://www.edweek.org/sreports/century.htm

Organization of U.S. Education System
U.S. Department of Education. Information on how U.S. education is governed, including the roles of the federal information system, national associations and the ways by which standards and quality are monitored.
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-org-us.html

A Diverse Educational System
U.S. Department of State. From Portrait of the USA, this chapter describes the broad contours of U.S. education, including its structure, standards and challenges.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/factover/ch6.htm

Education in The United States: Continuity and Change
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs, December 1997. Electronic Journal.
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/1297/ijse/ijse1297.htm

Education in the United States: the Pre-University Years
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs, June 2000. Electronic Journal.
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0600/ijse/ijse0600.htm

No Child Left Behind Act

No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Text of the public law, PL 107-110, that reauthorizes and amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the principal law affecting education from kindergarten through high school.
http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/107-110.pdf

Executive Summary (January 7, 2002)
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/execsumm.doc

Introduction
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/index.html

Overview of President Bush's Education Reform Plan
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/presidentplan/proposal.pdf

Fact Sheet on the Major Provisions of the Conference Report
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/factsheet.html

Preliminary Overview of Programs and Changes Included in the No Child Left Behind Act
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/progsum/progsum.pdf

K-12 Education: Highlights of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-110)
Congressional Research Service, updated January 15,2003. This report summarizes the major provisions of the NCLB Act and comparing it with previous legislation.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/files/nochild.pdf

The No Child Left Behind Act: A Special Report
Educational Testing Service, 2002.
http://ftp.ets.org/pub/corp/nclb.pdf

Specific Topics

Accreditation

Accrediting Agencies and Policies
An overview and description of accreditation of institutions of higher education, listings of accrediting agencies and the regulations governing the role of the U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html

Bilingual Education

Criteria for Exemplary Practices in Bilingual Education
An article that originally appeared in the IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association, August 2001.
http://www.idra.org/Newslttr/2001/Aug/Cuca.htm#Art1

Brown v. Board of Education

Brown v. Board of Education Decision - 50 Years Later
A commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision which ended segregation in U.S. public schools.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/civilrights/brown/index.htm

Horizons of Opportunities: Celebrating 50 Years of Brown v. Board of Education
Background information on the historic decision and a discussion of the status of segregation in American schools in 2004, from the National Education Association.
http://www.nea.org/brownvboard/index2.html

Charter Schools

Charter Schools
The National Education Association's policy toward charter schools, including research reports.
http://www.nea.org/charter/

The Charter School Roadmap
U.S. Department of Education, September 1998.
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Roadmap/

US Charter Schools
An overview and history of charter schools.
http://www.uscharterschools.org/pub/uscs_docs/o/index.htm

Apples to Apples: An Evaluation of Charter Schools Serving General Student Populations
An evaluation of the academic performance of charter schools based on a comparison of test scores at charter schools with those at regular public schools, from the Manhattan Institute, a non-profit education and research think tank.
http://www.manhattan-institute.org/ewp_01.pdf

School Choice: Current Legislation
Congressional Research Service, updated March 25, 2003. A report on current developments allowing parents more opportunities to select their children's schools.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/files/choice.pdf

The Higher Education Act: Reauthorization Status and Issues
Congressional Research Service, updated February 5, 2003.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/files/hiedact.pdf

Community Colleges

Community Colleges in the United States
U.S. Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Society & Values, Volume 7, Number 1, June 2002. An overview of two-year community colleges, including their international impact, lifelong learning opportunities and effect on the workplace.
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itsv/0602/ijse/ijse0602.htm

Disabilities

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): Overview of Major Provisions
Congressional Research Service, updated January 11, 2002.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/files/ideaover.pdf

Individuals with Disabilities Act: Statutory Provisions and Selected Issues
Congressional Research Service, January 25, 2002.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/topics/cr012503.pdf

Disadvantaged Children

Education for the Disadvantaged: ESEA Title I Reauthorization Issues
Congressional Research Service, updated April 19, 2002.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/files/disadvan.pdf

Head Start

Head Start: Background and Funding
Congressional Research Service, updated February 5, 2003. A report on Head Start, the federal program that provides comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/files/rl30952.pdf

Head Start Issues in the 108th Congress
Congressional Research Service, updated December 17, 2003. A report on Head Start, the federal program that provides comprehensive early childhood development services to low-income children.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/topics/cr121703.pdf

Internet Access

Internet Access in U.S. Schools and Classrooms: 1994-2002
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, October 2003. An analysis of the progress of public schools in providing Internet access based on surveys conducted by NCES.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004011.pdf

Religious Expression in Public School

Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: Guidance
A clarification of the extent to which prayer in public schools is legally protected by the U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html

Prayer in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: Secretary's Letter
February 7, 2003. Letter from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education on constitutionally protected prayer in public schools.
http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/letter_20030207.html

Teacher Quality

K-12 Teacher Quality: Issues and Legislative Action
Congressional Research Service, updated March 26, 2003.
http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/files/k12teach.pdf




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