Discusses the problem of calculating unit costs for higher education, with special attention to the allocation of research-related costs and various indirect costs to undergraduate and graduate students. Calculates unit costs and budget allocations for a hypothetical state university system, based on different policy assumptions regarding cost…

This publication is the culmination of efforts begun three years ago. All of the papers address implications for community colleges. Complementing these pieces is a discussion guide depicting the ways that state higher education policy may either support or thwart the American promise of opportunity and equity. These papers are provided as…

The pending Referendum 55 (R-55), allowing for the emergence of charter schools in Washington State, raises questions about the overall fiscal impact of these new public schools at the state and local levels. Specifically, what potential benefits or losses might the State of Washington and local school districts expect if Referendum 55 passes?…

This Non-Regulatory Guidance explains how State educational agencies, local educational agencies, and State agencies for higher education can effectively use Title II, Part A funds to ensure that all teachers are highly qualified and effective, a critical component of the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education…

After Operation Desert Storm and the end of the Cold War, Congress began to reevaluate the focus of U.S. military activities and proposed using some military assets and training to help address critical domestic challenges such as drugs, poverty, and unemployment. In particular, some policymakers saw an opportunity to use the military's…

This study examines the structures of state funding and describes the ways 11 states govern, administer, and pay for student aid, including eligibility criteria and accountability strategies. Eleven states that are currently making some of the biggest investments in state funding for student aid are featured in this report: California, Florida,…

This report highlights the functions, services, and programs offered to the state's citizens by the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office and the state's Higher Education Services Council. The Minnesota Higher Education Services Office works to provide high quality, statewide services to the citizens of Minnesota toward achieving student…

This brief updates the Urban Institute's "Income Support and Social Services for Low-Income People in California," an overview of benefits and services in California in 1997, just before the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was enacted. Since 1997, various states have made changes across the…

This report summarizes results from the Higher Education Services Offices 2001 survey of financial aid received by undergraduates attending Minnesota postsecondary institutions. Undergraduates attending Minnesota postsecondary institutions in fiscal year (fy) 2001 used $1.2 billion in grants, education loans, and earnings from work study jobs to…

In 1994, approximately $20 million of Georgia Lottery for Education funds were spent to make schools safer. This report presents the results of an evaluation of Georgia Lottery for Education expenditures for technologies related to school safety. The study evaluated the safety technology at 15 Georgia public schools. Data were gathered through…

This report addresses the adequacy and availability of the state of Vermont's assistance for K-12 school construction and the issues that are creating state legislative concern. Issues examined are (1) the annual state obligation for school construction expenditures exceeding the amount of capital bill funding projected to be available for this…

This book provides new estimates of the private costs and public effects of childhood disabilities among welfare recipients. Based on over 2,000 interviews conducted between 1992-96 with household heads in 3 California counties, the estimates cover direct expenditures by families and indirect costs from employment reductions. The study finds that…

In 1997, the Illinois Legislature passed significant legislation that increased the foundation level for general state aid. Provisions in the legislation for increased teacher accountability included changing the single-level teacher certification system to a multi-tiered process, changing the length of time required before attaining teacher…

The Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) program is a new initiative that could affect International Reading Association members in the United States--but will benefit only those who take advantage of it. The purpose of the CSR initiative is to provide financial incentives for schools to develop comprehensive school reforms. Funding is available to…

This paper revisits 1997-98 findings that indicated that during the first years of state implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), states were most likely to implement the environment theory, which claims that children benefit socially and psychologically from being part of a household in which caregivers have jobs, and…