Although the federal Goals 2000 program provides supplemental funding for systemic education reform, states' fiscal abilities to finance systemic reform are stressed. This paper presents findings of a study that analyzed the extent of fiscal equity present in the southern states and examined the status of systemic reform, school-finance…

The recent decision to award government funding to two independent Muslim schools in Britain has brought attention to the use of public funds for private institutions. This paper provides an overview of the movement for equal treatment of Muslim institutions and explores the issues surrounding equitable treatment of religious minorities. The paper…

Using data gathered from the West Virginia Education and Tax Departments, from school architects, from the State Building Trades Council, and from the United States Census Bureau, this study relates the per pupil cost of new school buildings in West Virginia to financial conditions, school district demography, and building characteristics. A total…

Rural school improvement requires that state educational policies empower rural educators to attempt innovative programs. After extensive grassroots input, the Alaska Legislature defined seven statewide educational needs relating to poor school performance. A Washington education reform bill allows schools to do anything not expressly forbidden by…

As part of litigation challenging the equity and adequacy of school funding in Alabama, educational resources and school conditions were examined in the highest and lowest funded school districts in the state. Identification of these districts revealed that all eight of the highest funded districts were urban systems, while all eight of the lowest…

This paper provides a historical review of equity in funding education in Alberta. It describes government attempts to address fiscal inequities and shows how the introduction of full spending in 1994 addressed many of the equity problems in Alberta. Full provincial funding of education has proved an overall success, but it faces the following…

Reform of New Zealand schools has been ongoing since 1988, when the Task Force to Review Education Administration recommended devolution of managerial control, within national guidelines, for each of the country's 2,700 state school boards of trustees with a majority of elected parents' representatives. Reforms instituted since 1989 across all…

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between the per pupil cost of new school construction in West Virginia and independent variables categorized as either financial, school district characteristics, or individual building characteristics. The study group consisted of 128 elementary, secondary, and vocational-technical school…

West Virginia's school improvement plan, emphasizing learning outcomes, mandates excellent education for all students. Following an executive summary, this paper discusses, first, the conflict between excellence and equity in educational reform, and West Virginia's intent to resolve that conflict; second, the legal foundations of the master plan,…

With federal funds accounting for only 7% of public elementary and secondary education revenue, funding responsibility for K-12 education is split primarily between state and local governments. Since the 1980s, state governments have generally assumed primary fiscal responsibility, with local governments supplying the rest of the necessary…

The 1992 Tennessee Education Improvement Act resulted from a successful law suit by smaller and poorer school systems in Tennessee concerning equity of funding. The Act established the Basic Education Program (BEP), which increased the state sales tax rate, shifted state funds from better funded to poorer school systems, and required systematic…

The degree of inequality of selected fiscal variables between a big city school district (the school district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and the top spending school districts in the same state was studied across time. Comparisons were made on the basis of size and location of districts and the following variables: expenditures, wealth, local…

The Republic of Croatia and Republic of Slovenia both became independent states in 1991 after separating from the former Yugoslavia. Despite their common origin, Croatia and Slovenia have very different cultures and traditions, different systems of education, and very different systems of adult education. Most of the differences between the two…

This document contains 17 papers on vocational training and lifelong learning in Australia and Germany. The following papers are included: "Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning in Australia and Germany: Background" (Gerald Burke); "Vocational Training and Lifelong Learning in Australia: Observations and Conclusions from a…

This study examined changes in use of funding formulas for higher education among the states, the use of information about peer institutions in funding decisions, and the use of outcome or quality measures. The study used data from surveys of all states in 1984, 1988, and 1992. The most recent survey showed that 33 states were using formulas in…