E.D. Guide to States on Consolidating Programs Assailed

By Mark Pitsch

Washington

The most recent rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act allows states to receive funds under multiple federal programs by filing a single, comprehensive application. These "consolidated plans" are intended to spur states to think about coordinating their delivery of educational services, as well as to cut paperwork.

But a Washington-based advocacy group, in a report to be released this week, argues that the Department of Education has failed to provide adequate guidance to states and also failed to extract sufficient assurances about what...