Grant funds totaling over $136 million were awarded during fiscal year 1988 to 408 Massachusetts educational agencies, pursuant to the Massachusetts Public School Improvement Act (Chapter 188) and An Act Enhancing the Teaching Profession and Recognizing Educational Achievement (Chapter 727). Twelve grant programs reaching virtually every school in…

Intended for use by schools in studying their library programs and services, this needs assessment packet is designed to serve as an instrument for determining what exists as a program of services and to assist in setting direction for planned growth of an effective library program. The philosophy and services quoted in the document were derived…

A discussion of institutional stature in higher education focuses on its development and determination and strategies for its enhancement. The central theme is that although colleges and universities are affected by trends in the external environment, they can plan, respond, act, and organize themselves to improve their stature. The report…

This sequel to the study, "New Perspectives on Curriculum Implementation" (1981), was desgiend to ensure that curriculum planners have ready access to concrete planning strategies for effective curriculum implementation at the local level. In the first section, a review of the literature offers users' and organizations' perspectives on…

Formula funding in Illinois reflects decisions on value choices which can be grouped in the categories of enrollment linkage, mission and diversity recognition, equity and fair share, and quality and program improvement. The enrollment linkage of the Illinois formula ties credit hour grants and categorical programs directly to full-time equivalent…

In an effort to demonstrate that open learning can be accommodated within existing funding mechanisms in British colleges of further and higher education, this paper discusses issues concerned with determining the cost of Flexistudy and open learning delivery systems. After a review of the difficulties of estimating precisely the costs of various…

College administrators faced with declining enrollments must take a realistic approach and recognize the effect of any planned actions. Some financial warning signals are listed, and guidelines are offered to adjust management practices and philosophies to the enrollment trends. (Author)

Four different views of quality in higher education are examined: faculty, student, resource, and outcomes. A recent study that incorporated each of these views is introduced in order to reexamine the merits and limitations of each perspective. Actions colleges and universities can take to improve program quality are suggested. (Author/MLW)

This study attempts to understand educational priorities through an investigation of budget choices made by 46 Oregon school districts. Two-thirds of the sample districts did not experience stringent fiscal constraint; the remainder showed budget allocation patterns favoring instruction at the expense of administrative and other areas. Includes 20…

An educational platform, or philosophy, serves as a guide to administrative actions. Issues to be considered include aims of education, expectations for students, social significance of schooling, organizational climate, teachers' roles, student teacher relationships, and characteristics of students. (MLF)

A study of Chapter 2 first-year implementation in nine states found that administrators like the flexibility of the block grants. Problems remain concerning the participation of private school students, service to special populations, and the continued use of state advisory councils. (MLF)

This learning module/handbook explains the rationale behind school-based budgeting (SBB)--the transfer of authority and responsibility for allocating a portion of school operating funds from the central school district to individual schools--and suggests practical implementation strategies. According to part I, SBB comes in many forms. Each school…

Guidelines are offered for setting priorities on neglected maintenance deficiencies: breaking down the aspects of buildings into various categories, and weightings within these categories; conducting a campus audit; and convincing the administration that the maintenance work recommended is vital to the institution's continued operation.…

An economic impact study of Ohio's public universities and medical schools provides documentation that state appropriations yield financial returns higher than virtually any alternative use of state funds, in the form of economic growth and increased opportunity for financial security. Some significant findings of the report are summarized here.…

Many colleges and universities set spending from endowment at a fixed fraction of its market value. Analysis of this policy suggests that the maximum permissible spending fraction is related to the institution's target growth rate and the endowment's real return. Mathematical formulas and charts specifying this relationship are offered. (MSE)