School districts across New York are constrained from fully exploiting a potential source of revenue to help offset pressure on local taxes. The revenue source in question is commercial advertising--including signs, sponsorships and facility naming rights, especially for athletic facilities. Experience in other states suggests New York school…

The role of the school leader is changing, as increasing regulatory obligations in the form of federal, state, and local mandates impact a principal's ability to make autonomous decisions. Autonomy, or the ability to self-direct and make independent decisions, is a leadership aspect that fosters communal relationships; autonomy for school leaders…

In the education world, the existence of funding inequities has long been a known fact, but the sources of these inequities have not always been obvious. Typically, local property tax variation has been blamed as the sole, or at least primary, cause of inequalities and called for greater state funding as the solution. In practice, however, it is…

Early childhood teachers are rightly concerned with implementing a system that was, at least in the initial stages, designed with a different set of teachers in mind--teachers of older students who have standardized achievement data. In most states, policy, practices, and guidance for early childhood teachers are just now being developed or…

With Washington trapped in budget battles and partisan gridlock, cities have emerged as the best source of government innovation. Nowhere is this more visible than in New York City. Since taking office in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has introduced a steady stream of innovative policies, from a competition to recruit a new applied sciences campus and a…

This study of Dickinson College represents an unusually complete, detailed, and balanced study of the local and regional economic impact of an academic institution. Among other features, it includes estimates of the college's positive and negative effects on local government, local as well as county wide economic impact estimates, and a relatively…

Pennsylvania public libraries began receiving increased allotments of state aid in 2000. In the first two years of enhancement aid, total state aid received by Pennsylvania libraries more than doubled. This reversed the trend of little growth in the years preceding 2000. The enhancement aid program also redesigned certain categories of state aid…

Describes development and preliminary implementation of the Community Education Program on Home Rule, a statewide program to aid local communities in educating citizens about the possibility of modifying their municipal government under the provisions of Pennsylvania's Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law. (JG)

Historically, many mayors have had direct authority over the education system in their cities. Until recently, however, they have largely deferred to boards and superintendents to lead and monitor the work of schools. Now, with increased federal accountability, growing awareness of how education impacts economic growth and related issues like…

This bibliography contains extensive listings of publications relevant to the broad topic of local government. Citations are organized into separate sections dealing with local government modernization and reform, local government administration and training, structure of local government, county government form and administration, metropolitan…

Factors that have contributed to the sluggish evolution of an adequate planning methodology in environmental health programs at the local level are detailed. Areas of environmental health programs identified by the author as needing change include: management, the administrative model, program evaluation, and community participation. (BT)

This document contains a final report and a handbook from a project to develop a comprehensive text on Pennsylvania government structure and taxes written on a lower (fourth- to eighth-grade) reading level for adult basic education students. The report describes how available government publications were researched, and a five-unit handbook that…

Discusses the role of libraries and productivity, one of the three main themes that will be addressed at the 1991 White House Conference on Library and Information Services. Statewide coordinated efforts to serve business and government clientele are emphasized, and statewide databases in Colorado, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania are described.…

Relations between the public and private sectors of higher education are discussed. In the first chapter, John W. Gardner provides a historical perspective to the recent conflict in some states between public and private colleges and universities. In addition to discussing the pluralism and diversity that have characterized U.S. colleges and…

Sponsored by West Chester University and the local League of Women Voters, the Kids Around Town Program is helping some Pennsylvania elementary school children develop responsible citizenship by involving them in community service activities. Students select a public policy issue affecting them. This issue serves as a springboard for study and…