This report discusses trends in education funding over a 40-year period (1950-1990); describes how education dollars are spent; identifies reasons for increases in the cost of education; and offers some observations on the education productivity problem. It also addresses equity issues at both K-12 and postsecondary levels and suggests ways to…

This report addresses the issue of maintaining adequate controls within a streamlined or restructured financial affairs environment at an institution of higher education. It presents a new paradigm for control structures designed to more effectively meet administrators' needs--both in terms of cost and risk management. The first section: (1)…

This report identifies and discusses some key findings of a data base project that analyzed public finance of public education over 35 years in California. It seeks to understand the relationship between state policy, as expressed in the Master Plan for Higher Education, and financial support of higher education. Among findings highlighted are the…

Four years ago, the Colorado education system embarked on a course to downsize central offices in response to calls for accountability and site-based decision making. This paper presents findings of a study that examined restructuring and downsizing in four Colorado school districts. One consequence of downsizing was a reduction in force at the…

After a decade of dormancy there is suddenly a great interest among educators and policy-makers in public school finance, spawned by: successful court decisions in several states overturning existing state public school finance formulas; a popular book alleging more severe educational segregation than in 1954; congressional proposals for school…

This paper, in reflecting on socioeconomic trends that will affect higher education in the 1990s, argues for a "postindustrial" university model. The paper predicts that the current fiscal crisis in American higher education will persist throughout the 1990s as a result of: (1) slowly rising state appropriations, (2) market constrains on…

In Texas, a financially troubled school district must submit a plan of action to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for improving its financial situation without harming the quality of education delivered. If things get worse, TEA assigns a financial monitor to advise the district on overcoming its financial problems and to determine if further…

Foreign systems of education can often teach us the best thing to do. "How has the economic depression affected other countries?" is a question most likely to come to the minds of educators in this country at present. This bulletin attempts to answer this question. Originally it was in five chapters, devoting an entire chapter to the…

Describes a partnership between the journalism program at California's College of San Mateo and the Independent Newspaper Group in San Francisco to jointly produce the college's newspaper. Indicates that the Group handles all printing on a volunteer basis. Describes incentives, such as access to student articles, for publishers to volunteer…

A University of Maryland at College Park administrator offers his perspective on a recent retrenchment process that resulted in program closings. He describes the dialog between administration and faculty and credits the faculty with important support and participation in difficult decision making. (MSE)

Higher education faces serious and continuing economic and social problems as well as loss of public confidence. The challenge for higher education is, first, cost containment and then advocacy of new approaches to funding, particularly in promoting the revision of federal student financial aid policies and programs. (MSE)

The process at the University of Maryland at College Park to cut its budget substantially over two years is described. Key principles were avoidance of across-the-board cuts, maintenance of commitments, faculty involvement, openness, and ongoing communication within the institution. Advisory committee, college senate, and off-campus lobbying…

The Program Status Research Study examined the status of local programs for students with high abilities and reasons given by key personnel for program status. A mail survey to 2,900 local personnel in 19 states (divided into four groups according to economic health and the existence or non-existence of a state mandate to provide services) yielded…

Based on data gathered on-site at 13 colleges and universities, this volume offers an in-depth analysis of how colleges and universities have been affected by hard times, how they have risen to the challenges, and what their responses mean to the public and its support for higher education. Part 1 describes the study itself in detail and reports…

This report evaluates Department of Education opportunities to consolidate overlapping education programs, to find cost savings, and to strengthen its "gatekeeping" over schools' participation in student financial aid programs. It notes that, besides already proposed program consolidation, other programs that could be streamlined include…