An increase of over 100% in program expenditures for the Pell Grant program over a five year period of time, from $14.7 billion in the 2007-08 award year to $33.4 billion in the 2011-12 award year, places an otherwise popular program under scrutiny. This article considers the factors and options informing federal policy related to the Pell Grant…

Spending by states and local school districts on school construction has increased dramatically over the last decade, not only because more and higher-quality schools are being built, but also because construction costs have increased by an unprecedented degree. Many states struggle to afford the new schools needed in local communities. The…

Presents a model for assessing the cost consequences of implementing a faculty-directed individualized study program for undergraduates within any regular academic department of a traditional college or university. (JG)

Discusses the financial advantages of insuring school property through nonprofit state insurance programs, rather than through commercial insurance companies. Summarizes experiences with existing state insurance programs in the states of South Carolina, North Dakota, Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. (JG)

Examines several critical issues related to financing special education, including current needs for special education and related services, constitutional and legal requirements governing education of handicapped children, typical patterns of state and federal aid for special education, costs of educating handicapped children, and federal policy…

Compares the cost-effectiveness of two delivery systems for elementary learning-disabled students--the self-contained special learning disabilities classroom, and the regular classroom with resource room or learning center. (JG)

Discusses the use of program cost analysis to identify cost differentials among educational programs that receive categorical state and federal funds. Using data from a recent Illinois study, calculates cost-per-pupil differentials among 22 special education programs and 18 vocational education programs. (JG)

Discusses a study estimating the instructional, administrative, and per-pupil costs of implementing school-based support teams in special education programs in three New York City districts. Draws on the results to describe the problems of defining and estimating special education costs in urban schools, and of interpreting cost-related…

A survey of special education in 45 smaller school districts in Idaho gathered data on disabled and gifted students, district size, program costs per pupil, grade level, student hours in special education, and type of delivery system (including self-contained, resource room, work study, and homebound systems). (RW)

Reviews size economies research and concludes, among other things, that the cost curve is usually U-shaped, but all findings must be applied cautiously and with full recognition of the unique characteristics of each place. (Author/JM)

Examines the effects of program characteristics, district socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, and school resources on the cost of programs for limited English proficient (LEP) students. After outlining these variables, briefly reviews literature on bilingual education costs and presents a study of LEP program spending in downstate…

Reviews factors that could influence planning for the provision of educational facilities in the foreseeable future: new enrollment projections, the need to address deferred maintenance problems, recent educational reform efforts, the needs of new programs, recent tax limitation measures, court action, and new approaches to raising funds. (PGD)