College and university administrators and trustees have an obligation to maximize the return on all available resources consistent with law and with prudent conduct. Assessing and minimizing risk is an essential component of developing a creative financing program. (MLW)

The data presented in this combined report--"Rankings & Estimates"--provide facts about the extent to which local, state, and national governments commit resources to public education. As one might expect in a nation as diverse as the United States--with respect to economics, geography, and politics--the level of commitment to education varies on…

This report responds to Minnesota state legislative requirements for an annual summary report on the implementation of the Medical Education and Research Costs (MERC) Trust Fund. The report provides information on 1998 Trust Fund distribution and the status of applications and distributions for fiscal year 1999. It also includes information on the…

This document is volume 2 of a report measuring the performance of Maryland's public colleges and universities based on a series of quality indicators which are grouped into categories of quality, effectiveness, access, diversity, and efficient allocation of resources. Public campuses developed benchmarks, or goals to measure their performance for…

The present monograph has been "written with a view" to presenting in a simple and concise manner to the general educational public the most significant conclusions reached in the course of an extensive study of school finance, continued for several years and covering a number of states. Some of the data have been taken from bulletins of…

Research suggests that investing in young children can help build a strong future workforce, improve children's educational success and health, and potentially reduce some of the social ills that drain the nation's resources and will. To have an informed conversation about future investments, it is important to start from an understanding of the…

The system that finances Michigan's schools from kindergarten through 12th grade is a perennial topic of conversation among policymakers, parents, taxpayers and voters. A constructive discussion of this issue, however, requires a sound knowledge of the financial workings of Michigan's elementary and secondary school system. This knowledge is…

This study evaluated costs associated with implementation of Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) for infants and young children with disabilities at four California sites. Specifically the study examined: (1) IFSP and existing service planning process costs in time and dollars; (2) the impact of IFSP processes on agencies and families; and…

The draft Master Plan was developed in response to requirements of the New Jersey Higher Education Restructuring Act of 1994. The plan proposes a vision and broad policy recommendations for New Jersey higher education into the next century. The focus of the plan is on the critical needs of the state and how higher education can help in addressing…

This booklet for trustees of institutions of higher education offers guidelines for strategic financial decisions required in light of the financial challenges higher education faces in the 1990s and beyond. "Strategic response" is defined as a decision that requires changing a major policy, program, or practice and involves some risk. Five…

This report enlarges upon the tables and figures in the National Report on Schooling in Australia 1991 and provides a basis for the continuing cooperative development of educational statistics in Australia and better quality statistical information about Australian schooling. The following categories organize the series of figures and tables: (1)…

The report describes the approach used by each of the 50 states to fund educational and related services for children served as handicapped by the public schools. An initial chapter discusses state school finance systems, covering equalization and non-equalization aid formulas used for general aid, and special education funding formulas used for…

Indicates that with fluctuating and falling school populations combined with public expenditure cuts, educational authorities must be more flexible in their allocation of funds. Data on enrollment trends and birth rates, and recommendations related to pre-primary, compulsory, upper secondary, and higher education (and training outside the formal…

This paper describes the current status of state poverty-based education funding programs, discussing how to implement or improve them. Researchers surveyed education finance officials in the 49 states with multiple school districts. Results indicate that 38 states currently distribute some education funds on the basis of poverty. A total of 75…

Defined as the provision of adequate resources to enable all children to meet a state's proficiency standards, school finance adequacy is being addressed in some way in almost every state. Because states are under increasing pressure to define what constitutes an adequate education and determine how to fund it, this issue of "Insights" examines…