The purpose of this study is to expand the definition of adequacy by adding soft skills as a measure of school productivity. The singular focus on academic standards inherent in education policy has prevented scholars from seeing the concept of adequacy through myriad perspectives and has contributed to a resegregation of schools. Education policy…

This report reflects the recommendations of the School Facilities Task Force (appointed for Alberta in February 1997) regarding the development of a new school facilities capital plan. Guiding principles included the needs of students, local decision making, and long-range planning. Nine appendixes include a sample school capital funding scenario;…

This chapter examines federal and state court cases from 1978 that deal with the organization of public higher education, state authority in higher education, intergovernmental relations, tax exemptions, wills and trusts, private higher education, and school finance. The author suggests that the lack of cases concerning open meeting laws indicates…

The organization of higher education varies from state to state, and the methods the several states use in the interpretation of constitutional or statutory provisions are so different that judicial precedent in one state may not be applicable at all in another. For an understanding of the general trends in litigation regarding higher education…

This paper reviews the research evidence on vouchers and considers the factors that make education vouchers a "live issue" in U.S. education policy. These factors can be articulated in terms of Levin's notions of freedom of choice, productive efficiency, equity, and social cohesion. It is possible to construct a reasonable case for…

Describes the status, scope, and funding of postsecondary education programs for adults (25 years old and over) provided by public institutions in New York State. Outlines future policy and goals for lifelong learning services in the State. (GC)

A state of the art survey indicated that all but five states had gifted/talented programs, the majority had a specific person responsible for gifted/talented education programs, and 24 states increased budgets while six cut back in their gifted/talented programs from 1976-1977 to 1978-1979 school years. (CL)

Reviews the multifaceted challenges facing public universities and offers insights into the potential educational consequences of overzealous revenue-based institutional management. It is vital not to lose sight of the essential elements of higher education in a concentration on finance. (SLD)

Synthesizes lessons from school finance research that employs computational structural models to investigate different policy proposals. Suggests that full equilibrium analysis may lead to outcomes that differ from those predicted by partial equilibrium models. (Contains 50 references and 47 notes.) (JOW)

Used meta-analysis of 60 studies to investigate the direction and magnitude of the relationships between a variety of school inputs and student achievement. Analysis finds a broad range of resources to be positively related to academic achievement and further suggests that moderate increases in spending may be associated with significant increases…

This article focuses on the change in selected state-level school finance variables from 1970 to 2000, with particular attention to the changes in these variables and school finance litigation decisions in states with and without state-level tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) or supermajority requirements (SMRs). The magnitude of the decrease…

The University of Kansas Medical Center did a comprehensive review of the services provided in the Student Health Center (SHC). Using purpose-driven assessment techniques, areas needing improvement were identified. The results of the survey were presented to students and, with student support, student health fees were increased to fund desired…

In June 1990, after 9 years of court battles, the state supreme court had found that New Jersey's school finance system was inequitable and had to be changed to better support children in urban schools. This book details the reasons behind the reform and its effects and tracks the impact of the reform from its dollar effects on fiscal equity in…

With state budgets in disarray, school districts are taking a hard look at cuts and possible reforms. At the state level the issue is the complex ways states fund public schools. Finding a better way to link dollars to academic performance includes simplifying school finance and equalizing funds to provide adequate education. (MLF)

Since the establishment of a two-year college system in Kansas in 1917, funding has been a source of consternation, with governance issues often exacerbating financial problems. The colleges received no state financial support until 1961, when an expenditure of $3 per credit hour was authorized, increased as of 1996 to $28.40 per credit hour. The…