Annual double-digit increases in health insurance premiums may be the reality for school districts and private-sector employers for the foreseeable future. The author presents several factors that account for this unwelcome possibility. One cost-saving alternative for districts is to self-insure employees and assume the risks. Districts are…

The Youth Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is one of the United States Department of Agriculture's hallmark nutrition education programs for limited-resource youth. The objective of this study was to gather opinions from experts in EFNEP and related content areas to identify costs, effects (impacts), and related instruments to…

International students often experience significant psychological distress but empirically tested programs are few. Broadly distributed bibliotherapy may provide a cost-effective approach. About half of the Japanese international students in a western university in the United States (N=70) were randomly assigned to a wait-list or to receive a…

Given the challenging economic climate in the United States, many academics are looking to open-access electronic textbooks as a way to provide students with traditional textbook content at a more financially advantageous price. Open access refers to "the free and widely available information throughout the World Wide Web. Once an article's…

Under pressure to keep spending down but also keep pace with rapid technology changes, many districts are future-proofing their schools--trying to get the most out of tech spending by providing solutions they can use now and in the future without major, expensive infrastructure overhauls. In the Folsom Cordova (California) Unified School District,…

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to gain insight into some of the types of training and development practices that are carried out in the chemical industry for technical workers. A salient focus of the study is to make a comparative analysis of four MNCs, which were selected based on equity ownership, to ascertain whether T&D practices are…

This study examined the "Parenting the Strong-Willed Child" ("PSWC") book as a self-directed program for parents of 3- to 6-year-olds. Fifty-two parents were randomly assigned to "PSWC" or a comparison book, "Touchpoints: Three to Six." Assessments occurred at baseline, postintervention (6 weeks after baseline), and 2-month follow-up. The findings…

Done right, green is not only the right thing to do, it's a good business move. During the past year, the author has talked with quite a few school business officials. Some are on board with "going green," whereas others are still leery. Some aren't quite sure what "green schools" are. Some say that it doesn't matter to the community how green the…

For public school districts, risk financing is the financial outlay associated with litigation, such as settlements, verdicts, and the cost of legal defense. Even when districts purchase insurance to finance risk, a viable risk transfer program can still benefit districts in different ways: (1) Liability policies are generally experience-rated;…

While some disasters involving engineered structures are due to events in nature (e.g., tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes), others may be caused by inadequate materials, design flaws, and poor maintenance. These catastrophes result in the loss of human lives and cost billions of dollars. In the set of lessons described here, students design a…

Manufacturers often claim that their particular toothbrush design is better than the competitors, but is it? As a result, engineers must consider the economic issues involved with selling the products they create, as well as their functionality: to produce the best possible toothbrush regardless of cost, or the toothbrush that will sell the most,…

Thousands of teachers across the nation have sought and achieved National Board Certification, which expires after 10 years. Prior to the expiration of the certification, teachers must decide whether they plan to renew. Many teachers choose to renew their certification. The intent of this research was to examine the data regarding why some…

Objective: This study assessed the effects of unified family and drug treatment courts (DTCs) on the resolution of cases involving foster care children and the resulting effects on school performance. Method: The first analytic step was to assess the impacts of presence of unified and DTCs in North Carolina counties on time children spent in…

In the current economic conditions, many institutions face dwindling budgets and an increased focus on proving the value of the education provided. The effort and costs required to integrate Enterprise Resource Planning systems into course curricula are a significant investment of resources for any university. This paper examines the expense of…

Women remain a minority in the Australian professoriate despite decades of equal opportunity policy. This article discusses the findings of an intensive case study that investigates why women's representation declines at the most senior academic levels. Through in-depth interviews with 24 women, the study explores the extent to which women's…