A complete and balanced reference, Public Budgeting Systems, Eighth Edition surveys the current state of budgeting throughout all levels of the United States government. The text emphasizes methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system as well as ways in which different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making. It also stresses the use of program information, since, for decades, budget reforms have sought to introduce greater program considerations into financial decisions. This updated text includes more cases studies and practical information, figures and charts to make the information more accessible, as well as additional student problems. Using this text, students will gain a first-rate understanding of methods by which financial decisions are reached within a system, and how different types of information are used in budgetary decision-making.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) requires states and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) to define and determine whether schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward meeting the goal of 100% academic proficiency. To address tribes¿ needs for cultural preservation, NCLBA allows tribal groups to waive all or part of BIE¿s definition of AYP and propose an alternative, if requested. This report provides information on the extent of: (1) BIE schools¿ adoption of BIE¿s definition of AYP; (2) tribal groups¿ pursuit of alternatives and their reasons as well as reasons other tribal groups have not done so; and (3) fed. assistance to tribal groups developing alternatives. Includes recommendations. Illustrations.

Policymakers and researchers have focused on improving the quality of our nation's 3 million teachers to raise the achievement of students in key academic areas, such as reading and mathematics. Given the importance of teacher quality to student achievement and the key role federal and state governments play in supporting teacher quality, the objectives for this report included examining: (1) the extent that the U.S. Dept. of Education (DoE) funds and coordinates teacher quality programs; (2) studies that DoE conducts on teacher quality and how it provides and coordinates research-related assistance to states and school districts; and (3) challenges to collaboration within states and how DoE helps address those challenges. Illus.

In recent years, reforms such as No Child Left Behind have created a new vision of education that emphasizes provable results. To see if this world is producing better students, Perlstein immersed herself in a suburban Maryland elementary school, and in this book she explores the rewards and costs of that transformation.