The "problem of the 21st century" is rapidly expanding diversity alongside stubbornly persistent status and power inequities by race, ethnicity, gender, class, language, citizenship and region. Extensive technological, economic, political and social changes, along with immigration, combine to produce a global community of great diversity…

Uses a time-series approach to investigate whether Michigan's school finance arrangements provide equal opportunity for Black minority students. Employing four relationship-based measures (the correlation coefficient, slope, elasticity, and adjusted relationship), the study found a generally positive relationship between Black student enrollment…

For a number of years, colleges and universities have been making efforts to amend past discrimination and noninclusion of underserved minority students through targeted admissions, financial aid, and other programs. Now, these programs--in their original incarnation and, some would say, their original intent--are on the line. The big push to…

This paper, one of three related documents, examines statewide trends in the distribution of staff in the Michigan public schools. Along with its related documents, it provides a basis for analyzing the impact of state financing mechanisms and funding levels on the overall distribution of resources throughout the state and on the resource…

A time limit ensures periodic review of a race-based program to make sure that it is maintained only if needed or, if necessary, modified to better achieve its goals. The 25-year time limit announced by Justice O'Connor grabbed public attention which shows that University of Michigan affirmative action cases would be of monumental importance to…

The authors, members of the staff of the governor of Michigan, provide more details of the proposed revenue sharing plan to reform educational finance in Michigan. (AN)

This paper, one of three related documents, examines the distributions of general revenues and instructional expenditures across school districts in Michigan. It discusses the equal yield formula for the funding of public schools and examines how the formula has accomplished its objectives. The data indicate success in reducing the effects of…

"Childhood Programs and Practices in the First Decade of Life" presents research findings on the effects of early childhood programs and practices in the first decade of life and their implications for policy development and reform. Leading scholars in the multidisciplinary field of human development and in early childhood learning…

Describes a program of reform in the education tax support system proposed by the author, the governor of Michigan, for his state. (AN)

This report focuses on educational attainment and earnings among women in Michigan. Michigan ranked 36th in the nation in 2000 for the proportion of its female population with a four-year college degree or more. Women in Michigan have lower levels of education than do men in the state. In 2000, 23.5 percent of men and 20.2 percent of women had…

Michigan's school finance reform aimed primarily to improve the equity in funding across school districts. Ten years later, policymakers are turning their attention to the adequacy of education--ensuring that schools provide a desired level of learning and the necessary resources to support student achievement. However, defining what is adequate…

Analyzes the experiences of three midsize Michigan school districts in implementing school desegregation programs under the Emergency School Aid Act (ESAA). Concludes that effective implementation requires clear goals and objectives, committed leadership, community support, and on-going political support. (FMW)

Voters in the State of Michigan reformed K-12 school financing significantly in 1994. The reform largely removed local government from playing a role in the determination of school finance and lodged this authority mainly with state government. In this article we examine the long-term impacts of the reform legislation. We find that although the…

The major part of this booklet presents the guidelines delineated by Michigan State Task Force to Study Sexism in the Schools for eliminating and preventing sex discrimination in educational settings. The guidelines are divided into five areas: (1) all levels of educational agencies and their governing boards, (2) all levels of teachers and…

Political battle lines are forming, once again, over the proper level of funding for Michigan's public schools. This time, however, the battle could be decided not by the Governor or the Legislature, or by taxpayer and education coalitions. Instead, the future of education funding in Michigan could be decided by the courts in what is known as an…