First five years are identified as a critical period of child growth in scientific literature. In 1998, California voters passed Proposition 10 that appropriated a 50 cent per pack tax on cigarettes and other tobacco products to support early childhood development. As a result, Kern County Children and Families Commission administered over $10…

The purpose of this paper is to describe the broad outlines of a new student financing program proposed by the state of Wisconsin and to present illustrative data on the distribution of its benefits. The results presented are both preliminary and partial. The paper is divided into four parts. Part 1 discusses the efficiency and equity questions…

An overview of several countries' experiences in financing private elementary and secondary education is provided in this paper. The first section presents some general observations about government finance of private schools. These observations are drawn from experience in Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Netherlands.…

This summary presents the findings from four regional workshops conducted as part of the Alaska School Finance Study. The purposes of the workshops, held in Bethel, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Anchorage, were to consider current and future methods of financing the public schools, to obtain citizen and local educational agency concerns and…

The major features of the Florida plan for inservice teacher education are presented. Central to this plan is the organization of educational improvement centers not only for teachers but for all school personnel. The program was mandated by state legislation and receives state funding. This state-wide program is administered at the state level…

A cooperative program to improve education in the public schools involving the combined resources of the state department of education, a state university, and the local school districts is described. This Professional Development Center Network (PDC) conducts research to produce decision-making information to upgrade inservice programs in the…

The Los Alamos schools obtain support from a combination of local, state, and Department of Energy funds mandated by the Atomic Energy Commission Community Act. Each year the Los Alamos schools prepare three budgets, and during any week the schools may work directly with all three levels of government concerning funding. In 1974 the state of New…

This paper, one of two related documents, is a summary of research presented to the Arizona state legislature concerning the participation of various states in the financing of capital outlay for school building construction. Along with a description of the various support programs, consideration is given to the questions of who determines need,…

The formulation of the Energy Curriculum Institute by the University of Houston at Clear Lake City was based upon the idea that a new approach was needed to develop effective energy education programs. Institute staff assumed that education could no longer depend upon federal and state educational energy agencies for curricular or financial…

Three rural Utah schools received a grant to improve teachers' skills in adapting core curriculum to the needs of diverse students, provide access to teacher support services, and improve inclusion for students with diverse learning needs. The 2-year grant enabled one person to coordinate staff development and provide comprehensive inclusion…

Presents one kindergarten teacher's daily classroom experiences in a speech to the National Governor's Association Action Team on School Readiness. Advocates continued and increased state funding for preschool programs, parenting, and health care services to ensure school readiness, especially among high-risk (disadvantaged or disabled) children.…

Funding for compensatory education programs for grades K-6 in Michigan has, since 1971, been based on the results of statewide achievement tests rather than on socioeconomic factors. The Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) achievement tests are administered to public school students in fourth and seventh grades. To be eligible for state…

The Performance Funding Project of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to improve the current appropriations formula in Tennessee is discussed. The major project objective is to explore the feasibility of allocating some portion of state funds on a performance criterion, as compared to allocating funds solely on an enrollment criterion. It…

The Performance Funding Project of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to improve the current appropriations formula in Tennessee is discussed, and abstracts regarding pilot implementation of the project at four institutions are presented. The major project objective is to explore the feasibility of allocating some portion of state funds on…

This paper offers highlights from the final report of Stanford's School Leadership Study, which should be available in January 2007. It discusses various policy and resource factors that enhance or impede the implementation of exemplary programs that develop and support principals. Among the research questions that guided this study were a set…