This book argues that school-based management appears to be primarily concerned with dismantling centralized education systems (which have traditionally supported the work of teachers, students, and parents) and replacing them with a free-market ideology of competition and choice. School-based management separates elite policy makers and interest…

This study examined changes in use of funding formulas for higher education among the states, the use of information about peer institutions in funding decisions, and the use of outcome or quality measures. The study used data from surveys of all states in 1984, 1988, and 1992. The most recent survey showed that 33 states were using formulas in…

This document contains information about the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's six initiatives and comments from participants at the annual Policy Seminar, sponsored jointly by the department and the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL), July 11-13, 1994. The document contains the participants' comments regarding the…

This report examines variations between school districts and across the states in the quantities of the various types of revenues received for educational programs and services. It builds on some of the analysis techniques introduced in an earlier National Center for Education Statistics publication, "Disparities in Public School…

Recent evidence suggests that low-income, inner-city parents favor school choice. African-American and Latino parents' preferences regarding choice were analyzed. Inner-city parents' school choices occur within a context constrained by Anglo and middle-class strategies of containment. The paper examines minority dissatisfaction with the public…

In this report, the executive director of the California State Postsecondary Education Commission summarizes the major demographic and political forces that will likely affect the shape of higher education leadership in California during the 1990s. The report discusses the implications of increased enrollment pressures on educational equity,…

Painting a picture of the hostile environment in which racial and linguistic minority children live, this paper proposes how educators can become combatants against educational failure that is corrupting the futures and talents of millions of children of color. The paper focuses on the four federally recognized minorities--Latinos, African…

This paper addresses school choice, one proposal to address parental involvement concerns, focusing on historical background, definitions, rationale for advocating choice, implementation strategies, and implications for minorities and low-income families. In the past, transfer payment programs such as tuition tax credits and vouchers were…

The Neighborhood Schools Improvement Act (H.R. 3320) was ordered to be reported by the House Committee on Education and Labor on October 17, 1991. This report provides an introduction to the "systemic statewide reform" concept, on which H.R. 3320 is largely based, plus a summary of the bill, and a discussion of selected issues related to…

An overview of the constitutionality of various state public education finance systems is presented. Issues addressed include education as a fundamental right mandated by the education clause of state constitutions and the impact of the equal protection clause on the education clause. Criteria for successful challenges to state school finance…

Despite significant improvements in the acquisition and use of learning technologies by schools with large percentages of minority students, data collected by the New York State Education Department indicate that schools serving predominantly black and minority students--many of whom are economically disadvantaged--do not provide access to…

Emphasizing the diminished resources of the 1980's, this report offers an overview of the varied experiences of the states in dealing with school finance issues. Although basic inequities in educational services remain, the states' generally poor fiscal condition has resulted in less attention for equity issues. However, public school financing…

The primary organizational structure for a city's schools is the district. Its critics, however, consider that dysfunction was designed into school districts structure by virtue of their history. District structure was built on the notions that intelligence was innate, that the "scientific management" model produced optimal results, and that…

This paper describes the vision and goals of the School Communities That Work task force. This group envisions a new kind of school district: the local education support system. It marshals all of a city's resources to provide schools, students, and teachers with needed support and timely interventions; ensures that schools have the power and…

The report of the presidential Advisory Panel on Financing Elementary and Secondary Education presents the panel's philosophy, describes current problems, and recommends (1) returning financial autonomy to state and local levels, (2) dismantling the Department of Education, (3) deregulating public schools, and (4) encouraging school-based…