The state of education in the United States is examined by asking how much educational value schools add as children pass through them, and at what cost. This approach eases the problems that arise from differing background experiences as children start school. Issues related to academic achievement in the United States are studied through a…

If taxes are higher in one town than in another it does not necessarily mean that residents of the low-tax town are better off; they may have had to pay high property prices to live in the more desirable low-tax town. It is incorrect to believe that property wealth differences are the only reason for spending disparities across towns. A more…

This report contains current figures, obtained from Educational Research Service, Inc., on salaries paid to principals and assistant principals in 1,217 school districts nationwide. Four sections of tables are presented: 1983-84 data organized by school district enrollment, per pupil expenditure, and geographic region; and trend analysis comparing…

Using information obtained from the Educational Research Service, this report briefly summarizes in table form the current salaries paid to principals and assistant principals. The information given is similar to that in the January, 1980, report which offered data on salary schedules. Section 1 compares the lowest and highest 1979-80 salaries…

This study examined the current costs of preschool education in Scotland. Eleven preschool centers were studied in order to facilitate identification of key issues and to assist in designing the main questionnaire. Study findings indicated that main issues were the extent of between-center differences, information availability, and the use of…

Findings of a study that investigated the feasibility of educational vouchers for California education and their budgetary impact are presented in this paper. In a survey of 300 parents in the Los Angeles Unifies School District with children under the age of 16 who do or will attend public schools, 52 percent said that they would use a $2,600…

This report presents information on how the United States compares with a selected group (N=34) of both industrialized and less developed nations in its spending on higher education and college participation rates. Highlights of the report include: in 1985 the United States spent the highest percentage (2.4%) of gross national product (GNP) on…

State and local government spending on public elementary and secondary education grew from $40.7 billion in 1970 to an estimated $256.3 billion in 1996, a more than 6-fold increase in 25 years. Even when adjusted for inflation and changes in enrollment, real per-pupil spending still increased 86 percent. This brief examines some of the underlying…

Eight tables, accompanied by brief textual information, present facts from 1985 to 1990 about the school experiences of youth with disabilities. The tables focus on: (1) enrollment in regular education courses by students with 11 types of disabilities attending regular secondary schools; (2) services received by secondary students with…

The equity of public school funding in Illinois is investigated in this report. A longitudinal, cartographic methodology examines the county as the unit of analysis for the school years 1972-73 through 1990-91. Findings indicate that Illinois school districts are currently more unequal than when the state equalization aid formula state was adopted…

The use of a computer-based resource allocation procedure for cooperative education ("sandwich" coursework) at the University of Bath in Great Britain is discussed. Costs of undergraduate sandwich courses are compared with those of the more traditional 3-year, full-time undergraduate courses in British universities. Distinction is made…

This 1992 report places the education finance data released by the United States Census Bureau in a single report. It contains financial statistics relating to public higher, elementary-secondary and other education. It presents national and state financial aggregates and displays data for each public school system with an enrollment of 5,000 or…

This brief discusses issues of school finance equity as they relate to resources and services provided to special education students. It uses information obtained from a recent study of Chapter 1, which examined educational resources and expenditures in 95 elementary schools in 30 school districts across 5 states. The schools had students with…

The financing of Wisconsin's "Chapter 220" program, which is the primary means for implementing the 1988 federal court settlement of a school integration lawsuit, needs to be reformed. Total program costs may triple in 5 years, from about $32.5 million in 1986-87 to $90 million by the 1992-93 school year; per pupil costs could rise from…

This brief summarizes data from a 1994-95 survey of the states on special education expenditures in the U.S. and analyzes other extant cost data that adjust for inflation and consider rising special education enrollments. The study estimates that the 1995-96 national expenditure for special education was about $32.6 billion (compared to $19.3…