As part of its Partnership for Pre-K Improvement (PPI) initiative, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored the RAND Corporation to study the cost of high-quality pre-K programming. The RAND study included three states--Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington--that were partnering with the foundation under PPI. The objective of the study was to…

There is strong evidence that children who attend high-quality pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs learn skills that benefit them in school and life. The price tag of most private programs puts them out of reach for some families, however. In response, many states and school districts fund pre-K programs to expand opportunities for their youngest…

States and localities throughout the United States are expanding their investments in pre-kindergarten (pre-K) programs. Although spending on publicly funded pre-K programs is well documented, relatively less is known about the true cost to deliver the programs, especially considering varying quality standards and accounting for the resources used…

The relevance of experiential learning and opportunities a school farm can provide, along with the acknowledgment of potential barriers and the current deficit of research on school farms in Oregon make this study useful as a starting point in this line of exploration and in the preparation of teacher candidates. This study intended to gather…

In this brief, the authors aim to equip policymakers and advocates for higher education opportunity and equity with a framework for analyzing and pushing for "equity-driven" free college policy. The purpose is not to challenge the momentum around free college, but to understand how programs can be designed to advance opportunity and…

Some institutions create a gift fee to pay for a campaign or to cover basic fundraising costs, and especially today, many are doing it in order to increase revenues in the wake of the recession's effect on endowments. In the best circumstances, gift fees are emblematic of a transparent, accountable development process, where donors understand that…

Access to safe, affordable, and convenient transportation shapes the "geography of opportunity" for many children and youth. This study looks at how ?localities across the country are implementing new and innovative alternative approaches to student transportation that expand regional transportation access for K-12 students, improve…

Access to safe, affordable, and convenient transportation shapes the 'geography of opportunity' for many children and youth. This study looks at how ?localities acrossthe country are implementing new and innovative alternative approaches to student transportation that expand regionaltransportation access for K-12 students, improve…

Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi is quoted as saying, "Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is." Whether it's a major university or an urban school district, pulling together and developing a plan and being confident in the financing through performance contracting is the best way to meet student, taxpayer and community…

The Oregon English Language Learner Report is an annual publication required by law (ORS 327.016). This report provides financial information for English language learner (ELL) programs, the objectives and needs of students eligible for and enrolled in an English language learner program, and provides information on the demographics of students in…

This State Profile from the Delta Cost Project presents data on key Delta metrics for public research, master's, bachelor's, and community college sectors in the state of Oregon. The data are limited to a five-year period, showing data for the most recent year, and the five-year change.

While tuition costs are likely the most talked about topic in higher education, focusing on the institutional finance is equally important. The growing expenses associated with educating students is often a catalyst for rising tuition and fees, and they play a large role as educators plan for the future of their institutions. Although higher…

This article talks about eProcurement and examines why school districts are so slow to make the transition. Despite the billions of dollars that flow from schools each year in procurement spending, most K-12 districts in the United States, especially smaller ones, persist in using paperbased procurement models in which supplies are identified in…

In their paper entitled "Why should postsecondary institutions consider partnering to offer (Individual Development Accounts (IDAs)?" the authors reviewed frequently asked questions they encountered from higher education professionals about IDAs, but as their research continued so did the questions. FAQ II has more in-depth questions and…

A decision model is presented for use in connection with data that are currently available in State departments of education to determine economies of scale for a State system of public school districts. An application of the model to the State of Oregon illustrates how economies of scale information for a State system can be used by policymakers…