In most middle level schools, the curriculum includes a range of elective courses, often called exploratory courses. General music is one of the many exploratory courses commonly offered in middle level schools across the United States. Educators who teach exploratory courses face numerous challenges related to enrollment, scheduling, budget,…

This guide was created to help district leaders understand the benefits and drawbacks of the four-day school week, assess their district's readiness to make the switch, and evaluate the results of implementing the new schedule. This guide begins with an overview of common goals and outcomes for the four-day school week. It then provides a set of…

In 2009, the city of Detroit proposed a $500.5 million bond referendum to stem the declining enrollment in Detroit Public Schools (DPS) that mirrored the decades-long decline in the city's population. Proposal S was passed in November to fund the construction of 8 new schools, the renovation of 10 more, and the improvement of information…

Difficulties in paying for college and in maintaining good academic performance are two major hurdles to college graduation for low-income students. In recent years, state and federal budgets for postsecondary education have been cut significantly, limiting the options policymakers, education leaders, and communities have to improve rates of…

This study explores the question of how Boston Public Schools (BPS) can strengthen and support autonomy and accountability across its portfolio to promote innovation and expand access to equity and high performance. Some of the specific questions guiding this work are: (1) Should all schools within BPS operate within autonomous structures? (2) Is…

Information Resource Management--State University System of Florida (IRM-SUS) is the primary collector and provider of data concerning state universities that is used to make sound education policy decisions. The office provides technical assistance to those using the information, state and federal reporting support, those supplying information,…

As K-12 schools acquire equipment for videoconferencing, they often experience limited usage of the equipment. The purpose of this study was to identify specific concerns of educators currently involved in videoconferencing. The primary data for the study was 400 discussion posts from 34 educators in an online class about videoconferencing. Data…

Discusses steps three and four in a budgeting process that uses Program Evaluation and Review Techniques (PERT). Step three involves developing time estimates and scheduling each of the activities in the PERT chart. Step four involves responsibility identification and coordination. (Author/JF)

Suggestions about general organization and detailed planning for filmmaking are presented in this second in a series of three articles. Technical matters such as the capabilities of various camera systems and comparisons of film stocks are not discussed; mention is made, however, of the best available sources of information on these subjects.…

Administrative uses of Apple II microcomputers are described. Specialized and general-business software help to manage scheduling, inventory, recordkeeping, and budgeting. (MNS)

Attempts to describe the budgeting process in school districts. Discusses general budget calendars and explains the process of constructing a Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) chart of the budgeting process. Presents a detailed list of activities to be included in the budgeting process and a PERT chart indicating how these activities…

What administrators know and understand matters when it comes to organizing a school for teaching and learning. When principals and assistant principals discourage the use of practices unfamiliar to them or do not support best practices, they can actually hamper student achievement and professional growth. This is especially true when it comes to…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review the literature which focuses on four major higher education decision problems. These are: resource allocation; performance measurement; budgeting; and scheduling. Design/methodology/approach: Related articles appearing in the international journals from 1996 to 2005 are gathered and analyzed so that…

Those who work in the multi-billion-dollar construction industry routinely face uncertainty and risks related to cost, schedule and safety. One of the most common problems is failing to complete a project on time and within budget. This seems to be magnified for school and university projects--education institutions often limited budgets, and…

Describes ten items of business that the yearbook staff should attend to between the time it meets its final deadline and the end of the school year, in order to complete the work on the current yearbook and to start planning for the following year. (GW)