Discusses the purposes of the Assistance to States for State Equalization Plans Act, recounts its legislative history, describes its equity guidelines, and highlights the state plans and research studies flowing from the act. (Author/JM)

To meet the challenge of equal educational opportunity, current methods of public school finance must be revised. The present financial system, based on State equalization of local property tax valuation, is inequitable since it results in many school districts, particularly those in large cities, having inadequate resources to meet extraordinary…