The author contends that empirical analyses of productivity have placed much more importance on the availability of data than on the suitability of data. He recommends compiling evidence about the interface of the schooling system and society and then examining incentive structures and tradeoffs among alternative production possibilities. (JT)

This report describes the levels of the Swedish educational system as it now exists, and discusses the directions which changes in educational policy may take. A principal consideration is the possibility of changing the allocation of resources to education to provide greater support for adult education. The report raises the question of whether…

School finance has traditionally concentrated on the distribution of resources to school districts, focusing primarily on the equitable distribution of funds within a state. In recent years, more attention has been paid to the issue of productivity--how effectively school districts use the funds they receive to provide education to students. This…

School finance has traditionally concentrated on the distribution of resources to school districts, focusing primarily on the equitable distribution of funds within a state. In recent years, more attention has been paid to the issue of productivity-how effectively school districts use the funds they receive to provide education to students. This…

This book chronicles practitioners' struggles in implementing information technology, identifies the existing barriers to implementation, and provides a set of frameworks from the current understanding of this process to support learning through information creation. The chapters are: chapter 1, "A Model for Organizational Learning: The…

This Practical Guide is intended to help educators and others interested in education promote the value of public education to the nation. Research and polling suggests that Americans share deeply held beliefs and values about public schools. Americans believe that one of the strengths of public schools is that they provide concrete benefits for…

Information is one of the most important tools education decision makers need to help them effectively spend taxpayer money, allocate qualified staff, and determine the effectiveness of education investments. Decision makers must understand the role and influence of monetary and staff resources on the education system, and they must have…

In response to the need to ensure that standards fulfill their promise of supporting a system of education that leaves no child behind, McREL created a multimedia, multi-site, ongoing nationwide dialogue related to standards-based reform efforts. These dialogues provided participants with opportunities to share underlying assumptions, beliefs, and…

Uses cluster analysis techniques to show that egalitarian policies in secondary education coupled with high financial inputs have measurable payoffs in higher attainment rates, based on Max Weber's notion of power'' within a community. (Author/JM)

Analyzes the 1970-1971 School Profiles,'' profiling each high school in the city, in terms of per capita costs, percent other'' pupils, percent of pupils reading below grade level, percent of attendance, pupil-teacher ratio, and teacher experience. (JM)

Greater equity in the form of greater equality in expenditures may well result from the new directions being discussed for school finance, but the need for the use of greater resources to educate the disadvantaged will not be met. (Authors/AN)

Asserts that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which is intended to close the achievement gap by improving schools, may be largely ineffective due to several of its questionable assumptions (e.g, school attendance is valued by and valuable to all individuals, and education creates opportunities). Suggests that simply providing the poor…

A review of over 400 studies of student achievement demonstrates that there is not a strong or consistent relationship between student performance and school resources, at least after variations in family input are taken into account. Simple resource policies appear to offer little hope for improving student outcomes. (SLD)

This interview with Research Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago discusses a wide range of education topics, including improving school science, allocation of finite human capital, factors contributing to educational productivity, effect of social obstacles on higher education achievement, use of cooperative learning,…

Examines the presumed cost/educational-quality relationship by studying expenditure patterns of high-, middle-, and low-expenditure districts in Pennsylvania over a 10-year period. Students in high-spending districts had sizeable advantages (smaller classes and administrative support) over those in the other spending groups. (18 references) (MLH)