At the same time state and local budgets are cutting such things as meat and dairy for prisoners in Tennessee, textbooks in California, school sports in Hawaii, and dental coverage for low-income adults in Utah, the federal government has not so quietly stepped up to the plate. For all the consternation about what the feds are asking for in return, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a lot of money. How much? The Department of Education has released the breakdowns by state, program, and year. Alabama, for example, got a total of $2 billion in 2008, an estimated $2.4 billion in 2009, plus an additional $1.2 billion from the stimulus package. Nationwide, the feds chipped in $130 billion in 2008, will up that to $153 billion in 2009, and will add another $75 billion through Recovery Act funds.
Lowering Student Loan Default Rates: What One Consortium of Historically Black Institutions Did to Succeed 
College and Career-Ready: Using Outcomes Data to Hold High Schools Accountable for Student Success
03/19/10 | Ben Miller is quoted on college graduation rates and the NCAA Tournament in the Detroit Free Press.
03/19/10 | Linda Perlstein links to Education Sector's "College- and Career-Ready" event.
03/17/10 | Ben Miller's column on graduation rates and NCAA Tournament eligibility is mentioned on The Wall Street Journal's The Daily Fix.
03/17/10 | Kevin Carey's critique of Diane Ravitch's latest book is quoted in Doublethink's Conventional Folly blog.
03/15/10 | Ben Miller pens an op-ed for US News & World Report on using graduation rates to determine NCAA Tournament eligibility.