Proposes regional consortia of school districts that would buy instructional software; create communications networks; develop teaching and training methods; develop effective techniques for administrative management and support; and identify and advocate specific research needs. (MLF)

School transportation experts consider the following essential rules in purchasing school buses: know your geography; know federal and state regulations; write specifications carefully; plan for replacement and growth; check out prospective bidders; keep up with recent trends; and remain flexible. New Jersey enacted a law last year requiring seat…

Discusses meeting ADA guidelines when purchasing permanent signs for schools. Provides ADA guidelines and discusses the use of raised characters and braille. Notes that ADA guidelines are not the same thing as building codes; noncompliance is enforced through the Justice Department. (GR)

Michigan has long advocated local control of education, a philosophy that particularly applies to purchasing school buses. To counter adverse legal actions stemming from noncompetitive bidding practices, the Michigan School Business Officials and the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation collaborated to develop a comprehensive,…

Presents administrator's views on possible trends in college and universities. Addresses: hazardous waste disposal; privatization of custodial services; libraries and technology; building product purchases based on life-cycle cost; continuing education for employees; armed campus security; fees and tuition collection via online transactions; and…

Provides advice and suggestions for educators or parents who are trying to decide what type of computer to buy to run the latest computer software for children. Suggests that purchasers should buy a computer with as large a hard drive as possible, at least 10 megabytes of RAM, and a CD-ROM drive. (MDM)

The Tacoma (Washington) School District has been using life-cycle costing successfully for several years to compare energy efficiency of climate-control systems for new schools. The analysis includes initial cost, energy cost, operational cost, and maintenance cost. Life-cycle costing was used to determine which of two roofing systems to use on a…

Techno-babble is the use of fancy terms to make new products look cutting-edge. Discusses five terms-their meaning, and strengths and weaknesses. Technology-support staff should relate complicated technical terms in simplified but not patronizing words. (MLF)

This report describes statistical indicators developed by the Council of the Great City Schools and its member districts to measure big-city school performance on a range of operational functions in business, finance, human resources and technology. The report also presents data city-by-city on those indicators. This is the second time that…

Growing numbers of colleges and universities are making the leap to renewable energy. Some are not only saving money--they're making money on their renewable energy purchases. This guide, written by two energy consultants, walks readers through the process of evaluating the various technologies, ownership options, relationships with utilities, and…

For most districts, the dream of arming their students and fellow educators with laptops--perhaps reaching the vaunted status of being a one-to-one school--holds a powerful appeal. Yet whether a district is making that push to get laptops into the hands of each student or simply considering upgrades to mobile carts, districts are facing no…

An audit was done of the Health Science Center, a teaching hospital in the State University of New York (SUNY) system at Syracuse. The audit addressed whether Syracuse has effective controls over selected payroll, equipment and inventory expenses. Syracuse reported an operating loss for 1990 of over $21 million dollars. The audit found that…

In response to an official request for information and evaluation of solid waste production and management at California's public colleges and universities, this study examined existing conditions and barriers to solid waste reduction and recycled product procurement, and suggested assistance strategies. The examination found that these…

Focusing on the use of microcomputers as "smart terminals" for accessing time-sharing systems for libraries, this document discusses the communications software needed to allow the microcomputer to appear as a terminal to the remote host. The functions which communications software programs are designed to perform are defined and…

This report documents the first year of a 3-year evaluation which was designed to (1) determine the status of small-format (1/2" reel-to-reel, 3/4" U-Matic, 1/2" VHS, and 1/2" Beta) videotape in the schools; (2) reveal what impact such videotape has on educational television utilization; and (3) examine the distribution of…