For 46 years, the United States Department of Education (USDOE) has used the Title I program as a means of helping school districts increase educational opportunities for low-income students. In the past 10 years alone, the federal government has expended over $140 billion on Title I, yet many observers feel it has fallen well short of its mark of…

Many students find it necessary to draw on more than one source of funding to pay for their post-secondary education. Tuition, direct expenses--textbooks, supplies, equipment--and an increasing need for technology are not the only concerns. For those who had to relocate to study or do not live at home, everyday living expenses become the major…

With heightened expectations and greater funding as backdrop, one would expect elected officials and educators to ensure that America's substantial investment in public education is used effectively to accomplish its ambitious new goals. Conventional modes of funding school improvement, however, such as across-the-board salary increases,…

Michigan's school finance reform aimed primarily to improve the equity in funding across school districts. Ten years later, policymakers are turning their attention to the adequacy of education--ensuring that schools provide a desired level of learning and the necessary resources to support student achievement. However, defining what is adequate…

On November 12, 2003, over 70 policymakers, fiscal analysts, and academics gathered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to examine the fiscal condition of the state government sector. The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the National Tax Association. Despite a shallow national recession that ended in…