From a National Steering Group perspective, this article reviews the recent history of the national framework for teacher appraisal in England and discusses six lessons to be drawn from a project that tested the new system. Appraisal is still associated with controversy and poor industrial relations, arouses suspicion, is politically complicated,…

Suggests that bankruptcy occurs when creditors withdraw their support from a firm's top management team. Five characteristics measuring the relative status of top teams tested on a sample of 57 large bankrupt firms and 57 matched firms revealed that membership in political elites and board connections were negatively associated with bankruptcy.…

Faced with budget cuts, the community of Beaverton, Oregon, left only one support service intact: the newly restructured guidance and counseling program begun in 1992. The program is based on meeting students' needs through supportive guidance, prevention and intervention measures, and active community-school partnerships. The key was developing…

Based on three western school districts' financial failure, this article discusses signs of trouble (overspending patterns, overoptimism about district resources, inadequate financial controls, a breakdown in business operations, inattention to audits, out-of-control personnel practices, and insufficient planning) and discusses ameliorative…

Discusses elements of the higher-education funding system that may be applicable for funding early-childhood programs. Examines how the higher education model can help in the design of more adequate financing of early care and education. Maintains that this model can increase political support and infuse more resources into early care and…

Discusses financial pressures on university athletics departments using the University of Wisconsin (Madison) as an example. A recent state audit noted the UW athletic department's sizable debt, and an internal five-year plan predicts a substantial budgetary increase due to such factors as construction projects. More aggressive fund raising and…

Examines the growing decline in institutional support for libraries and discusses how libraries can generate revenue to replace it. Highlights include entrepreneurship; fee-based services; the PBS (Public Broadcasting System) model of fund raising; and running a library more like a bookstore, including expanded hours. (LRW)

Rapid, inadequately funded expansion of British higher education between 1990-96 contributed to a funding crisis. This paper, an updated version of a report submitted to the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, proposes a coherent reform strategy involving a wide-ranging system of student loans, flexibility to allow universities to…

This study empirically estimates a multiproduct total cost function and output relationship for comprehensive U.S. universities. Statistical results for 184 Bible colleges suggest that there are both economies of scale and of scope in higher education. Additionally, product-specific economies of scope exist for all output levels and activities.…

Less than 5 percent of charter schools have been shut down nationwide. Charter school advocates say closings prove that accountability measures already present in law and in practice are working. Critics counter that closings often reveal that more oversight is needed. Discusses fiscal mismanagement and the need for training. Summarizes…

The advent of online journals, bundled packages, and consortial "big deals" means that librarians have to work harder than ever when budget shortfalls require cutting serials. This article recounts the experience of the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library in its journal cancellation project of 2002.

Founded in 1991 by Yury N. Afanasyev and financed by a grant from businessman Mikhail B. Khodorkovsky, the Russian State University for the Humanities has quickly become one of the most prominent institutions of higher learning in Russia. This article discusses alleged governmental pressure against the university, its financial difficulties since…

In June 2005, shortly before Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC, became president of the University of Notre Dame, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a pastoral statement, "Renewing Our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millennium." This document, building upon the rich experience of two…

There are still 10 English local educational authorities (LEAs) that are wholly selective and a further 10 with some grammar and secondary modern schools. This article examines the academic performance of pupils in secondary modern schools and the funding of these schools using national data sets matching pupils' performance at Key Stage 2 and…

This study examined the determinants of caregiving burden among South Koreans who care for their disabled older family members. A sample of 1,000 primary caregivers taken from the Comprehensive Study for Elderly Welfare Policy in Seoul, South Korea was analyzed. Independent variables included the demographic characteristics of caregivers and care…