School districts should have a plan to reduce potential losses in the event of a data processing disaster. Describes the plan devised for the Fairfax County (Virginia) school system. (MLF)

Purpose: The literature advocates educational decision-making processes that are either intuitive or systematic. While the two approaches seem to be incompatible, each has its merits. Intuitive thinking is considered to be holistic and creative, whereas the systematic approach has the advantages of a theoretical foundation and accuracy in data…

The Electronic Data Transfer (EDT) network for Connecticut local school districts encompasses nine major databases and provides dozens of online data reports to network users. At a low cost and high degree of success, EDT has improved the data collection and reconciliation process at the state and local levels and generated a capacity for…

A study of a random sample of 40 of Wisconsin's 432 public school districts was conducted to see how 7 factors influenced a district's use of the standardized statewide accounting system, known as the Wisconsin Elementary and Secondary School Accounting System (WESSAS). (MLF)

Some school districts are privatizing data-processing operations. In addition to commercial firms, local county or city governments can be contracted to run districts' computer operations. Advantages cited include more computing power for the money, personnel savings, and helping school districts concentrate on educating children. (MLF)