Federal Resources

This blog entry provides tips for parents on making sure that their children maximize their learning through homework assignments. Tips include providing a quiet study space and teaching time management.

Income-driven repayment plans allow borrowers to adjust their student loan payments based on how much they earn. This blog post explains how income-driven repayment plans work, how monthly payments are calculated, and how income-driven repayment relates to loan forgiveness. 

This report from the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics presents the findings of the first follow up with grade 11 students to monitor their progress since the original study in 2009 when the students were in grade 9. Results include findings on student drop out, progress by socioeconomic background, mathematics scores, and preparation and expectations for college and work.

The Office of Safe and Healthy Students developed a fact sheet to inform schools about human trafficking, how it can affect schools, potential signs, how to help, and additional resources. 

The IDEA Partnership reflects the collaborative work of more than 50 national organizations, technical assistance providers, and organizations and agencies at state and local level. Together with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Partner Organizations form a community with the potential to transform the way we work and improve outcomes for students and youth with disabilities.

This blog post, written by Sarah Pitcock, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association, provides ideas for how parents and mentors can engage teens in learning opportunities during the summer to prepare them for the following school year and to inspire them to think about college and future careers. Follow the National Summer Learning Association at @SummerLearning. 

Published by the Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, HSLS:09 is a longitudinal study that follows students who were in the ninth grade in 2009. Information is now available from the first follow up, conducted in 2012, which includes data from students, parents, teachers, administrators, and counselors.

Human Trafficking in America’s Schools was developed to help school officials understand how human trafficking affects schools, recognize the indicators of possible human trafficking, and develop policies, protocols, and partnerships to address and prevent the exploitation of children. Available online and in PDF (PDF, 18 pages) format, the guide also offers links to resources and publications, trainings, and services for victims.

Two new resources from IES can help to improve support to students who are struggling in school:

• ”Practitioner Data Use in Schools: Workshop Toolkit” (PDF, 53 pages) is designed to help teachers and administrators use education data more systematically and accurately.
• ”A Practitioner’s Guide to Implementing Early Warning Systems” (PDF, 26 pages) describes and provides examples of early warning system implementation strategies in use across the country.

This resource can help school professionals better understand the issue of human trafficking and who is at risk for victimization. Included are a list of “red flags” that administrators and staff reference when identifying potential victims and hotlines to call to make a report. 

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) allows borrowers to directly transfer their tax information to their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This blog posts outlines the benefit of using the DRT and how to get started.

Released by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, this joint letter to education authorities discusses increasing educational stability for children and youth in foster care.

This joint letter from the Departments of Education, HHS, and Labor provides education, social services, workforce development, and private leaders with information about ways in which schools and human service agencies can work with the American Job Center network to ensure that students and families have relevant and timely information for making informed career decisions. 

ED announced new regulations that will aim to improve teacher preparation programs and promote transparency and accountability. ED will publish the final regulations in summer 2015. 

A letter (PDF, 2 pages) and accompanying frequently asked questions (PDF, 30 pages) provide guidance that can help schools comply with federal legal requirements for meeting the communication needs of students with disabilities. A fact sheet for parents (PDF, 2 pages) explaining the guidance is also available.

In this blog post, the Under Secretary of Education announced that ED will release a list of colleges and universities that are on Heightened Cash Monitoring, meaning they have been flagged for financial or federal compliance issues, including late financial statements, outstanding liabilities, accreditation issues, or concerns about a school’s financial responsibility.

This site, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, includes a consolidated list of federal links providing information on internet safety for children and youth.

This Training and Employment Notice shares the interagency support for ensuring students and parents have relevant and timely information to make informed career decisions. The notice is meant to encourage continued coordination and collaboration across systems of public workforce, adult basic education, career and technical education, and human and social services to prepare students for education and career paths

This annual report provides current statistics on crime in schools. The report covers 22 indicators of school crime from several sources. Topics include victimization at school, teacher injury, bullying and cyberbullying, school conditions, fights, weapons, availability and student use of drugs and alcohol, and student perceptions of personal safety at school.

The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics and the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics' report, “Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2011,” examines crimes occurring in school and presents data on school safety.

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan issued a letter to public school districts about LGBT bullying. He specifically states that GSAs are protected under the 1984 Equal Access Act, which protects student-initiated groups.

The National Leadership Summit on School Discipline and Climate provided an opportunity for state and local teams of educators, judicial and court staff, child welfare stakeholders, law enforcement personnel, community members, and youth to share best practices, deepen partnerships, and develop concrete steps to advance school discipline and juvenile justice reform in their communities. Materials from this Summit — including presentations, resources, worksheets, and state and local data — are available online. 

Under this program, state educational agencies (SEAs) must ensure that homeless children and youth have equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as other children and youth. Homeless children and youth should have access to the educational and other services that they need to enable them to meet the same challenging state student academic achievement standards to which all students are held. In addition, homeless students may not be separated from the mainstream school environment. States and districts are required to review and undertake steps to revise laws, regulations, practices, or policies that may act as a barrier to the enrollment, attendance, or success in school of homeless children and youth.

NCIP works to promote the effective use of technology to enhance educational outcomes for students with sensory, cognitive, physical and social/emotional disabilities.

New data indicate that, for the 2012-13 school year, 18 states have high school graduation rates at or above 85%, up from 16 states for the 2011-12 school year and nine for 2010-11. This blog post highlights new graduation data, including state-level data, and describes a new tool that allows users to access graduation data and build cross-state comparisons.