Discusses the desirability of locating a State or city information retrieval system at the university for joint use by online government agencies, top policymakers for budgeting and planning, and university scholars for their own or State contracted research. (Author)

Eight representative school board members dislike a plan that would sanction a State to collect all school taxes and distribute funds to all districts on equal per-pupil basis. (DE)

The New Jersey Department of Education discovered that a common statewide strategy for coping with student disorders is not practical. Two workshops involving most of the State's school districts were conducted to supply background but not to prescribe specific courses of action. (Author/MF)

A 62-mile relay run from the campus of Southeastern Massachusetts University to a rally at the State House in Boston was the culmination of a grassroots effort to counteract state funding cuts that would have forced a layoff of 100 employees and reduced the next entering class by half. (MLW)

It is proposed that New Jersey assume approximately 70 percent of the cost of its public schools. Several other proposals are presented, all a radical departure from current school funding practices. (BW)

Questions of college performance in the United States are inevitably answered in terms of numbers rather than performance. A Tennessee policy links two percent of state funding to outcomes rather than size. The policy has major implications for funding and performance in colleges and other service-oriented institutions. (Author/MLW)

Summarizes 16 state court decisions in 15 states concerning equity in statewide school finance systems, in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez" decision. Finds that some state legislatures and courts reformed their finance systems, while others let inequalities continue. (RW)

How well new state, institutional, and private loan programs help compensate for federal student aid cutbacks depends on how well they respond to a number of practical requirements, including availability, affordability, adequacy of loan servicing and collection procedures, avoidance of excessive repayment burden, and clarity for borrowers and…

Regarding shortcomings in guaranteed tax base (GTB) school aid formulas, especially difficulties in measuring district fiscal capacity, the authors cite Michigan data to argue that inequities resulting from measurements using property wealth can be mitigated by property tax relief, intrastate cost differentials, and a unique aspect of Michigan's…

In examining the state's role in private education, this article discusses court cases bearing on state services to private schools, state regulation of different types of private schools, collaborative efforts between public and private schools, and emerging state attitudes toward private education. (Author/WD)

Examines two statewide arbitration decisions between the state of Minnesota and the Minnesota Community College Faculty Association. Describes the effects of the arbitration awards on state politics and on the allocation of state funds to the rest of higher education. (RW)

The issue of the costs and financial aspects of the assessment of prior learning is discussed from the point of view of program managers and others responsible for ensuring high quality, cost-efficient academic programs. Rationales and models currently in use are examined. (MLW)

Discusses the conflicting goals of school finance reform--educational equity, equality, and excellence--and their effects on the district power equalizing (DPE) method of achieving school equity. Describes the experiences with DPE in California, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan. (RW)

Describes, in lay terms, the prerogatives and characteristics of state legislatures and discusses legislative processes. Reviews legislative financial responses to urban needs, specifically the needs of students, variance in purchasing power among school districts in a state, and municipal overburden. (Author/MK)