Paul Ciotti's monograph "Money and School Performance" exposing the "desegregation debacle" in Kansas City (Missouri) Public Schools is an improperly aimed salvo in the "money matters" debate. Actually, money should not be thrown at politically dysfunctional schools with incompetent teachers, administrators, and board…

A guide for using cooperative buying to block-book campus activities or attractions through a campus activities convention provides a step-by-step process and outlines some specific considerations, including forms, pricing, preparation for the conference, follow-up approaches, and hints for new users of the system. (MSE)

Defines "equity" in terms of three concepts (horizontal equity, vertical equity, and fiscal neutrality), summarizes school finance litigation history, and presents alternative distribution formats to improve student achievement. Enhancing equity and efficiency requires reallocation of existing resources, incentives for improved performance, a more…

This study used a constant time-delay procedure to teach three secondary students with moderate mental disabilities the community skills of mailing a letter, cashing a check, and crossing a street. Instruction involved community-based instruction plus either classroom simulation, videotape modeling, or both. The most efficient methodology was the…

Created in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization, in Geneva, Switzerland, ISO 9000 is attempting to develop a world standard to help companies and other institutions measure and monitor their quality-control efforts. This article describes four school districts' successful efforts to secure ISO 9000 certification. (MLH)

Districts can save 5 to 10 percent of budgets without damaging student services by adhering to certain principles: utilize public funds efficiently; set service-improvement and cost-cutting goals; involve and reward employees for improvement efforts; and use management systems, business techniques, and information technology. (MLH)

Effective business management in the information age requires an understanding of the role of the information highway. This article examines communications technology (voice, video, image, data), information accessibility, information sharing and competition, and development of the information highway. Discusses the reengineering of business…

Analyzes whether school-based management (a corporate business emphasis) in Chicago public high schools improved performance between 1989 and 1994. Malmquist productivity index results show very little improvement in productivity (measured in test scores, truancy, and graduation rates). Second-stage regression results are slightly more positive.…

Three school districts are working successfully with a private contractor to reduce the operating costs of lunch programs, while increasing participation and maintaining nutrition standards. The facilities department of the fourth school is producing higher quality work and greater accountability under the direction of a private contractor. (MLF)

A survey of interlibrary loan (ILL) staffing levels in Michigan academic libraries was conducted in 1994 to examine the relationship between ILL transaction volume and staffing patterns. Results show that departments with the largest volume needed additional staff; inadequate staffing levels caused blurring of job descriptions; and that ILL staff…

New methods of financing higher education used in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom are summarized and compared. The paper concludes that while these approaches are designed to improve efficiency, realize specific outcomes, and leverage additional funds from other sources, they may have unanticipated, unintended, and, in some…

Discusses the search by school systems and construction professionals for new efficiencies in the face of economic pressures. Some are shrinking or stretching out construction programs and demanding better economies. Others are seeking new financial partners and non-traditional funding methods, or deciding that creating new school space does not…

Notes that the child care business often requires multi-site communication, training, and management; offers suggestions for effective management of long-distance staff meetings. Discusses four elements of successful long- distance teamwork, outlines strategies for long distance team participation, and shows how to use technology to improve…

This paper uses data envelopment analysis to examine the technical efficiency (TE) of 45 British universities in the period 1980/81-1992/93. This period was chosen primarily because it was characterized by major changes in public funding and in student:staff ratios. To shed light on the causes of variations in efficiency, TE is decomposed into…

The purpose of this research was to explore Google's potential for detecting occurrences of word-for-word (1) plagiarism in master's theses. The authors sought answers to these questions:1. Is Google an effective tool for detecting plagiarism in master's theses?2. Is Google an efficient tool for detecting plagiarism in master's theses?The first…