Equity in education first meant equal access to schools; in the early 20th Century it came to mean access to schools supported by equal resources; and more recently it has come to mean access to schools providing equally effective educational processes. Assertions that student achievement is affected more strongly by external factors than by…

Rural education is characterized by diversity, isolation, and small enrollments. Because of these characteristics, equity in rural school finance is very difficult to achieve. Lacking a workable taxonomy which can accommodate the variations in rural reality, there is neither the information to accurately assess the adequacy of educational programs…

Compares federal financing of education in the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, India, and Nigeria. Examines methods for reducing vertical and horizontal fiscal imbalances and resulting inequalities in provision of education. Predicts increasingly centralized financing and control of education. Contains 31 references. (SV)

States should strive for national, and increasingly international, standards in education. States that set educational goals will need to know what indicators of progress will signal to citizens, educators, and government leaders that they are moving toward or reaching those goals. In a separate report, the Southern Regional Education Board has…

The numbers of participants in continuing education and the amounts expended on them illustrate the growing impact of continuing education on college and university financing. Although postsecondary institutions are eager to enroll adult students, they fail to recognize that the average student is no longer 18 and thus has different financial and…

Administrators in higher education feel mounting pressure to link planning and budgeting as resources become more scarce and environments more uncertain. Instead of turning to theoretically prescribed planning/budgeting systems as solutions, microeconomics provides a means of thinking about individual consumption that helps shed light on the…

The role of endowments in academic finances of higher education is examined. Two effects of the decline of endowment funding, their failure to keep pace with inflation and loss of income for innovative programs, are cited. The historical role of endowments in institutional finances is reviewed. Present concepts of endowment management are…

This review and synthesis of research focuses on studies of cost-effectiveness of vocational education. This paper represents an overview of the state of the art and includes (1) a review of the current conceptual and empirical problems of conducting a cost-efficiency or cost-effectiveness study of vocational education; (2) a review of the major…

The process by which federally funded bilingual training programs may be institutionalized is presented through a review of related literature and an analysis of a 1981 study on bilingual training programs conducted by RMC Research Corporation. Key factors in successful integration are program advocates' personality, drive, and clarity of…

This report covers phase one of a three-stage project commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Councils for England, Scotland, and Wales (HEFCE, SHEFC, and HEFCW) to determine the role of threshold standards and conditional funding in improving standards in research degree programs (RDPs). The aim of this report is to review good practice and…

The educational effectiveness of community colleges is under new scrutiny as a result of both a federal government focus on accountability of higher education institutions and greater competition for the state funds traditionally directed to the colleges. Policymakers, who want to tie public college allocations to their outcomes, and families,…

Educators at all levels are being challenged to come up with new ideas and adaptations to learning theory. Comparative education provides a vehicle for exploring changes in education for new and emerging democracies. The purpose of this article is to compare institutions of higher learning in Poland and universities in Canada using an information…

The implementation of corrective action to improve low-performing schools and school districts has varied across the nation from verbal reprimands to state and private takeover. Currently, 34 states have formal plans for corrective action. Although little evaluation of the effectiveness of these actions on improving student and school performance…

The economic census is the major source of facts about the structure and functioning of the nation's economy. It provides essential information for government, business, industry, and the general public. Title 13 of the United States Code (Sections 131, 191, and 224) directs the Census Bureau to take the economic census every 5 years, covering…

A census of governments is taken at 5-year intervals as required by law under title 13, United States Codes, Section 161. This 2002 census, similar to those taken since 1957, covers three major subject fields: government organization; public employment; and government finances. This document contains six parts that cover the entire range of state…