This paper argues that the intent of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 and subsequent amendments to improve and equalize educational opportunities for the disadvantaged have been aborted by impotent enforcement and insufficient appropriation of resources. Research findings and highlights from major educational evaluations…

Thirteen elementary and four middle schools in a large, suburban district are compared by level of instructional expenditure and socioeconomic status of the community served by each school. Regression analysis is utilized to determine the effect of expenditure on student achievement over a three-year period. Variables significantly related to…

This monograph summarizes and evaluates "educational production function analyses"--studies of the relation between inputs and outputs in an education system--in order to aid in educational manpower policy making. In addition, data from New York state school districts and from a large national sample of high school students is subjected to…

A hypothetical mathematical model of a school is presented to (1) illustrate what such a model would look like, (2) determine its value to decision makers, and (3) determine its data requirements. The model relates increases in achievement to student/staff ratio, a measure of staff quality, materials used, space available, effort in community…

Aimed at educational decisionmakers, this report is intended to help close the research-implementation gap by summarizing the results of an extensive review of educational research on variables related to student performance and resource allocation decisions at the school district level. The trends in research findings about factors related to…

This paper uses the data from the 1966 Educational Opportunities Survey (EOS) to investigate regional and racial inequalities in education by applying a definition of inequalities that incorporates both school inputs and educational outcomes. Inequalities in school inputs are weighted by their importance for educational outputs, in order to…

The study described in this book was designed by the Southwest Regional Laboratory as part of a proposal to create a Metropolitan Center for the Far West Laboratory. The Center would focus on the challenges facing urban educators in its service area. Metropolitan school districts, characterized by high numbers of minority students, successfully…

The Children At Risk program was created in Wisconsin in 1985 with the broad goal of reducing the number of students at risk of failing in or dropping out of school. The program requires all school districts to identify children at risk, including dropouts, truants, parents, or adjudicated delinquents, who are behind their age group in either…

The Office of Program Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA), an office of the Florida Legislature, reports on the implementation by Florida's Division of Community Colleges of OPPAGA's recommendations in a 1999 report. This progress report defines the mission of Florida's Community College System as: (1) providing lower-level…

Describes inequities in school finance. Examines Federal funding of bilingual and compensatory education programs and the impact of recent court decisions on finance reform. Considers the relationship between increased spending and educational outcomes for low-income children, and proposes research on the impact of educational funding on mainland…

The individual works of Eric Hanushek and the collaborative efforts of Hedges, Laine, and Greenwald in the 1980s and 1990s focused a substantial amount of attention on the relationship between education budget allocations and school performance. Using their opposing hypotheses as a theoretical framework, this study focuses on K-12 education in…

In school finance lawsuits plaintiffs often claim that pay levels are not sufficient to recruit teachers who can deliver constitutionally-mandated levels of educational services. In this paper I consider several ways in which one might bring economic theory and data to bear on that question. I conclude that at present, and at least for the near…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Senate Approves Budget Plan: Amendment Adds Funds for Education Programs; (2) The Hits Keep Coming: House…

What is needed to help children succeed at high levels is already known, and that vision and commitment are essential to bring about reform efforts that research has already established as effective. Conditions that contribute to academic success and well being include nurturing and supportive families, economically and socially healthy…

The dramatic increase in the number of births after World War II, the "baby boom," lasted until the early 1960s. Another surge in births was recorded in 1977, the start of the baby boom echo. However, the number of births is not expected to decline again, with long-range projections indicating a rising number of births over the coming…