Based on a recent nationwide survey of rural administrators, this digest reports on the financial problems of rural school districts and some possible strategies for improvement. Rural administrators reported the following financial management problems: (1) cash flow problems due to late receipt of state aid or taxes; (2) expenditures that are…

This report reviews what is known about today's proprietary schools, their role in higher education, their curricula, the types of students who attend them, educational outcomes of their graduates, and the policy issues that effect them. First, the report discusses the historical aspects of how private career schools evolved from the colonial era…

A case-cluster study of trends in elementary level educational expenditures in the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton during 1980-88 is presented in this report. The following issues are addressed: (1) the amount spent by school boards, with a focus on per pupil expenditures in "real" dollars; (2) what these funds are spent on; and…

This report describes federal, California state, and private student financial aid programs; ways to improve chances of receiving aid; and programs for special populations. Information is provided on the following sources of aid: (1) federal (Pell Grants, National Direct Student Loans (NDSL), Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG),…

The great diversity of the student population in California's community colleges and the 1982 cut of $30 million in the community colleges' budget are forcing colleges to make decisions regarding which courses and programs to eliminate, which students to disenfranchise educationally, and the priorities that should be assigned to courses. In…

Factors affecting the state role in financing educational programs for special student populations are examined along with potential state policy considerations related to the provision of special services. An outline of the major problems facing state policy makers, such as federal budget cuts, teacher shortages, and the needs of gifted and…

The beneficiaries of state grant programs, the amount of aid students receive, and policies that affect the utility of aid are considered, based on the 1982-1983 report of the National Association of State Scholarship and Grant Programs. For both need-based and non-need-based programs, attention is directed to eligibility criteria for students,…

This manual outlines Maryland's community college course evaluation system. Part I provides a historical overview of continuing education in Maryland, including the legal provisions establishing the development of continuing education courses as a function of community college instructional development. Part II presents policies for state…

A survey of California's community colleges was conducted in spring 1983 to inventory actions taken in response to 1982-83 budget limitations. Findings, based on an 81% response rate from community college presidents (N=86) and an 80% response rate from chancellors of multi-college districts (N=16), included the following: (1) overall, fall 1982…

The 1986 annual report outlines planning and coordination activities and student financial aid programs. The following planning and coordination activities are considered: statewide planning and facilities planning, a new program approval procedure, approval of off-campus offerings, studies of the state's engineering programs and needs and allied…

This study reports on: available student financial aid, unmet student needs, and alternative mechanisms for funding Nebraska college students. A survey gathered information on direct and indirect state awards, federal awards, and institutional and private sector assistance for the 1987-88 school year. Estimated unmet student need was determined…

Focusing on Chicago (Illinois), this report describes the magnitude of issues related to the education of non-English-speaking immigrants, and presents an overview of both the learning resource materials available to support bilingual education in the Chicago School System and the availability of materials in foreign languages in the Chicago…

Equity effects of program growth and diversification on the Utah public education finance system are examined. The degree to which student and taxpayer equity are achieved by district formulas of the Minimum School Program are assessed by analysis of school-related taxation and spending over time, current distribution patterns of state support,…

This final report of the Nebraska School Financing Review Commission includes the following items: (1) an examination of the role of income as a revenue source and indicator of wealth; (2) investigation of ways to reduce reliance on property tax for school support; and (3) consideration of alternate state aid distribution formulas. Also included…

Nine papers and associated remarks constituting the proceedings of the 1988 Norstar Conference concerning the assessment of performance in higher education, and two prefatory papers are presented. The prefatory papers are: (1) "A Context for Change: The Reform Movement in Higher Education" (Judith M. Holtan); and (2) "Models of…