This article presents a historical view of public school finance and discusses difficulties that have been encountered in an effort to offer equality in funding. Various court cases that have influenced educational finance are listed as examples of the movement to reform state fiscal programs. (DF)

Examines the assumptions that educational vouchers will mean less state control over education, more choice for parents, and education that serves the child's best interest. The assertion that a voucher system will lead to more efficient and effective schools is examined in the light of five educational goals. (CMG)

The Nebraska community colleges have recently re-obtained local funding and control of their institutions. This article reports on the factors that contributed to their success in convincing the state legislature to relinquish its control. (DC)

This article reports the findings of a research study concerning an evaluation approach initiated by the Illinois Office of Education to provide local school districts with evaluative data and recommendations for self-improvement. Despite various shortcomings of evaluation methods and recommendations, authors conclude that the "IOE acted…

Twenty socioeconomic, environmental, and political variables are examined regarding their relationships to state and local appropriations for 1960 and 1969. Comparative input-output policy analysis methodology and a new statistical approach combining correlation and regression analyses are utilized. (Editor/LBH)

In April 2004, teams of policymakers and practitioners from eight Western states joined Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and the National Governors Association (NGA) at "Leadership for Turning Around Low-Performing Schools: A Western Regional Roundtable," a two-day meeting that explored the connection between educational leadership and…

This document defines the conditions under which the State of Maine will subsidize school building construction projects. The document identifies several stages of approval that must be secured, including site approval, concept approval, local voter approval, and funding approval. A flow chart identifies how the project will proceed and the…

This survey presents school facility funding, technology, and non-traditional programs currently used in the public school educational systems of the following twelve states: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Washington, and West Virginia. Each state reveals its current…

In 1995, a group of school administrators affiliated with the Indiana Executive Fellows Program identified important educational issues. This paper presents findings of a 1997 study that asked a different sample of superintendents to rank a list of educational issues on the basis of importance. Questionnaires were sent to 325 superintendents in…

A study investigated whether Louisiana school districts and schools involved in the SPUR (Special Plan Upgrading Reading) program were implementing and maintaining essential elements of the project five years after termination of state funding and external support. Subjects were the 66 superintendents or their designee at the district level as…

This report examines career development approaches and practices implemented at six West Virginia school-to-work (STW) sites. The sites were the original local partnerships funded by the state's federal STW implementation grant in 1996. Site visits gathered information needed for development of a comprehensive career development self-assessment…

This report discusses the findings of a survey of community college and higher education systems leaders on the subject of community college funding. Survey respondents were asked to explain their states' processes and how funds are allocated to individual colleges. Twenty-nine states reported that they use a funding formula to determine…

This book presents a theoretical and practical portrayal of how, when, and why public school districts build new schools. Based on extensive data analysis and a comprehensive review of the literature, the book specifies school district reorganization and the subsequent steps necessary to implement plans. It discusses how school districts relate to…

This study determined if the required use of state-adopted education specifications guidelines when constructing or modernizing urban high school facilities had resulted in more adequate housing for programs than in states without such guidelines. A 1991 survey of high school classroom teachers was returned by 8 schools totaling 113 respondents.…

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) presents a study of facilities' needs for the Abbott School District's 28 educational facilities and provides recommendations concerning how the state should address those needs, including appropriate and alternative funding. Study assessment data show the estimated cost for existing facility…