With recent research from the Institute for Higher Education Policy showing that college is unaffordable for as many as 70% of working- and middle-class students, concerns about college costs are mounting. The cost of operating an institution of higher education, with very few exceptions, is reflected in the price of attendance that students,…

To help all students reach their potential, district leaders must ensure that every student has consistent access to excellent teaching. Opportunity Culture compensation and career path structures help make that possible, and this guide shows how. "Teacher Pay and Career Paths in an Opportunity Culture: A Practical Policy Guide" shows…

To help all students reach their potential, district leaders must ensure that every student has consistent access to excellent teaching. Opportunity Culture compensation and career path structures help make that possible, and this guide shows how. "Teacher Pay and Career Paths in an Opportunity Culture: A Practical Policy Guide" shows…

This paper addresses issues of allocating public resources efficiently between mental health conditions that are associated with different levels of disability, and presents an adaptation of an established framework to help decision-making in this area. The adapted framework refers to psychological interventions that are universal, indicated,…

This document presents an application of cost-benefit analysis to a hypothetical university parking problem. After discussing cost-benefit analysis in general, the document applies this technique to hypothetical data in light of a checklist for general cost-benefit procedure. The checklist includes the following steps: (1) examine and quantify…

A superintendent offers suggestions on what school districts should and should not do to increase the effectiveness of the schools during a time of reduced financing. (IRT)

The chronic and relapsing nature of substance abuse points to the need for continuing care after a primary phase of treatment. This article reviews the economic studies of continuing care, discusses research gaps, highlights some of the challenges of conducting rigorous economic evaluations of continuing care, and offers research guidelines and…

When Governor Roy Romer challenged Colorado's 20 largest districts to undergo performance audits, 12 responded. Consultants recommended that districts provide more market-sensitive salaries, privatize certain functions, cross-train personnel, and create job flexibility. Districts can improve overall efficiency by generating accurate operational…

Zero-base budgeting is presented as the functional alternative to the community college funding crisis which may be precipitated by passage in June 1978 of the Jarvis Amendment (Proposition 13) in California. Defined as the management of scarce resources on a cost/benefit basis to achieve pre-determined goals, zero-base budgeting emphasizes…

Provides a detailed guide to preparing library budgets and describes several types of budgets. Steps to preparing a final document are outlined, including identifying objectives, assessing and prioritizing needs, data collection and analysis, presentation to the funding agency, and evaluation and monitoring of the final budget. (CLB)

Process and impact evaluations are compared, and a framework is provided to determine the nature and potential variability of the costs associated with each technical step of each type of evaluation. Recommendations to help in the choice of evaluation option are provided. (SLD)

The Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Model for Competency Based Education (CBE) Assessment Programs is designed to assist state and institutional decision-makers in the cost analysis of alternative assessment strategies in CBE programs. The general model indicates stages of decision-making related to the use of various assessment strategies within the…

The purpose of this handbook is to help clarify some of the procedural aspects leading to implementation of a program budgeting system and thereby assist those boards of education and administrators contemplating installation of program budgeting and, ultimately, a comprehensive program, planning, budgeting, system within their districts. The…

Based on a study of the component parts of the mental health continuing education system, this publication presents guidelines for the following fiscal functions: determining funding needs, obtaining funds, budgeting funds, expending funds, and cost accounting. In addition to considering these components, the guidelines explore principal issues in…

Guidelines, based on an analysis of currently successful work measurement systems found in 10 different Federal agencies, are presented for the development of standards and the use of these data for work measurement. The guidelines were developed in response to significant problems many Federal agency headquarters and staff managers were…