Congress has the opportunity to protect faith-based organizations' hiring freedom this week as it moves toward reauthorization of Head Start. The right of faith-based groups to take religious beliefs into account in their hiring practices is fundamental to religious liberty and should be protected when a faith-based group works with the government…

Last week, the National Center for Education Statistics released its new "long-term trend" data on math and reading achievement, known as the "Nation's Report Card," or National Assessment of Educational Progress. The new data show statistically significant improvements among 9-year-olds in reading and math and among 13-year-olds in math.[1] The…

The President's FY 2006 budget request eliminates or consolidates funding for education programs that have achieved their original purposes, duplicate other programs, may be carried out with more flexible state formula grants, or involve activities that are better or more appropriately supported with state, local, or private resources. While attempts at fiscal responsibility have been…

Acting at the request of Washington, D.C., Mayor Anthony Williams and other city officials, parents, and students, Congress passed the first federal voucher program for students in the District of Columbia as part of the 2004 appropriations omnibus. Although these vouchers will provide a little over half of the per-pupil expense in public schools, research…