The rapid growth of charter schools has encouraged innovation and led to new models of schooling. Foremost among these are cyber charter schools where students learn from computer-based lessons beyond the walls of the traditional schoolhouse setting. The authors present the case of cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania. They describe how cyber…

In this paper we examine the contention that many schools and school boards use funding generated from testing and coding of students with special needs as a means of augmenting general operating revenues. As a result, students with special needs do not receive the full benefit of the monies received for individualized programs. The article draws…

The Education Improvement Act instigated funding allocation reform, equalization and equity, system accountability, systemwide report cards, value-added assessment, and governance reform. The most dissatisfied educators are those in large, wealthier urban systems. Horizontal equity, accountability, and test results have improved throughout the…

Summarizes recent developments in educational adequacy and finance-equity court cases around the country, highlighting the differences and the relationship between traditional finance-equity claims and more recent educational adequacy claims. The most sweeping decision occurred in Alabama; a state trial court will monitor mandated reforms in…

The education problems in New York City (and a number of other jurisdictions that face court financing challenges) are real and important. Many people would indeed be willing to put more money into New York City schools (or any poorly performing school for that matter) if they had any reason to believe that students' achievement would improve…

The nature and extent of restraing imposed by state and federal funding formulas, guidelines, and regulations on emerging, innovative, nontraditional postsecondary educational programs was assessed. Interviews were conducted with administrators of several innovative programs. In addition, a questionnaire was mailed to over 300 nontraditional…

Current means of determining the level of state education funding have denied millions of the nation's children access to a quality education by not providing schools with the resources they need to properly educate all children. It has also created and perpetuated wide gaps in education funding between wealthy and poor school districts. The…

In recent years, state legislatures, state education departments, and advocacy groups in more than thirty states have sponsored education adequacy studies, which aim to determine objectively the amount of funding needed to provide all students with a meaningful opportunity for an adequate education. Based on a detailed analysis of judicial and…

This publication provides the basic statistics needed to illustrate the impact of North Carolina's Basic Education Program (BEP), an educational reform effort begun in 1985. Over 85% of the positions in the BEP are directly related to teaching and student-related activities. The new BEP programs result in smaller class sizes in kindergartens and…

This review of the key issues likely to surround the reauthorization of Chapter 1 covers allocation formulas, selection of schools and students, fiscal issues, and accountability. As Chapter 1 is the largest federal elementary and secondary education program, with appropriations of over $6.1 billion in fiscal year 1993, a concern of…

The Chapter 1 program provides aid to local education agencies (LEAs) for the education of disadvantaged children. This review of background and issues involved in the reauthorization of Chapter 1 covers funding and participation trends, features of the program, selection for participation, fiscal issues, and program improvement. A key concern is…

The Performance Funding Project of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to improve the current appropriations formula in Tennessee is discussed. The major project objective is to explore the feasibility of allocating some portion of state funds on a performance criterion, as compared to allocating funds solely on an enrollment criterion. It…

As Illinois higher education looks forward to a stronger state economy and subsequent improved state support, it is time to plan for the next recession. There have been five recessions in the past 35 years, but few higher education systems have been able to develop the processes and resources for weathering the storm. At risk are the quality of…

The Performance Funding Project of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to improve the current appropriations formula in Tennessee is discussed, and abstracts regarding pilot implementation of the project at four institutions are presented. The major project objective is to explore the feasibility of allocating some portion of state funds on…

The effects of Chapter 2 block grants on fund distribution, programs, and school district spending, and the role played in Chapter 2 implementation by parents and citizens were investigated. Interim findings include the following: (1) there has been a massive redistribution of Federal funds away from States serving large numbers of poor nonwhite…