Per-pupil expenditures in the lowest spending states are half of those in the highest-spending states. The federal government could equalize interstate spending by subsidizing spending in poorer states. The plan must consider the dollar's varying purchasing power, higher expenditures for educating disadvantaged children, and disincentives for…

The Education Improvement Act instigated funding allocation reform, equalization and equity, system accountability, systemwide report cards, value-added assessment, and governance reform. The most dissatisfied educators are those in large, wealthier urban systems. Horizontal equity, accountability, and test results have improved throughout the…

Five years ago the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) launched a revolution in our education system by insisting that all students should be proficient in reading and math by 2014 and demanding comprehensive reforms to reach this national goal, including strong assessment and accountability systems, a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, more…

This paper explores the implications of government funding for postgraduate research in English universities. Specifically, it focuses upon the funding model introduced recently by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The suggestion in the paper is that the operation of this model will seriously disadvantage certain parts of…

This study addressed the relationship between alternative types of state funding formulas and the use of separate placements for students with disabilities, and identified other characteristics of states that might be associated with the degree to which they use separate placements for the delivery of special services. Three research questions are…

This article reviews the development of state funding formulas or guidelines for public higher education. Originally viewed as a means to distribute public funds in a rational and equitable manner, they now are complicated methodologies. Funding formulas are all-inclusive or itemized; most states use the itemized approach. There are three…

This paper traces the historical context of the passage and implementation of Vermont's Act 230 in 1990, which initiated a new special education funding system to increase equity, predictability, and flexibility in program design as well as to ensure placement neutrality. Specific objectives of the funding system included increasing the use of…

As in previous years, this publication provides information on two dimensions of public education finance in the United States--raising and distributing education dollars. Information as reported by each of the 50 states is provided. The first section shows the current financing structure used in each state. In 1990, states generally reported four…

In almost all states, there is substantial local variation in per pupil expenditures for public elementary and secondary education. This results from the mix of state, local, and federal revenues received by most local educational agencies (LEAs), local variations in student needs, cost of providing services, and ability and willingness to raise…

The literature on funding formulas for higher education is reviewed, and the historical roots of state higher education funding relationships is traced, including three 20th century budget reform movements that were the antecedents of formulas. Attention is directed to conditions that will affect funding of higher education and formula responses…

This paper argues for two major changes in the selection of students and in the way that services are delivered under Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981. The first change would make available Chapter 1 funds only to schools with very high proportions of children whose families live in poverty. The second change…

Partly because of the rise of block grants, federal distribution mechanisms raise the issues of federal control and distributional equity in elementary-secondary grant programs. Data--drawn from such major programs as aid for education of the disadvantaged, aid for education of the handicapped, vocational education, and bilingual education--were…

Sixty New Mexico school district superintendents responded to a survey regarding reduction of personnel and educational programs, impacts of decline on quality of education, and desirability of alteration of the funding formula to recognize impacts of declining enrollments. Three groups of districts emerged: those where reduction had occurred…

The Educational Priorities Panel examined the allocation of tax levy funds to New York City academic and vocational high schools. The study attempted a statistical analysis of the actual distribution and utilization of funds for the fall terms 1975 through 1978. It also aimed to identify current budgeting and management practices that interfere…

Resource allocation in universities is analyzed based on economic theory and a theory of organizational behavior in universities. Basic methods of reaching decisions regarding allocation are intuition and numbers and combinations of the two. The intuitive method assumes a university committee can judge its needs. The numerical method employs a…