Warnings about the deterioration of America's schoolhouses have generated only limited public reaction. State legislators, governors, federal officials, and corporate executives who reacted to "A Nation at Risk" have remained silent--perhaps because lots of money is needed to fix the problem. This article explains the effects of physical…

The first of two sections discusses two major factors compelling a rethinking of school finance: standards-based education and the shift from equity to adequacy in school-finance litigation. The second section summarizes five compilations of research findings related to these two factors. (PKP)

Legislators often try to identify barriers through committee hearings in which they seek the advice of those closest to a problem. For example, they might ask several superintendents to come before the committee to talk about barriers related to dealing with high school truancy. Or they might hear from district business officials about the…

Philanthropy plays a visible but little-studied role in education reform, making it easy to both overestimate and underestimate its significance. The emergence of "new" givers in the last few years, like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation, has shifted the landscape of school reform. This article, based…

Describes four approaches to cost cutting that are offered to stimulate thinking in the direction of thrift: manage class size in the interests of both learning and economy; spend less for salaries; eliminate irrelevant goals, activities, and arrangements; and reconsider building needs and use. (Author/IRT)

Describes the financial plight of the Toledo schools, which have closed twice in two years, and the factors that contribute to that plight. (IRT)

No single viewpoint can adequately address the rising college costs dilemma. This article outlines four reasons for tuition increases (higher salaries; higher book, supplies, and equipment costs; less government support; and tuition-setting practices) and discusses certain truths, such as tuition's covering only a fraction of actual education…

Student loans have become an essential ingredient of financial planning for college. The Guaranteed Student Loan Program's default rate is over 10 percent. World Bank and other international data suggest three solutions: longer repayment terms, graduated repayment schedules, and forgiveness for individuals choosing public service. (8 references)…

Explores corruption in college athletics programs, focusing on student exploitation and well-intentioned, but unsuccessful reform efforts of the National Collegiate Athletics Association, certain college presidents, and others. Discusses Proposition 48, a controversial device to screen entering athletes. Praises Georgetown University's responsive…

It was once thought that publicly supported, universally available education would produce socioeconomic equality. Family inheritance--financial, cultural, social--explains much of its failure to do so. (Author)

Few areas of education have expanded as rapidly as preschool education in Europe during the 1970s. Questions have arisen, however, about whether such education should be publicly or privately funded. Britain and the Netherlands provide examples of the importance of involving parents in preschool education. (PB)