A quick look at the news from last week, compiled by Penn Hill Group:  

HOUSE and SENATE

The House and Senate are in recess and will return on Tuesday, September 8.

ADMINISTRATION

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) approved one-year state waiver renewals under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for Florida, Idaho, Ohio and South Dakota. South Dakota’s waiver was put on “high-risk” status due to concerns with its guidelines for teacher and principal evaluation and support systems.

On August 28, Federal Student Aid (FSA) released recommendations on best practices in performance-based contracting. The recommendations come from an inter-agency task force that consists of ED, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Office of Management and Budget and the Domestic Policy Council.