During the 1990's, education shifted from a primarily local function, to one of give-and-take system of finance between local and state governments. Revenue limits are imposed on school districts with the primary purposes of limiting property tax increases and increasing equity in school spending. In turn, the state has agreed to fund two-thirds…

Pioneer district/charter-school contracts try to balance the quest for autonomy with accountability requirements. Districts' experiences in three states (Colorado, Oregon, and Wisconsin) and their chosen navigation tools offer clues to developing productive processes and relationships for negotiating successful contracts. A sidebar defines the…

The purpose of this monograph is to stimulate discussion of vertical equity through an assessment of the funding systems in four states (California, New York, Texas, and Wisconsin) that ascertains how and to what extent at-risk factors are addressed. (In education, children defined as at risk of low academic achievement or of dropping out…

Basic facts are summarized about the public schools of Wisconsin in the 1993-94 school year. Nine statewide summary tables (Section A) present information about ethnicity and the numbers of schools, districts, students, teachers, and other school personnel. Student and staff data are shown by school district in a table in Section B. Two tables in…

Two fundamental purposes of this guide are to aid school officials in the development of district budgets and to suggest ways and means of interpreting a budget to the public. This edition is in response to the changes in budgeting procedures, alterations and additions to state statutes, and modifications in the state school support formula that…

The purposes of the project were: (1) to determine if equality of educational opportunity exists for students in grades K-6 in the Rhinelander, Wisconsin, school district; and (2) to develop a model for elementary school program evaluation. Learner achievement of instructional objectives was accepted as the basic indicator of equality of…

This paper is primarily concerned with identifying and explicating the environmental forces and political factors responsible for legislative enactment of major school finance changes in Wisconsin in 1973. Easton's political systems theory serves as a conceptual framework for the study. In addition, Lindblom's leadership model, Truman's interest…

A summary of the major program activities designed for American Indian students in Wisconsin who attended public schools eligible for Johnson-O'Malley funding during the 1971-72 school year is presented in this report. Included are an Indian education fund financial statement; school tax, enrollment attendance, and student transportation…

This report describes the legislative response to state supreme court rulings on rural and small schools and districts. The paper addresses the following questions: How have rural and small schools and school districts been affected by state supreme court rulings and subsequent legislation? What has been the experience of rural and small school…

This is the 10th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District RUSD). Analysis continues to focus on the long-term historical trends in RUSD, comparing RUSD to nine peer school districts and the State of Wisconsin. RUSD peer districts are Wisconsin's largest (Milwaukee Public Schools are not included) and their…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) FY 2005 Budget Released: President Opens Door to High School Initiatives, but Disappoints School Districts by…

The Legislative Audit Bureau of the State of Wisconsin analyzed financial issues concerning the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC). The MATC District is the largest district in Wisconsin's technical college system, with 12,504 FTE students enrolled and 1,944 staff in the 2001-02 academic year. Operating expenses for that year were $152.0…

This report summarizes research on the effects of class size reduction, outlines lessons learned from large-scale class size reduction initiatives in California and Wisconsin, and draws out implications of the research and lessons for class size reduction in North Carolina. The evidence that smaller classes promote increased learning is strongest…

Findings of a Southern Regional Education Board study of management flexibility and state regulation in higher education are discussed in five chapters. James R. Mingle in "Management Flexibility and State Regulation: An Overview" outlines the scope of the study, which focused on administrators' and board members' views on management…

This directory is one component of the Career Survival Kit prepared for teenage parents in Wisconsin. The directory lists resources in Wisconsin for education, employment, social services, and organizations in a variety of areas that can help students with their roles as parent/homemaker and wage earner/student. The directory identifies…