This theme issue focuses on equity in children's literature, public funding for private schools, women in educational fields, female dropouts, and the relationship between school violence and family and community violence. "Violence in Our Schools" (Bradley Scott) explores reasons for school violence (media violence, isolation from…

The South Australian State Department of Education, Training and Employment allocates funding to schools in much the way that the literature suggests is a generic basis for funding schools. This includes per school base funding, per student funding for all students, additional per student allocations based on year levels, and additional per…

This study examines the relationship between school consolidation and district transportation costs, effects on instructional expenditures, and institutional factors supporting consolidation. Data on actual student transportation costs across the United States indicate that despite widespread school and school district consolidation,…

Small schools offer many advantages and their numbers are increasing, but current funding practices often do not meet their needs. This digest suggests strategies that can help small public schools, particularly small rural schools, redress funding inequalities and get the resources they need. Three basic strategies for improving resources at…

Of Washington State's 296 school districts, two-thirds have 2,000 or fewer students. These small school districts provide unique learning opportunities for Washington's children, but also present special challenges to achieving the higher standards called for in the state education reform bill and recent federal legislation. This report provides…

Educational facility planners should join with state education department and legislative research personnel and even courts to generate model policies and funding mechanisms addressing state involvement in local capital outlay financing. (MLF)

Responds to Apple's article by making seven points that discuss (1) the Standards as a vision; (2) changes in mathematics; (3) changes in how one learns; (4) democratic citizenship; (5) costs; (6) quality of examples; and (7) working conditions for the teacher. (MDH)

The increasing demand for public aid to private schooling raises the question of whether private schools really outperform public schools. National Assessment of Educational Progress mathematics scores demonstrate that they do not. Other data substantiating this assertion highlight poor outcomes for both public and private education. (SLD)

There are more than 700 million current Internet users, but the world population is approximately 6 billion (Trend 2001), indicating that computer technology is used by less than one-eighth of the population. Computers are becoming common tools in schools, often viewed as a democratic panacea despite the costs involved and despite the fact that…

This report summarizes the key laws, policies, and regulations and current or persistent issues associated with Tennessee public education. Two major questions directed the inquiry: What were the principal educational policy developments in Tennessee in the 1980s and 1990s? and What major educational challenges and issues currently exist in…

In spite of 1983 legislation intended to equalize financial differences among school districts, Pennsylvania continues to experience inequalities in school funding. A study of Pennsylvania school finance over a 10-year period, 1984-85 through 1993-94, examined differences in spending among the 25 lowest spending districts (Lo-25) and the 25…

In 1996, the effectiveness of New Jersey's Perkins Act-funded single parent/displaced homemaker and gender equity programs were evaluated through a 20-question equity standards survey. The survey was administered to all clients before each program began and 6 weeks after completion of those portions of the programs pertaining to equity standards.…

The system for financing education in Illinois fails to deliver sufficient resources to the school districts that need them most. Although no individual or administrative unit acts to deprive particular groups, the system as a whole does. Using Census figures, state and local tax records and information from the Illinois Board of Education, this…

This third annual Pennsylvania Progress Report is designed to convey to the citizens of Pennsylvania information on how well we are progressing on our road to achieving the National Education Goals. This report has three parts. The first part is a description of the major education initiatives undertaken in 1993 by Governor Casey. The second and…

This small-school vocational education research project, conducted during the 1981-82 school year in Washington State, attempted to develop alternative vocational program delivery and funding strategies for small high school districts. A statewide review committee and two principal investigators conducted national and statewide research to…