This publication summarizes data gathered by Alaska's State Department of Education on school operations, facilities, programs, students, and personnel in each of Alaska's school districts. For each of the 55 districts that existed in 1989, the information is grouped into six subject headings: background, operating revenues and expenditures,…

Federal spending on education has risen steadily over the past three decades to unprecedented levels. However, research indicates that "money neutral" solutions, such as local control and parent choice, are the real keys to educational reform. Educational spending, after correction for inflation, has increased each year since the 1929/30…

This report lists contract salaries of superintendents and the minimum and maximum salaries scheduled in 1987-88 by 1,728 responding school systems for 21 other selected professional positions surveyed. The length of the school year is also noted. Eighteen summary tables show percentile distributions, means, and ranges of minimum and maximum…

This study summarizes the theory and the available evidence on the effects of size on the responsiveness and efficiency of local government. For each of four important sections of the California Code bearing on the structure and authority of cities and school districts, the study summarizes (1) the primary provisions of the present Code, (2) some…

Compensating effects of Alberta's Small School Jurisdiction Grant (SSJG) were examined. Districts with 1,000-1,499 students had lowest per-pupil cost; districts with 500-999 had highest. Greatest expenses were salaries and utilities. SSJG funds perpetuated small school jurisdictions--but did not encourage their establishment--and generally seemed…

Maine should be very proud of its public school system. Without question, since passage of the Sinclair Act in 1957, Maine has made great strides in the last 45 years in improving the quality of its public schools, and in expanding educational opportunities for more and more of its children. Maine citizens have increased their investment four-fold…

This study evaluates the effect that the size of a state's school districts has on public high school graduation rates. The authors calculate the graduation rate over the last decade and examine the relationship between these graduation rates and changes in each state's average school district size. The study finds that decreasing the size of…

Summarizes responses from 263 districts from 37 states drawn from a sample of districts with student enrollment of less than 800. The study found there is an overwhelming inability of local districts to fund capital outlay at levels needed to keep their buildings adequate, safe, and accessible. (MLF)

Challenges government assumptions regarding local government reorganization that would increase educational authorities in Scotland from 12 to 32. Proposes that the potential increase in administrative costs of smaller educational authorities would be greater than potential savings and would result in lower quality of educational service. Compares…

Examines opposing trends in administration and policy that simultaneously influence the size and shape of American school systems. Consolidation has reduced the number of districts, while decentralization reduces the size of the school district by dividing it into smaller units. Twenty issues are identified for districts considering either option.…

Various strategies used by state policymakers to influence small school districts are discussed. Incentives can be used to help small districts survive or encourage them to reorganize or consolidate. Disincentives, or "the stick," can withhold funding from small districts or establish impossible goals, resulting in consolidation while…

In U.S. public schools, a limited number of women have attained the position of superintendent. Consequently, there has been limited research focusing on understanding the position from a woman's perspective. The purpose of this study was to add to the body of literature focusing on women's ideas and beliefs about leading schools. A survey that…

This book presents a collection of recent articles on the problems in today's schools, why school and students are underperforming, exploring a range of topics and explaining why some reforms in education are destined to fail while others have been proven to work. The first section, "Teaching Approaches," presents articles on progressive…

This study empirically tests the notion that consolidating smaller public school districts will save taxpayers money. Multiple regression analyses are employed to analyze the relationship between district size and per-pupil expenditures in the state of Michigan, focusing on the five most recent school years for which data are available. The…

This paper reports on a study assessing the viability of the non-K-12 organizational form as currently practiced in New York State. The study involved 26 non-K-12 sending districts (small elementary schools) and 29 K-12 receiving districts. Results are based on pupil test score performance at the secondary level and on 692 responses to a parent…