Tennessee's Project STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Ratio), a large longitudinal project involving students in kindergarten through third grade, has provided important information about class-size effects on pupil achievement and development. The project showed that small classes provided higher student outcomes and better student behaviors than…

After four months of work, a national panel studying why colleges cost so much has reached the conclusion that American higher education is, for the most part, a bargain. Republicans originally asked the commission to focus on cost containment. The commission's membership is dominated by educators. Panel recommendations emphasize explaining to…

The last decade in Florida has seen an increase in reform efforts and public scrutiny, but no evidence of across-the-board achievement gains. The state's capacity for forging coalitions and funding reforms is threatened by continuing political volatility, ideological and partisan cleavages, and increasing competition for tax dollars. (38…

Analyzes South African education's labor market productivity by race and compares it to investment levels. Investment highly favored whites, with interesting variations. Per capita and total investment in general secondary education of blacks is neglected relative to the same group's university and technical education. University subsidies appear…

Comparison of five proposals to change state higher education tuition and aid policies suggests that tuition and aid must be explicitly linked for efficient and equitable results. However, it is extremely difficult to adopt explicitly linked policies. The findings support critics who warn that attempts to adopt high-tuition/high-aid policies will…

Presents a taxonomy of research areas in educational economics and outlines key topics deserving more research attention. Emphasizes documenting the unit cost of education at different schooling levels and curriculum types, along with learning and earning schooling outcomes. Topics needing further research include the screening hypothesis,…

As Canadian provinces cut funding for education, the shortfall is made up by parent fundraising, donations, or private partnerships. Equitable access to education is undermined because schools with better parent fundraisers, more effective principal wheeler-dealers, and more-advantaged populations have more resources, while disadvantaged children…

Describes a conference on black students in London's schools, focusing on continuing achievement gaps and solutions proposed by various experts. Addresses such issues as equitable resources, parent-school relationships, teacher-student relationships, street culture, and personal development. Includes recommendations for Local Education Agencies…

Responds to an article by Mark Jaffee and Kenneth Kersch published in the Summer 1991 issue of the "Journal of Law and Education." Argues that the judicial role is often necessary but not sufficient to achieve fiscal equity and that, ultimately, the electorate must be educated and persuaded of the value of public school funding reform.…

Suggests that school district consolidation will neither save money nor improve educational quality. Problems with consolidation include increased costs and taxes, decreased enrollments, loss of interschool competitiveness and "lighthouse districts," leveling down of curriculum, declining support for public education, decreased public…

Given the state of Chapter 1 funding, regular and special education advocates must fight for higher federal and state special education funding, resist legislators' efforts to divide their common child advocacy interests, work to entitle both special education and economically and educationally disadvantaged children under federal funding…

Supports William Clune's focus on outputs, rather than inputs and procedures. However, national and state standard setting and systemic reform would foster more school improvement and educational equity than the single-school approach. Focus on outcomes allows considerable local curricular discretion. Schools should be held accountable for student…

In the early 1980s, Chile's military government introduced economic competition in the education system, despite further projected funding cuts. Although the market model aided private education and cost recovery, it increased inequity in education outcomes, hindered recruitment of career academicians, and reduced education's share of the GNP. (13…

Describes how massive school restructuring in Kentucky is affecting school facility planning and construction. (MLF)

Presents presidential candidates' views concerning the federal role in education. Issues discussed include childhood poverty, educational inequities, Head Start funding, educational vouchers for private and parochial schools, national standards and examinations, funding for bilingual education, and redress for unequal access to education. Governor…