The "2011 Superintendent's Briefing Book" provides comprehensive yet concise overviews of the best thinking available on a wide range of top-priority PreK-12 education concerns. This resource will prove invaluable in making research-based decisions with confidence, and in identifying programs and practices that will improve student achievement.…

Although school funding structures are similar in many ways across the states, no two states have school finance systems that are precisely the same. School finance systems which are used to achieve multiple objectives, must consider characteristics of numerous school districts, distribute large amounts of money, and have developed incrementally…

During the last 12 months, the highest courts in 5 states have issued opinions on the constitutionality of their public school funding systems. Briefly reviews decisions and discusses possible future directions of this litigation based on an analysis of the 3 decades of litigation since "Serrano v. Priest" (1971). (Contains 11…

This article describes the benefits one gets when big schools roll out highly effective eProcurement systems--strategic improvements and savings. eProcurement systems are hot again in higher education, driven by unrelenting cost containment demands, along with industry shifts that have consolidated choices and brought top products to the…

This report examines issues and trends in college and university revenues. An introduction describes the study's organization and identifies data sources. An overview chapter summarizes major findings, including a forecast of college and university revenues from 1997 through 2001; trends in consumer spending on higher education; trends in tuition…

Colleges and universities are facing difficult choices as insurance companies cancel coverage or demand premium increases of up to 800 percent. The current crisis is blamed on the way the industry has been managed. Financial managers, rather than underwriters, took over the industry. (MLW)

A California administrator describes modular classroom furniture that both saves money and allows for creative classroom design and use. (MD)

This "good practice" guide is aimed at anyone in higher education in England who is involved in making decisions on investments. It focuses on the principles to be followed, rather than the techniques of appraisal. The guide outlines the steps for developing an outline business case and then refining it into a full business case for the…

Compares revenues, debts, investments, and profit margins of for-profit publicly and privately owned day care centers. An evaluation tool was developed through analysis of financial statements of seven privately owned child care businesses and six publicly owned child care chains. (RJC)

An appropriate education is one that identifies students' educational needs and then provides a curriculum that addresses those needs (Benbow & Stanley, 1996). All students, even those identified as gifted, deserve a personalized education. However, many educators outside gifted education believe that "giftedness" is a fancy label and that gifted…

The South Dakota Opportunities Plan is being presented to the South Dakota Legislature in fulfillment of the Legislature's directive from the 2006 session (House Bill 1238). The plan is intended to provide insight into the critical issues confronting higher education in South Dakota, responses made by the Board of Regents to these situations, and…

This paper presents results of a study designed to determine whether each university in Florida's State University System (SUS) was being treated fairly by the funding methodologies used by the Legislature and the Board of Regents (BOR). The paper provides an examination of the generational formulas used by the Legislature and the BOR that result…

This report presents results of a study investigating the process used by the Board of Regents (BOR) for developing its legislative budget request, as well as the process used by the BOR for allocating appropriations among the universities. The report also includes an assessment of the extent to which funds are allocated on an equitable basis for…

Discusses implementation issues surrounding the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 (Chapter 2), which consolidates 28 programs, including the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA), the major federal desegregation program. Major concerns include reduced eligibility requirements, distribution of funds, administrative responsibility,…

Leal Filho, MacDermot, and Padgam (1996) contended that post-secondary institutions are well suited to take on leadership responsibilities for society's environmental protection. Higher education has the unique academic freedom to engage in critical thinking and bold experimentation in environmental sustainability (Cortese, 2003). Although…