To improve learning and the work lives of teachers, in 1985 Massachusetts enacted Chapter 188, the Public School Improvement Act, which establishes and implements a system for testing and evaluating school and student performance. Since Chapter 188 was implemented, Massachusetts schools have improved faster than the national rate. Proposals for…

The growth of student financial aid during 1963-1983 is traced in relation to inflation, college costs, family income, enrollment, and other factors. Aid to students in public, private, and proprietary schools, including doctoral students, is reported. Attention is directed to federally-supported grants, loans, and work; state grants; and…

This report of the findings of a year-long policy analysis of New York City's three public branch library systems, carried out by the Nova Institute in cooperation with a study committee composed of city and library officials, opens with a brief historic account of the development of the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library, and…

Emphasizing the diminished resources of the 1980's, this report offers an overview of the varied experiences of the states in dealing with school finance issues. Although basic inequities in educational services remain, the states' generally poor fiscal condition has resulted in less attention for equity issues. However, public school financing…

This report is an update of the 1984 study "Indiana's Public Schools: An Analysis of the Past and Recommendations for the Future," which examined the Indiana school finance formula used to fund public education in the state. A fresh look is taken as a result of formula changes, and the effect of these changes on expenditures for public…

As college costs continue to soar, families across America are confronting a financial burden they find difficult if not impossible to manage alone. Existing programs like student loans are unable to address a problem of this scope. The search for a method to encourage savings for college without drawing on limited public resources has led to a…

The California State Commission on Postsecondary Education recommends approval of a request by the Trustees of the California State University to establish a temporary upper-division and graduate off-campus center of San Jose State University in Salinas. Such approval of new or off-campus centers is required by California law. Following a history…

The finances of major school districts in New York State during 1980-81 and 1981-82 are summarized in this report. Trend data are provided on full value, expenses, State aid, tax rates, and local levy. These items are also shown on a per pupil basis for the entire State, New York City, and the balance of the State. Eleven statistical tables are…

Student financial aid trends from 1980 to 1987 are described in a narrative summary and statistical tables and graphs. Information is provided on 1986-1987 estimated student aid by source (institutional aid, state grants, veterans benefits, Pell grants, federal campus-based aid, Guaranteed Student Loans and Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students,…

Health professions education is a costly and complex aspect of higher education, and its components and functions are different from those of the rest of higher education. This report offers information on the various functions, costs, and funding sources of academic health centers. Because it is difficult for state health policy leaders to…

This guide is designed to assist local educational agencies in the design, development, implementation, operation, and administration of vocational-technical education programs in Michigan. All aspects of this document are designed to concur with the Michigan State Plan for Vocational Education as well as the Michigan School Code and subsequent…

This review of state approaches to community college financing includes information from 42 states, representing 97% of the total community college enrollments in the country. Section I offers a brief analysis of the status of community college financing in 1988, highlighting several changes in resource allocation methods. The report notes that…

A study was conducted using findings of the 1983-84 Student Aid Recipient Survey (SARS) to isolate information about financial aid recipients attending public community colleges on a full-time basis. Highlighted findings included the following: (1) aid recipients attending community colleges were older than traditional college students, more…

This paper describes funding formulas for the new Foundation School Program in Texas enacted under the Education Opportunity Act (H.B. 72), raises issues that have accompanied its first year of implementation, and provides preliminary data to compare prior and existing law. The state finance system, which previously distributed state aid according…

In response to legislative mandate, this report reviews the management initiatives taken by community colleges in Maryland over the last several years to contain and reduce costs; investigates the potential for the regionalization of Maryland's community colleges; and determines new initiatives that should be considered by individual colleges in…