Breadcrumb
- Federal Resources
Federal Resources
Best Practices Guide on Mentoring Youth with Disabilities
This best practices guide funded in part under a grant/contract supported by the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U. S. Department of Laborh and the Technology Opportunities Program of the U. S. Department of Commerce,
National Telecommunications and Information Administration aims to help communities to start mentoring programs or expand a program to include youth with disabilities.
Census Bureau
The Census Bureau site serves as the leading source of quality data about the nation's people and economy. It contains thePopulation & Housing Census collected every 10 years, the Economic Census collected every 5 years, the Census of Governments collected every 5 years, the American Community Survey collected annually, a number of Demographic and Econmic surveys, and Economic Indicators that are released on a specific schedule.
How Americans Are Expanding Their Use of the Internet (2001) Chapter 5: How Young People Have Embraced Computers and the Internet
A report by the U.S. Department of Commerce: Children and young adults have embraced new information technologies in large numbers. More than any other age group, these younger age groups use computers and the Internet widely for many of their daily activities.
How Access to Technology Benefits Children
This site includes a report, created by the Department of Commerce, which contains 11 stories about people who are working hard to ensure technology will enhance the lives of children.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Volunteers
Volunteers play an integral role in supporting the environmental stewardship conducted every day by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Across the United states and its coastal waters, opportunities exist for volunteers to take part in research, observation and educational roles that benefit science, our citizens and our planet.
Resource: Statistics in Schools
This website uses Census data to educate K-12 students about statistical concepts and data analysis. Developed by educators to correspond with relevant education standards, teachers can incorporate these free resources into geography, history, math, and sociology activities.
2011–12 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study
Using survey data from approximately 95,000 undergraduate and 16,000 graduate students, this report from the Department of Education provides information on the percentages of students receiving various types of financial aid and how much they received, by institution, attendance pattern, dependency status, and income level. The study indicates that 71% of undergraduates and 70% of graduates received some type of financial aid.
2014 Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Awards
Forty-eight schools were honored as 2014 Green Ribbon Schools for their exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways. In addition, nine districts were honored for the District Sustainability Award.
5 Ways to Pay Off Your Student Loans Faster
This blog post, from a representative from the Office of Federal Student Aid, features advice on paying off student loans faster. Tips include signing up for an automatic debit payment plan and using tax refunds to pay off of part of a loan.
7 Ways to Promote FAFSA Completion at Your School
This blog entry provides ideas for how counselors and other school professionals can promote the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at their high school or college campus. Examples include using social media and hosting a FAFSA night on campus.
3 Ways to Get Your Loan Out of Default
Borrowers who default on still have options. This blog post outlines steps that borrowers can take to get their loans back in good standing, including loan repayment, rehabilitation, and consolidation.
7 Common FAFSA Mistakes
This blog entry outlines seven common errors that students make when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and presents resources to help them avoid these mistakes.
5 Things To Do After Filing Your FAFSA
This blog post from the Department of Education features information for students on the next steps they should take after they have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
6 Things You Must Know About Repaying Your Student Loans
This blog post and video from the Department of Education can help students and recent graduates understand the details of loan repayment, including when repayment starts, who to pay, how much to pay, and how to make payments.
5 Steps for Picking a College
The Secretary of Education Arne Duncan shares his advice for students when picking a college, laid out in five steps.
4 Things to Do Before You Make Your First Student Loan Payment
This blog entry outlines the four things recent graduates should do as they prepare to make their first student loan payment: get organized, contact the loan servicer, estimate monthly payments, and select a repayment plan. Learn more.
21st Century Community Learning Centers
This program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low performing schools. The program: helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
4 Reasons Why Community College Was Perfect For Me
Talla Hashemi, a junior at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and ED intern, shares why attending community college, and then transferring to a four-year university, was the best choice for her.
Action Guide for Emergency Management at Institutions of Higher Education
This guide has been developed to give higher education institutions a useful resource in the field of emergency management.
Achievement Gap Narrows as High School Graduation Rates for Minority Students Improve Faster than Rest of Nation
According to new data from NCES, graduation rates for black and Hispanic students increased by nearly four percentage points from 2011 to 2013, outpacing the growth for all students in the nation. The data also show that the gap between white students and black and Hispanic students receiving high school diplomas narrowed over that time.
A School Counselor’s Tips on Tying Up Loose Ends Before You Head Off to College
This blog post written by a school counselor in South Dakota provides tips for students as they prepare to head off to college. Tips include making a financial plan and ensuring credit is received for high school courses.
A Guide to School Vulnerability Assessment Key: Principles for Safe Schools
This guide is a companion piece to the Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities (above). It emphasizes a valuable part of emergency management planning—ongoing vulnerability assessment—and is intended to assist schools with the selection and implementation of an effective vulnerability assessment tool.
Adolescent Literacy Research Network
The Adolescent Literacy Research Network is a partnership of The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), designed to support each agency's effort to enhance literacy and employment skills of young American adults.
A Better Bargain for the Middle Class: Making College More Affordable
This fact sheet outlines President Obama’s new plan to increase college affordability. Facets of the plan include creating a new ratings system that measures college performance and value; eliminating barriers to competition and innovation, particularly in the use of new technology; and helping student borrowers struggling with their existing debt by capping loan payments at 10 percent of income and directing ED to reach out to students struggling with their loans to make sure they understand their options.
A Guide to Reporting Parent Info on your FAFSA
When filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), borrowers who are considered “dependent students” must provide information about their parents, including information about their identity, living situation, and financial status.