The Foundation for Educational Choice and the Manhattan Institute recently commissioned a new study to examine the emerging crisis of underfunding public teacher pension plans in the states. The implications for public policy will likely be severe in the coming years. Public funding for K-12 education, and the potential for new reforms hang in the…

Recent proposed legislation to change the public school funding formula has not taken the social work profession into account. There has been a lack of participation from professional associations in creating this legislation--critical legislation that enables school districts to determine what ancillary school support staff they will or will not…

In 2010, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission changed its allotment of funding to an outcomes-based system (Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 2012, p.1). This meant that universities and colleges received money based on factors including associate degrees, certifications, and job placement rather than on enrollment, as institutions of…

In 2010, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission changed its allotment of funding to an outcomes-based system (Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 2012, p.1). This meant that universities and colleges received money based on factors including associate degrees, certifications, and job placement rather than on enrollment, as institutions of…

In 2010, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission changed its allotment of funding to an outcomes-based system (Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 2012, p.1). This meant that universities and colleges received money based on factors including associate degrees, certifications, and job placement rather than on enrollment, as institutions of…

There is no fixed rule about how financial resources must be directed to the education sector. It is quite clear that the size of investment in the sector well defines the quality of education students are offered. It is highly important to define the amount of money, which is needed for effective functioning of schools and it is also important to…

The economic downturn of the past few years has taken a toll on state budgets for elementary and secondary education. The $100 billion for education provided by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA), better known as the economic stimulus package, helped to blunt some of the harshest effects, but these funds have been nearly depleted.…

This report attempts to answer the question of whether or not there are school districts that are perennial to the extremes in the funding of Oklahoma Schools from SY-99 to SY-08. Using data collected from these years, calculations of fiscal neutrality were made and a rank ordering of districts was performed and then collated over the ten year…

Higher education in Australia is undergoing a comprehensive reform with particular focus on higher levels of attainment by increasing access to university study for Australians from all backgrounds. To support the government's ambition of around 217,000 additional graduates by 2025, it has committed to removing caps and funding student places on…

This is a study of financial disparities in primary and secondary education in OECD countries that have a relatively large population and a school finance system with decentralized features. These countries include the United States, Britain, Australia, Spain, Canada, and Japan. There are two major research questions: What are the trends in…

This issue of "Policy Insights" reviews the results from an annual survey, conducted by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), of tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in the WICHE region (which includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North…

This study considers the relationship between federal academic earmarks and state appropriations for higher education. Often referred to as "pork," federal academic earmarks are both controversial and understudied. Using a unique panel dataset which spans 1990-2006, this study conducts a panel analysis with two-way state and year-fixed effects. It…

Access to English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses is crucial for society, social cohesion and the economy. In 2006 it was estimated that 600,000 people in London alone had an ESOL need. In some parts of the country, as many as 50 per cent of adults have Entry-level ESOL needs. ESOL is no longer an issue only for urban areas. People…

The author reports on House and Senate bills that take different stances toward funding formula-grant programs and Obama administration initiatives. Key education programs, including Title I grants for disadvantaged students and aid for special education, would get flat funding for the 2012 fiscal year under a measure approved Sept. 21 by the…

Gadi Paskoff just completed his freshman year of high school. He's an honor student, accomplished musician, and sports fanatic. He is also a staff writer for Freestyle, a section in the "Lancaster Intelligencer Journal/New Era's" Saturday edition. Paskoff hit a homerun with his June 20 article, "Learning Should Be More than Technology." Reflecting…