The Children At Risk program was created in Wisconsin in 1985 with the broad goal of reducing the number of students at risk of failing in or dropping out of school. The program requires all school districts to identify children at risk, including dropouts, truants, parents, or adjudicated delinquents, who are behind their age group in either…

This brief provides an overview of three recent state court cases in Alabama, Wyoming, and Ohio that uniquely address the constitutionality of state special education finance systems. In each case, the courts found the special education finance systems to be unconstitutional due to inequitable or inadequate funding for children with disabilities.…

State-level governance of community colleges has become increasingly common in the United States, with governance decisions affecting budget appropriations, rules on how appropriations can be spent, and the missions that colleges must strive to fulfill. The most common elements of state-level community college mission statements over the past 100…

This report highlights recent and projected economic trends that affect higher education, focusing on national economic conditions, government support for higher education, students' ability to pay for college, and labor market trends. It found that the U.S. economy, as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP), is projected to grow at a…

Despite the potential of technology, it is clear that the benefits of computers, multimedia and telecommunications technology are not as widespread in schools as could be hoped. To ensure that all students and teachers have access to technology, the issue of comprehensive, statewide implementation must be addressed. This cost model for…

Vermont's Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1997 (Act 60) has attracted attention because of its funding and quality components, and the highly publicized responses to its implementation. A key feature is its "recapture" provision in which property-wealthy towns contribute to a state educational fund that helps support education in…

This handbook is written specifically for Early Childhood Services (ECS) operators in Alberta, Canada, applying for Program Unit Funding. It is also designed to enhance the understanding of how assistance is provided to ECS children with severe disabilities by teachers, special needs assistants, parents, and supporting agency personnel. ECS…

As states work to provide public funds for early care and education programs, they need data on the current system to better provide a system that supports parents' need to work, promotes healthy child development, and ensures the educational quality of all early education and care programs. This report provides Massachusetts' policy makers with a…

An Educational Technology Institute (ETI) has been offered annually by the New Mexico State Department of Education cooperatively and collaboratively with numerous other groups since its inception in 1990. The 1995 ETI was developed to address implementation of New Mexico's 1994 Technology for Education Act. This act provides for funding…

Three rural Utah schools received a grant to improve teachers' skills in adapting core curriculum to the needs of diverse students, provide access to teacher support services, and improve inclusion for students with diverse learning needs. The 2-year grant enabled one person to coordinate staff development and provide comprehensive inclusion…

This annual report focuses primarily on special education spending and services in Vermont from Fiscal Year 1990 through Fiscal Year 1998. It discusses Vermont's changes to its special education funding formula that resulted in the state providing 60 percent of special education funding to school districts. It also includes the first look at state…

This paper, which focuses on rural community colleges, is part of a series published by the Center for Community College Policy, designed to support state and local policymakers, as well as educational leaders who are interested in policy issues related to the two-year postsecondary sector. One in four rural communities are severely economically…

The 1992 Tennessee Education Improvement Act resulted from a successful law suit by smaller and poorer school systems in Tennessee concerning equity of funding. The Act established the Basic Education Program (BEP), which increased the state sales tax rate, shifted state funds from better funded to poorer school systems, and required systematic…

This report describes 42,000 students attending community and technical colleges in Washington in 1995-96 who received need-based aid, including 29,000 aided students who received a state need grant. The need grant is intended to supplement other need based aid programs. The report compares student characteristics and student outcomes for…

An instrument was developed to record adult basic education instructional time and funding data and predict future cost allocation to meet governmental regulations. Findings of a literature review were as follows: funding for such activities is tied to accounting for previous expenditures; continued funding is contingent upon post-activity…