This paper describes the current and proposed systems for state and local financing of public education in Illinois and discusses the ramifications for local educational planners of a change from a foundation level program to a resource cost model approach. The paper begins with a brief historical overview of the finance reform effort that began…

Presents a proposal to achieve major finance reform goals by providing property tax relief and increasing state funding out of income-tax receipts, relying on Illinois' growth dividend. The plan is funded by proportional taxes and would make school reform more politically palatable to affluent taxpayers. (28 footnotes) (MLH)

Illinois' education finance plan is described in the first of this report's two chapters, and the second chapter considers the finance plan's equity. Chapter 1 covers the state's Resource Equalizer Aid Program and the tax revenue it guarantees districts; the calculation of maximum tax guarantees and local shares; the apportionment of state aid;…

This paper examines the management of training programs for educators who are or will be working in inner-city schools. Four common patterns emerge from investigations of the program which have been effective in preparing personnel for inner-city schools. First, the programs featured a sound and explicit theoretical base, an analysis of the…

The purpose of this report is to record as accurately as possible the activities of the Ford Training and Placement Program for the training of educational personnel. The program accepted a theoretical construct based on the premise that a school is a social system. A four-point proposal was developed, featuring: (1) Focused preparation--personnel…

In terms of training teachers, the Ford Training and Placement Program is unique. It uses the cadre-model in the internship and placement year of the training program. The teacher training is focused on an attempted immersion of the university-based student into not only the grade level or subject-matter specialty in which he seeks a degree, but…

This paper evaluates the equity dimensions of a grant-in-aid system based on the Resource Cost Model (RCM), as proposed by the Illinois State Board of Education. The first section is an independent evaluation of the conceptual and legal aspects of the RCM, focusing on both the weaknesses and the strengths of the model. In the second section, an…

An essential prerequisite to reform of present methods of financing elementary and secondary schools and the development of an equitable, adequate, and workable system of school finance is a precise understanding of how the existing system works and its impact on different school districts and population groups. This report documents the existing…

This report presents an analysis of Illinois' present educational finance system and makes recommendations for future legislation to improve the system. The report discusses (1) State constitutional provisions, (2) the present tax structure and alternative taxing methods, (3) proposed distribution formulas and equalization methods, (4) financing…