Illinois currently permits districts to finance repairs and construction related to children's health, life, or safety through a modest "backdoor" referendum rate tied to property values. These repairs are ameliorative but not preventative. This article recommends a strategic capital preservation plan that sets aside funds for use in…

Considers the development of equality in public education since the Brown v. Board of Education decision. The 1973 Rodriguez decision has had consequences as profound as those of Brown by hobbling attempts to secure a fair distributions of resources in U.S. public schools. The importance of educational reform as an aspect of social justice is…

Explores the consequences of adopting formula-based systems of resource allocation and questions assumptions underpinning development of such systems. Findings, based on a case study of a British university that adopted a decentralized system in the late 1980s, revealed changes in micropolitical activities and organizational culture. (33…

The cost of school administration and its effect on available instructional resources has been a highly debated topic since then-Secretary of Education William Bennett popularized the "blob" designation 10 years ago. A recent Educational Research Service study challenges six misperceptions about school administration's cost, size, and…

Examines the potential for inconsistent resource allocation decisions to be made at different administrative levels of school districts and schools. Uses data from 654 New York school districts to show internal variation across districts in how teacher resources are distributed and evidence of inconsistency at levels of decision making. (SLD)

Summarizes findings of a study of resource equity in the Chicago Public Schools. Despite a reform emphasis on increasing school funding equity, success was mixed. The distribution of base funding for K-12 education is horizontally equitable to some degree. Equity diminishes as various special and categorical funds are included. As schools gain…

Uses panel data on 1982 to 1996 state appropriations to examine the sensitivity of results from the legislative-demand model to changes in statistical methodology employed. Signs and significant levels of variables used in this model vary widely when least-squares and fixed-effects methods are used. Expected relationships between state…

Shows how California State University at Fullerton improved classroom allocation and scheduling efficiency while responding to student enrollment increases and campus renovation. Steps discussed include conducting facilities audits, assessing the scheduling process, allocating smaller rooms, and studying scheduling and foot traffic patterns. (GR)

Florida state officials promoted the lottery as a successful revenue-producing source for public education. Yet, increases in lottery revenues (even when combined with increased student fees and other revenues) were insufficient to offset significant declines in state allocations to community colleges after the lottery was introduced and reached…

Using longitudinal comparison data, shows that including socioeconomic status as a production function creates serious statistical problems that mask the significance of other school inputs (teacher education and experience, teacher salary, teacher-pupil ratio, and expenditure per pupil). Recommends corrective methodologies. (Contains 35…

Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This March 2005 issue includes the following:…

Guided by clear planning principles, and under the custodial care of a governance council, the model strategic planning process at Carroll Community College is evidence-driven, connected to budget decisions, and continuously refreshed.

This study analyzes the equity of community college financing and demonstrates intrastate variations in appropriations to community colleges. The ratio of 90th to 10th percentile values ranges from 2.0 to 2.8 in half of the states analyzed, levels which are considered high in comparison to K-12 finance inequities. In 10 states with high revenue…

Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican candidate for governor, is one of several lawmakers across the country supporting a group called First Class Education, which is pushing for state initiatives that would require schools to spend at least 65 cents of every education dollar in the classroom. The group, led by Overstock.com…

The project life cycle, a well-established concept in project management literature and education, is used to highlight the dynamic requirements placed on a typical project manager. As a project moves through the selection, planning, execution, and termination phases, the project manager and team are faced with different, vying areas of…