While funding cuts are often necessary during economic downturns, reducing state investments in higher education will hamper recovery. If cuts are inevitable, a one-size-fits-all approach will undermine states' ability to meet future talent needs and ensure equitable opportunity. State leaders should evaluate funding decisions based on their…

This report discusses tuition, fee costs, and related information at Iowa Community Colleges. Highlights include: (1) the average Iowa community college tuition increased $489 or 34% between fiscal year 1993 and fiscal year 2001; (2) the average tuition for the 2001 fall and spring semesters was $1,937; (3) in 1980, tuition and fees generated 24%…

With strong backing from the federal government, states and school districts are in the midst of a major push to put technology in the hands of America's teachers and students. Their efforts seek to equip schools and classrooms with computers, educational software, school-based computer networks, and links to both statewide and global information…

This report provides data on the academic achievement gap that separates low-income and minority students from other students, examining how well different groups of students perform in Iowa and noting inequities in teacher quality, course offerings, and funding. Included are tables and data that provide: a frontier gap analysis (a comparison of…

This report compares Iowa's reading and mathematics performance on the most recent administrations of the state assessment with performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To indicate how Iowa is doing in narrowing the academic achievement gap between African American, Latino, or low-income students and their white,…