These volumes update the three previous editions (published for 1976-77, 1978-79, and 1986-87) by describing school finance programs in 1990-91 in the United States and Canada. This effort is descriptive, rather than prescriptive. The volumes consist of two major parts. The first part provides an overview of the school finance systems in the two…

Alaska will face a large fiscal gap and growing budget deficits in the near future. The timing of such fiscal gap open hinges on the joint effect of state budget growth and the oil price change. This paper explains Alaska's dependence on state spending and offers policy options addressing the fiscal gap. State spending: (1) supports nearly one in…

While the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education identified reasons for decline in students' academic achievement, it did not offer any explanation of how the "tide of mediocrity" developed. An investigation of causes of the situation the Commission described produced four principal findings: (1) Since World War II,…

Discusses the relationship between school size and per-pupil educational costs and describes a number of possibilities for using state aid formulas to encourage school districts to operate schools of optimal size. Three possible approaches are discussed, including penalty factors, incentive payments, and a combination of penalties and incentives.…

In this article, Rev. Frank Bredweg, director of NCEA's Special Projects, was interviewed about the present state of Catholic school finances and the "feasible" financial support options open to administrators. (Author/RK)

The national trend is in the direction of reform in public school finance, a reform that will take place in the state courts and that will focus on the inequities that have been produced through the states' financing systems. (Editor)

States should strive for national, and increasingly international, standards in education. States that set educational goals will need to know what indicators of progress will signal to citizens, educators, and government leaders that they are moving toward or reaching those goals. In a separate report, the Southern Regional Education Board has…

Minnesota has adopted a financial policy that takes into account the increasing pressure to finance postsecondary education. The policy increases the price of college through increased tuition, while at the same time targeting sufficient financial aid to ensure educational opportunity for financially needy students. In practical terms, this…

Findings of a survey of a sample of center-based child care programs and private home day care (PHDC) agencies listed in Ontario's Direct Operating Grant Calculation Data Base are summarized. During 1988, licensed child care programs in Ontario received approximately 46.5 million dollars in Direct Operating Grants. Grants were distributed among…

Investigated by this study were effects--at state, county, and family levels--of federal cuts and changes on day care services in New York State, focusing on areas outside New York City. At the state level, the study examined policies shaping delivery of day care services to the poor and state systems for tracking changes in funding and children…

An overview is provided of the general patterns and specific patterns of community college financing, with focus on major funding sources, comparative support and expenditure levels, tuition and fee rates and revenues, other revenue sources, and current state budgetary constraints and fiscal conditions. A summary of the data, trends, and…

When state education agencies (SEAs) set out to fulfill their increasing recognized obligation to provide services to private schools, they must make very practical policy decisions that are in turn related to value judgments about these schools' legitimacy, their right to freedom from government interference, and the extent of control the state…

This paper recounts the history and relationship of school counselors and school social workers in Wyoming. The establishment of the guidance department at the University of Wyoming and Wyoming's original certification standards for counselors are detailed. The impetus for employing school social workers in Wyoming schools is discussed. The…