A brief history of East Ridge Middle School in Connecticut illustrates the strong economic and demographic pressures that can work against a middle school. The principal plays a crucial role in preserving both the structure and the programs of an effective middle school. Points out strategies to protect and develop middle schools in tough economic…

This story of the University of Massachusetts at Boston during the 1988-91 downturn in the state's economy looks at the preceding growth period, state and higher education response to economic conditions, the university's leadership situation at the time of first cuts, the strategic planning approach adopted, and lessons learned during the…

Outlines the economic and academic advantages and disadvantages of year-round college schedules. Economic factors include cost savings, rising enrollments, quicker graduation due to accelerated programming, higher annual costs, administrative problems, higher tuition, and barriers to student seasonal employment. Academic factors include continuous…

Financial pressures are forcing the closure of some teaching hospitals and retrenchment using such strategies as development of ambulatory care and satellite facilities, merging with or acquiring other hospitals, and shortening patient hospital stays. A table lists revenues and profit margins for the 20 largest university-owned teaching hospitals.…

When faced with severe budgetary reductions, school boards should establish budget-cutting criteria before collecting and analyzing financial data. Site-based budgeting and brainstorming about all fiscal expenditures can help in developing long-term and effective fiscal procedures. (MLF)

The focus on the debate over college teaching vs. faculty research productivity, although important, ignores the central issue of the need to restore proper funding for higher education. Underfunding higher education ultimately destroys both quality and access and affects the public sector the most. (MSE)

Discusses reasons for declines in community college foundation donations and other causes of financial problems. Considers ways of stopping the erosion of state community college funding, and ways resource development officers can nurture private sector ties. Describes state-level resource development for North Carolina's community colleges. (DMM)

Factors contributing to the current student financial aid crisis in higher education are outlined, including rising tuition costs, federal tax law changes, and a policy shift from grants to loans. Federal and state responses to the crisis are examined, and their relative merits are discussed. (MSE)

Russia's schools are experiencing enormous problems traceable to the nation's economic condition. However, many schools today are more democratic, decentralized, and open. Thumbnail sketches of a specialized English-language school, a children's shelter school, and a private school reflect the new diversity in Russian education. (MLF)

Two Pennsylvania school districts have been simultaneously declared financially "distressed" and are operated by a court-appointed board of control. Describes legislation drafted to statutorily establish an early warning system so that the state can assist districts with management and budgeting advice before it becomes necessary to…

A 21-item College Stress Inventory was administered to 164 Mexican-American and Latin-American college students. Confirmatory factor analysis of results generated three subscales titled Academic Stress, Social Stress, and Financial Stress, which possessed adequate internal consistency. (KS)

An outdoor educator whose teaching position and field center were eliminated reflects on the importance of publicizing the value of outdoor education in developing ecological understanding and promoting student connection with the natural world, both of which are essential to learning to live a sustainable lifestyle. (LP)

Responding to a budget deficit, St. John Fisher College (New York) used quality-management tools to address critical budget issues and initiate a strategic program. Because the process used consensus-building tools, committee members felt they had been given equal input into resource allocation decisions and the process provided a sense of shared…

Louisiana's program of state merit scholarships, inspired by Georgia's HOPE Scholarship program, is over budget in its first year because lawmakers pushed to expand eligibility and data for estimating costs was inadequate. Critics find such programs often provide aid to families with little financial need. The program pays full tuition at state…

A survey of 98 institutions in six states compared how doctoral and non-doctoral public campuses reacted to reduced state funding in the early 1990s. Univariate and multivariate analysis found both types of campuses coped incrementally rather than fundamentally. Few adopted long- range plans, and most relied on raising tuition and fees and…