For the most part, education in the United States started out small, but the 20th century brought significant changes. The Industrial Revolution and immigration swelled American cities at the beginning of the century, and urban schools grew along with them. In the 1950s and 1960s, many communities, educators, and politicians focused on…

This report critiques a study that condemned the privatization of school transportation in Ohio. The original study, authored by Mark Cassell, concluded that student transportation offered by a private company is more expensive than similar transportation that is provided in-house. The present report claims that the Cassell study ignored some…

This document and a companion National Report are the results of a study of the management of catering services in higher education by the United Kingdom Value for Money Steering Group. The national report identifies key management issues for the senior management team in developing a review of catering services, to ensure that they are effective…

This document discusses evidence regarding daylighting and student performance and development, and presents four case studies of schools that have cost effectively implemented daylighting into their buildings. Case studies reveal that design and construction strategies that incorporate daylighting do not significantly increase costs over…

This book describes an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of model school-based drug prevention programs at reducing cocaine consumption. It compares prevention's cost-effectiveness with that of several enforcement programs and with that of treating heavy cocaine users. It also assesses the cost of nationwide implementation of model prevention…

Standard & Poors (S&P) uses a measure they call a Performance Cost Index (PCI) as their measure of a school or district?s ?Return on Resources?. The Performance Cost Index is defined as the average cost per measured ?unit? of student performance. In its simplest form, the Performance Cost Index is calculated as per student expenditures divided by…

More than two years ago, the Coordinating Board directed its University Formula Advisory Committee to renew efforts to conduct a cost study to validate the relative weights contained in the matrix. This report provides a summary of the results of the study. The methodology was developed and presented to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating…

Pre-kindergarten programs enhance the lives of children and have widespread benefits for society. By improving educational performance, expanding career opportunities, and raising wage-earning potential among participating children, high-quality pre-k reduces crime, increases tax revenues, decreases dependency on public assistance programs, and…

In the United States, approximately 12% of infants are born preterm and 8% are born low birthweight. Prematurity and low birthweight have been associated with "high risk" pregnancies (poor prenatal care, maternal smoking or drug use, illness or disease) and other factors, such as maternal depression and/or elevated stress hormone levels.…

Considered the development and merits of the Open University as well as its need for reexamination. (RK)

Buildings should be designed so that energy systems function with maximum efficiency. Re-evaluation of standards for ventilation and lighting is recommended. Heat recovery techniques and topography can reduce heating loads. (MF)

A discussion by an educator, an energy consultant, an architect, and a superintendent of facilities planning on how schools can reform maintenance and operations procedures towards efficient fuel use. (Author/DN)

A discussion of the benefits of using instructional television at Thornton High School, Harvey, Illinois. (HB)

Use of autotutorial laboratories and large-group instruction is compared with traditional methods of teaching biology, anthropology, remedial English, and psychology. (Editor)