Building from the existing knowledge of charter school spending and staffing, and with a lens toward better understanding the fiscal flexibility afforded charter schools, this study examines staffing patterns in California's charter schools over the last decade. Using detailed professional assignment data for the universe of California schools in…

Schools and districts across the country are being subjected to some of the fiercest budget cuts in recent history, even as principals are held increasingly accountable for significantly improving student achievement, particularly in schools labeled "persistently low-achieving." For the 5,000 lowest-performing schools, there is the…

Most districts are facing severe budgetary constraints, and special education is one area that is feeling the effects. Special education consumes an average of 20%-30% of school district budgets. Pacing fiscal and systemic controls on special-education spending, and examining para professional placements in particular, will lead to better delivery…

Museum educators at small museums are sometimes thrust, solo, into building budgets from scratch. In this case study an emerging professional discovers that she has limited funding for an existing program that she was hired to run. She finds that she has to rebuild the budget to discover the program's true costs, and that sustainability depends…

Revenue generation is a challenge faced by museums in today's economy. The authors encourage educators to take on a larger role in establishing new revenue streams. By applying Jim Collins' "Hedgehog Concept," their unique knowledge of audiences, and their strong ability to work in teams, educators can rethink what they've always done to influence…

In the 2006-2007 school year, the State of Wyoming adopted an evidenced-based school funding model. The Wyoming funding model reviewed in this study is considered an evidence-based approach, utilizing expert judgment to determine educational funding. In an evidence-based approach, educational strategies are identified and a dollar figure is…

Simultaneous pressures to reduce costs and increase student achievement have never been greater than they are today. Not only is cost-cutting essential in this era of tightened resources, argue Hess and Osberg, but eliminating inefficient spending is critical for freeing up resources to drive school reform. This provocative book brings together a…

Longitudinal study of how school districts allocated resources, focusing on expenditures and staffing, during a 6-year period in the 1990s, a period that saw the implementation of state standards and accountability initiatives. Finds, for example, that school districts did not appear to spend more on instruction, but did hire more instructional…

A model of departmental support expenditures is constructed. The requirements for administrative and technical staff and for operating funds of a university's academic units were analyzed, and these were related to a number of quantitative characteristics of the units. (Author/MLW)

This document is the second volume of the feasibility study report for the Wisconsin Elementary Teacher Education Project. It provides in part 1 data on program, planning and budgeting, including cost figures for preparing students in the present and new programs, marginal expenses, and costs for implementing the program on other campuses. Part 2…

Describes the expenses associated with the wide-ranging functions of an admissions office and argues that enrollment management staff must be well-trained and flexible in order to accommodate students' changing needs. Gives cost categories and concludes with a discussion of cost containment and quality. (RJM)

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Chapter 1, "Step 1: The Change Process," focuses on the change process and describes why and how schools engage in program restructuring and resource allocation. Chapter 2, "Step 2: Defining a New Educational Strategy," discusses decisions that must be made about the regular education program and how the various schools adopted, adapted or created…

Discussion of technological change, the growth of information sources, and shrinking higher education budgets focuses on the merger of the library and the computer center at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The role of the library director, staffing issues, resource allocation, and vision of service are examined. (Author/LRW)

Education Resource Strategies (ERS) works with school and district leaders to help them more strategically use resources--people, time, and money--to improve student performance. They have found that many school districts begin creating small high schools without a clear sense of how much they will spend or how to ensure that small schools…