In an era of increased accountability and challenging times for public finance, charter schools built on decentralization, grassroots accountability, and market forces may provide, in the spirit of "educational laboratories," lessons for increasing student achievement more efficiently through diverse and innovative management,…

This article examines the relative production efficiency of school districts in Georgia using the modified quadriform method. Overall, we find that the modified quadriform allows state-level policymakers to access a basic tool for analysis that makes relative comparison of school district productivity for use in policy analysis and policy…

Examines the connection between resource allocation and its anticipated results by emphasizing the multi-level nature of the educational system, the importance of nonpurchased resources, and the effect on learning of both the manner in which the classroom is structured and the mix of peers with whom students learn. (Author/IRT)