Grant funds totaling over $136 million were awarded during fiscal year 1988 to 408 Massachusetts educational agencies, pursuant to the Massachusetts Public School Improvement Act (Chapter 188) and An Act Enhancing the Teaching Profession and Recognizing Educational Achievement (Chapter 727). Twelve grant programs reaching virtually every school in…

This newsletter summarizes the debate on the use of state-level initiatives as levers to effect fundamental changes in higher education. It provides several perspectives on the use of incentive/enhancement programs to achieve state higher education goals. The concept of budgetary leverage is outlined, and the growth in enhancement programs…

Summaries of the design, planning, and implementation of performance funding programs in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington reveal the challenges and opportunities of this reform approach. Performance measures and objectives and the history of the program in each…

This study evaluated the relationship between Massachusetts special education expenditures and revenues and the overall allocation of school budgets between special and regular education. An introduction reviews the study's background, census-based funding in Massachusetts, education reform efforts in the state, the Foundation Budget approach…

This document presents funding proposals from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education. Individual sections present the following: (1) the executive summary of the 1988-89 Unified Budget Recommendations; (2) a detailed presentation of the Higher Education Unified Budget Recommendations Program for the 1986-87 and 1987-88 appropriations and the…

This report presents and discusses recommended actions concerning critical issues facing higher education in Missouri. Four main issues are addressed. The first concerns admissions policies and has two parts: (1) What public policies, standards, and expectations should Missouri promote to ensure that its high school students are well prepared for…

This guide presents some of the best thinking about the difficult and puzzling work of improving student achievement. Taken as whole, it gives a complete picture of what it will take to close the achievement gap. It contains background, findings, and key policy recommendations from a 22-month study conducted by the Washington State School…