This dissertation examines the impact a Tax Ratification Election has on student achievement in Texas. Texas schools continue to struggle with shrinking budgets and increasing standards of student achievement (Equity Center, 2011). This study will provide greater insight into whether school districts that have completed a TRE have created a…

Michigan's state-run school system is the largest and most expensive government service taxpayers support. It employs more than 350,000 people who work in one of the more than 4,100 different entities. The total amount this system expends each year adds up to more than $20 billion. Given the enormity and complexity of the system, it's no surprise…

This paper discusses four arguments for full State funding of schools: (1) the State is the logical and legal governmental unit to guarantee equal educational opportunity and program adequacy, (2) the State can command revenues through a variety of taxes whereby districts are generally limited to property taxes, (3) students in sparsely settled…

This report discusses the dispute in Arizona over the 1967 legislation regulating educational finance and offers alternatives to that legislation. The document describes factors and issues relevant to an understanding of the present dispute, defines accepted principles of educational finance, provides factual information about Arizona's support of…

Article deals with the views of individuals and what they want for their children in the classroom. (ML)

This speech describes accountability as the matching of intent to results and explains the utility of planning, programing, budgeting systems in implementing an accountability policy in school systems. (JF)

This report describes the elements necessary for successful school elections and outlines steps to predict voter reaction. Written primarily for school officials and local citizens' committees, the report analyzes the variables influencing voter turnout and behavior such as occupation, educational level, income, age, parents of school children,…

The vocational teacher plays a preventative role in avoiding stripping the taxpayer. If the teacher understands his job as part of the total manpower effort, he will see certain services he can render to keep costs down and accountability up. (Editor/HD)

Describes the use of cost effectiveness analysis of educational productivity in Phase I and II of the Regents Study of Organizational Change. Twenty school districts were selected for the study based on declining enrollment, high noninstructional expenses, high state aid, and high local tax burdens. (MMU)

This document examines various ways for school districts to inform taxpayers about positive educational programs in order to convince them that a particular public school system is worth the investment. A school district needs to create good public relations in order to "sell" taxpayers on an educational program. Thus educators must show that they…

Although Superintendent Frank Petruzielo arrived with briefcase full of plans to change Houston (Texas) school district, he spent his first year reworking his ideas in consultation with district teachers and administrators. He ignored school budget brokering that had occurred between previous school boards and business establishment, won 32%…

Although Wisconsin citizens support public education, they have significant doubts about the quality of education in the state and would support a number of reforms aimed at changing its structure, character, and accountability. Three telephone surveys were conducted with three representative samples of 1,000 citizens between January 1988 and…

Argues that standards-based education reform has shifted the focus of school finance from equity to adequacy. Requires an explicit connection between the funding provided to schools and the results produced in terms of student learning. (Contains 19 references.) (MLF)

This publication presents model state educational legislation prepared by the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) for consideration by individual state legislatures. The ACIR is concerned with improving relationships between federal, state, and local governments; the ACIR legislative program places considerable emphasis on…

This report, volume II of an indepth study of special levy problems in Washington State, represents the results of a study commission examination of finance and curriculum and contact with commission counterparts in the Federal Government, and a review of the work of other States. Included in this volume are (1) a funding formula simulation study…