The 2011 edition of the "Digest of Education Statistics" is the 47th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The "Digest" has been issued annually except for combined editions for the years 1977-78, 1983-84, and 1985-86. Its primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field…

This paper describes efforts to develop indices of student achievement, school district effort, and school district efficiency. The challenge was to develop measures that are simple to understand, yet allow comparison among districts that are not distorted by socioeconomic differences. Measures were developed for average student achievement,…

The Educational Priorities Panel undertook a study to find out how funds are distributed among community school districts in New York (New York) and how resources are distributed to individual schools within the system. District decision making was also studied. In Part I, interviews were conducted in 10 representative school districts to learn…

This ERIC digest examines the slowed pace of school district reorganization since 1970 and the expanded role of state education agencies (SEAs). It also reports trends that influence consideration of various reorganization forms and considers the framework in which future policy options may take shape. The decades from 1940 to 1970 show the…

Most arguments for fiscal equity in financing America's schools have been based on constitutional provisions and on the socio-political dogma that underlies a democratic society. This paper approaches the subject using as its theoretical basis a document even more basic to the founding of the republic than the Constitution--the Bible. Using the…

This study examines the relationships between various elements of property wealth and operating expenditures per pupil by types of school district--elementary (K-8), high (9-12), and unit (K-12). Elements of property wealth were defined as the equalized assessed valuation per pupil for each of the following property tax classifications:…

Although educational leaders have been coping with declining enrollment for almost a decade, educational researchers have begun to focus on the topic only recently. The first part of this introduction to a special issue of the Peabody Journal of Education briefly summarizes the contents of the subsequent essays, which are intended to bridge the…

In 1984 the Texas legislature passed an educational reform bill, House Bill 72 (HB 72). The prime objective of HB 72 was to achieve greater equalization of the state's school finance system; it was intended to affirm vertical and horizontal equity and equal opportunity/wealth neutrality as goals of the state system. This study analyzes the results…

To provoke public discussion about the role state aid should play in Vermont public education and to make a case for a state aid system structured on the broad principles of equal opportunity, fair tax burdens, and adequate funding levels, this booklet examines Vermont's system of school finance, attempting to highlight its history and its present…

Three components of the teacher shortage are the recruitment challenge, the retention problem, and the demand for teacher quality. Although the teacher shortage problem involves many factors, any solution must address salaries. Rural districts face a threefold disadvantage: teachers are not compensated as well as other rural professionals; rural…

This booklet presents information on the achievement gaps in education between white, Asian, and economically advantaged students and their African American, Hispanic, Native American, and economically disadvantaged peers. It provides examples from higher education, district, and school levels and summarizes available resources and tools to help…

This analysis is organized by decades, 1950s-1990s. In each decade, a context is presented for summarizing general information on broad education events that also affected rural areas and schools. Next, policies are outlined that were directed at or had a significant impact on rural education at the federal and then the state level. State-level…

The Southern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) is a consortium of ministries of education in southern Africa. This bound report--one of seven--presents the research results and policy suggestions that emerged from implementation of SACMEQ's initial educational policy research project. The report looks broadly at five…

Ontario's funding formula fails to recognize the unique needs of northern school boards, which cover immense geographic areas, have many small schools, and enroll a high proportion of Aboriginal students. This report examines school size, enrollment, and staffing in northern Ontario schools, drawing on 2002-03 tracking reports of provincial…

A study of three London local education authorities explored the dynamics of British education markets. Findings showed that the market is a middle-class mode of social engagement; parental choice is class- and race-informed; schools are increasingly oriented toward meeting middle-class parents' perceived needs; and secondary schooling is becoming…