The suggestions offered in this paper are based on the experiences of two scientific researchers of how evaluations undertaken in a competitive arena, in which true experimental designs are not viable, can be designed in such a way that meaningful comparative data can be examined. Case studies of the Science and Engineering Research Semester and…

A partial survey of the literature on the economics of vocational training reveals three important lessons on how evaluations may be undertaken using data on pay, inputs, and outputs. The first lesson is that social, corporate, and private returns to vocational training in developing countries appear to be high enough to justify expanding training…

The purpose of this essay is to briefly survey from a global point of view theoretical and empirical issues related to the economics of early childhood education and day care. The first section of the essay takes up issues in two broad areas of policy: (1) social efficiency, and (2) opportunity and equity. The first class of issues implies a…

Resource allocation in universities is analyzed based on economic theory and a theory of organizational behavior in universities. Basic methods of reaching decisions regarding allocation are intuition and numbers and combinations of the two. The intuitive method assumes a university committee can judge its needs. The numerical method employs a…

The planning, programming, budgeting system (PPBS) is an instrument to help policy-makers assign priorities and allocate resources. It does not seek to computerize what is essentially a political process, nor is it intended that the statisticians and cost accountants take over functions that properly belong to the political decision-maker. PPBS is…

This Working Note documents the first year's events and outcomes in developing the budgeting system and resource allocation rules to support the Education Voucher Demonstration. The district now has systems for per pupil resource allocation and school/minischool cost center accounting. The basic voucher of $1,041 for grades 7-8, and $788 for…

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…

The purpose of this handbook is to help clarify some of the procedural aspects leading to implementation of a program budgeting system and thereby assist those boards of education and administrators contemplating installation of program budgeting and, ultimately, a comprehensive program, planning, budgeting, system within their districts. The…

This report focuses on the relationship between State aid to education and incentives for the efficient allocation of resources. Following a description of the historical and current manifestations of State aid, an empirical analysis was conducted to study the impact of State aid on several variables. More State aid was found to be associated with…

This statewide study achieved the following objectives: (1) It developed a methodology for conducting a benefit-cost analysis of vocational education programs in Florida; (2) It examined, compared, and analyzed public and private costs and benefits of four Florida vocational programs, (3) It compared public and private benefits and costs for…

Cost analysis for internal management of higher education institutions is of interest because of the steady state of higher education, concern over management practices, and the expectation that higher education institutions should be more responsive to social planning and public policy concerns and objectives. The nature of the institutions that…

Responding to a critique of their earlier article, authors Levin and Meister, joined by Glass, attempt to clarify some of the issues and to correct implicit misunderstandings in the critique, while detailing the application of cost-effectiveness to educational interventions. Twenty footnotes are appended. (IW)

The National Center for Education Statistics commissioned the papers in this publication to address education-finance issues of interest to the education-finance community. Although teacher salaries rose between 1980 and 1997 by 120 percent, that is only equal to a 19 percent increase after removing inflation, or a little over 1 percent per year.…

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…

A series of studies in cost effectiveness at Francophonic universities were conducted. The objectives of these studies are identified and the methodology is examined and compared with work done in Britain, U.S.A., and Canada. Cost comparisions are offered between French universities and Bradford University. (Author/MLW)