In September 2011, Washington state adopted a new student transportation evaluation system. The goal of the system, being part of the transportation funding system, is to encourage school districts to operate as efficiently as possible. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) uses a statistical process to determine relative…

This brief provides education administrators and partners (providers, intermediaries, funders) with strategies and examples from seven school districts nationwide that have successfully funded, implemented, and sustained evidence-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programs. School administrators from these districts were interviewed and…

Senior Economist Jonathan Rothwell of Gallup, presents data on employment outcomes for college graduates from different types of colleges. He also provides findings from the Gallup-USA Funds Associate Degree Graduates Survey which shows there are a number of student experiences that are highly predictive of overall life-evaluation. He cites the…

The Wallace Foundation is funding a multiyear demonstration project to determine whether voluntary, district summer learning programs can stem summer learning loss for low-income students. Six districts--Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Duval County (Florida), Pittsburgh, and Rochester, New York--were selected for the demonstration project and…

Outstanding cost-reduction programs implemented at colleges and universities during calendar year 1987 are recognized. Each of the 54 award-winning ideas is described in a paragraph-length program summary. Although some aspects of programs may be unique to a particular institution, creative administrators are challenged to tailor the programs to…

This document describes total cost of ownership (TCO) as a useful tool in the effective planning of technology use in schools. TCO is an analysis of all the costs of computer technology in a school in comparison with the value derived from the current investment. It also includes an assessment of strategies that can be implemented to reduce costs.…

The activity-based costing (ABC) method of analyzing institutional costs in higher education involves four procedures: determining the various discrete activities of the organization; calculating the cost of each; determining the cost drivers; tracing cost to the cost objective or consumer of each activity. Few American institutions have used the…

Five veteran college alumni directors share strategies for creating an effective association: deciding what program aspects must be measured; assessing the program realistically; listening to customers; stretching program resources to hold down cost and work more efficiently; and remembering the value of the human touch in program design and…

Many college and university student service units consider staff development peripheral to their primary mission and not cost effective, especially in lean financial times. However, recent trends in business suggest this assumption is false, and ultimately costly. The University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, experience found development efforts empower…

Arguments for and against formal alumni chapters are outlined. Pros include increased membership, better leadership, and strengthened development potential; cost effectiveness is possible. Cons include direct and indirect costs; informal alumni structures are seen as equally effective. (MSE)

The values and successes of college sports to higher education are threatened by patterns of abuse, particularly in larger programs. The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics' report and recommendations for reform are designed to stem abuses and help athletics find its proper and legitimate role. (MSE)

This instructional module is designed to teach training managers how to calculate training costs, measure the effectiveness of training, and determine the cost effectiveness of training. It is organized in three parts. Part 1 points out why some training managers are reluctant to determine the cost effectiveness of training. It discusses the need…

A group of 27 library administrators and library computer systems experts met to share their experiences and insights with regard to online catalogs, to review survey results from The Council on Library Resources (CLR) 1982 Online Catalog Study, to review draft documents on the costs and features of online catalogs, and to discuss and recommend…

A number of economic and social factors suggest that this is an appropriate time for colleges and universities to review employee retirement plans. Information that employees should have for retirement planning is reviewed, and basic principles for institutions to use in selecting a pension company are outlined. (MSE)

The effectiveness in meeting institutional objectives and the costs of early, partial, and phased retirement plans in operation at 51 public higher education institutions, as reported in a survey, are discussed. (MSE)