Findings are reported from a survey of state- and territorial-level supervisors of trade and industrial education to rate trends and issues in trade and industrial education. (A trend was defined as a course of events or action that is present and likely to continue in the future. An issue was defined as a difference of opinion, dispute, or…

This study sought to identify, prioritize, and generate a thematic understanding of the direction for the next decade of research and study on the culture of students in higher education. Data was collected using a Delphi survey technique of sequential questionnaires from a sample population that included 20 student affairs officers and 20 higher…

Because the amount of state-equalization aid received by Ohio school districts is inevitably related to district wealth, the measure of district ability is a concern. This paper presents findings of a study that used computer simulation to examine the effect of proposed modifications to district-revenue capacity on the equity of Ohio…

In November 1980, Massachusetts citizens voted to limit the allowable increase in local property tax revenue by supporting a state-ballot referendum named Proposition 2 1/2. This paper presents findings of a study that examined changes in both the sources and extent of funding for public education in Massachusetts communities during the first…

The impact of state reform initiatives on Kentucky public schools is described in this paper, with attention to financial and facility repercussions. State legislative action in 1985 established class size limitations and new certification programs, which necessitated reorganization of the middle schools. Following the Kentucky Supreme Court's…

This paper focuses on the history and utilization of special education funding in the Green Valley Area Education Agency 14 (AEA 14). AEA 14 is the most rural AEA in Iowa and serves 22 public school districts and 1 parochial school district. AEA 14 has lagged financially due to its sparse population and low special education funding. Services such…

Fiscal problems facing big-city schools have been exacerbated by several underlying problems and have also raised conceptual issues concerning higher government levels' involvement in dealing with the problems. Alternative policies, however, are being developed to handle the problems and questions. In many big-city districts, but chiefly those in…

This paper examines the changes that have occurred in the distribution and expenditures of funds in Rhode Island as a result of the change from categorical to block grant funding. Data were collected from the state education agency and each local education agency (LEA). Data on fiscal years 1982, 1983, and 1984 expenditures in and administration…

This speech reviews the literature on school closings in the context of declining economic support. Declining school enrollment, coupled with declining funds (fiscal retrenchment), makes school district reform necessary. A school district in Seattle, Washington took approximately a decade to resolve these problems. A district planning commission's…

This paper examines accountability outcomes of Tennessee school districts, comparing rural versus urban districts and litigant versus nonlitigant districts from a 1993 fiscal equity lawsuit. School districts were assigned a measure of rurality using the Cleland Rurality Index, and comparisons were made among the 29 low-rurality districts, 66…

The development and use of the faculty staffing forumla for Colorado, prepared by the Association of Public College and University Presidents (APCUP), is examined, and a recent major attempt to update or modify the formula is described, along with the outcome. Based on the work of representatives from many campuses, a large scale computer…

Five papers presented at the conference on "Higher Education: The Law and the 1980s in Perspective," held under the sponsorship of the Institute of Higher Education and the Center for Continuing Education of the University of Georgia, are reproduced in this document. Richard Thigpen discusses differences between legal factors affecting…

From a macroeconomic perspective, the evolving demand for skills in the United States has been triggered by the accelerated expansion of computer and information technology, which has, in turn, brought significant changes to the workplace. Technological advances have made some wholly manual jobs obsolete. But even for many other workers, a rapidly…

Vocational education (VE) in Switzerland is characterized by diversity and pragmatism and is shaped by the country's geography, political system, economy, and culture. Roughly two-thirds of all Swiss youth participate in some form of vocational training at the upper secondary level. Vocational certificates and higher vocational certificates can…

In 1994, Michigan voters amended the state constitution to reduce schools' reliance on local property taxes for financial support. School districts were also divided into three funding tiers that were determined by their 1993-94 state and local revenues. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the impact of Michigan's finance reform…