Examines political changes in the educational finance policy of nine Midwestern states between 1991 and 2001: Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Includes comparison of basic funding structures, commitment to educational equity, and changes in funding mechanisms. Concludes that states will have to…

School finance reformers may be riding a carousel with no destination in mind. Finance reform most often results in judicial rescue and legislative restraint. Certain states with invalidated school systems have remained in litigation for decades. Litigation and legislation alone cannot establish an inequitable, adequate public education system.…

Accountability is the key in a site-based program. Argues that all schools must have equal access to all programs and all students must have equal access to specialized programs. (MLF)

There has been no significant legal action to force states or localities to equalize school facilities, despite U.S. public education's equal treatment philosophy. Another facilities issue is provision for access to the latest technology. Strategic planning can help educators create a positive learning environment by maintaining and improving…

The return of equity in the 1990s coincided with increased state court activity and a change in national direction. As the New York State Commissioner's Study Group found, there is now more focus on school-level and outcome equity issues. The group recommended that the state develop an outcome-based entitlement plan for all children. (MLH)

District-level fiscal equity, when achieved, will not necessarily result in a fairer distribution of educational resources. School-level inequities generally exceed those found at the district level in most states. If districts were required to distribute funds to schools on a per-pupil basis, school-level equalization could be accomplished…

Examines equity issues pertaining to special-education students, finance systems, and taxpayers. The major student equity focus is "inclusion." After passage of IDEA, reducing the number of restrictive special-education placements has become a clearly articulated policy objective. There is a movement away from cost-based to census-based…

Discusses incremental SBM budgeting and answers questions regarding resource equity, bookkeeping requirements, accountability, decision-making processes, and purchasing. Approaching site-based management as an incremental process recognizes that every school system engages in some level of site-based decisions. Implementation can be gradual and…

Traces financial aspects of the Chicago Public Schools' reform effort, detailing the prereform growth of bureaucracy that prompted legislated reallocation of the system's funds. Data show that funds have been reallocated to reduce administrative bureaucracy and equalize funding between schools. Schools with many low-income students have more…

Technology is a tool that can support good teaching and well-managed schools. To assure taxpayers and parents that investments in educational technology are worthwhile, schools can emphasize access, focus on teaching, link it to reform, encourage research, and plan for the future. Lists Web sites for finding information about the effectiveness of…

Vermont's Equal Education Opportunity Act of 1997 will radically increase the proportion of state money designated for public education and transform the entire state taxation system. Spurred by a court decision invalidating the state's school finance system, Act 60 establishes a statewide property tax for a general state support grant, includes…

Some experts characterize the "digital divide" (the gap between technology haves and have-nots) as the civil rights issue of the new millennium. Policymakers may need to rethink the concept of equity when applied to technology resources in schools. A California program is developing some yardsticks. (Contains 17 references.) (MLH)

Describes issues related to the Ontario educational reform legislation, a significant aspect of which is a new student-focused funding model. The stated purpose of the new funding model is to ensure that education funding operates in a "fair and nondiscriminatory manner" across the province. Asserts that the legislation does not satisfactorily…

Explores six proposed changes and the controversies that have stalled Congress's reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Although IDEA's fundamental characteristics will remain unchanged, there is likely to be an increased focus on outcomes, an augmented appeals process, and provisions addressing discipline problems.…

Since site-based management supports the separate-schools concept, promotes interschool competition, and allows community pressures to influence decision-making, great disparities in resource allocations can occur. To ensure equity, central management must define and limit principals' roles, provide training for principals, build consensus,…