The Legislature requested a study of the student-faculty ratio workload measure used by the University of California (UC) to determine if it results in excess instructional resources for the University. Following a statement of the purpose of the report, information on the background of the University's instructional resources formula is provided.…

A study was conducted of state funding methods, practices and trends in the states covered by the Southern Regional Education Board. The use of funding formulas was found to be about as prevalent as in the late 1970s. A detailed profile is presented for each of the 15 states studied. The profiles provide such information as: state agency name;…

This report identifies and analyzes legal, regulatory, and policy barriers to redesigning high schools in California. In an effort to identify legal, regulatory, and policy barriers to the creation and successful operation of redesigned high schools in California, the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) staff interviewed high school…

This policy brief summarizes the full report [ED468840], which describes a study that evaluated whether smaller school districts, as a result of their higher costs per pupil, experienced greater hardship in the areas of infrastructure, resources, and staffing. The policy brief reports on the results of a survey that was administered to the…

Alberta Education provides funding to school authorities to support the development and implementation of programming for students with severe disabilities. The Handbook for the Identification and Review of Students with Severe Disabilities presents case studies to assist school authorities in identifying students who may be eligible for special…

This policy brief on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is based on March 2002, discussions involving chief state school officers and state directors of special education from five Western states and staff of Western educational research and policy organizations. It focuses on those issues that are…

The rationales for various state-finance distribution formulas, from 1896 to the present, are explained along with the rationales of the lawsuits questioning their validity. Chapter 1 describes attempts at financial equity from 1896 to the 1950s. Chapter 2 examines the current status of financing public education, emphasizing a state's obligation…

Minnesota Statutes 2003, Section 127A.51, reads as follows: Section 127A.51 Statewide average revenue. By October 1 of each year the commissioner must estimate the statewide average adjusted general revenue per adjusted marginal cost pupil unit and the disparity in adjusted general revenue among pupils and districts by computing the ratio of the…

With state budgets in disarray, school districts are taking a hard look at cuts and possible reforms. At the state level the issue is the complex ways states fund public schools. Finding a better way to link dollars to academic performance includes simplifying school finance and equalizing funds to provide adequate education. (MLF)

A study in seven Quebec First Nations communities determined per-pupil expenditures on education, excess costs of special education, and unmet special needs; developed five funding formulas for special education; and estimated their potential impact on First Nations communities locally and across Canada. Total special education costs were high…

The number of school boards in Canada has been radically reduced over the past 7 years. During this period, governance roles and responsibilities also have been redefined. Since 1995, 9 of Canada's 10 provinces have gone through a consolidation process mandated by provincial legislators, mainly for cost efficiency. (MLF)

The potential for reconciling state formula funding of higher education with institutional planning needs is discussed. It is proposed that states invent a financing mechanism that funds a fair share of the strategic aims of each public college and university, yet allows the state to invest in a few priorities. New Jersey's experiment with such an…

"Honeypot management" describes the skills needed to acquire and manage categorical funding, a mechanism linking resources to specific activities. In contrast, block grants are intended to be used according to local perceptions of priority and need. This paper explores the applicability of various funding models and their impact on the…

Reviews implications for state educational equity suits of the funding formulas used in federal compensatory education laws. A state educational equity suit currently before the Illinois Supreme Court is discussed to show differences between the definitions of equity used in that suit and the one used in federal compensatory education funding…

Brent's examination of the nonresidential expanded tax base (ETB) approach seriously understates the potential equity gains from a carefully designed nonresidential ETB. Practical and political hurdles to adoption of a nonresidential ETB are discussed. An algebraic implementation of a redistribution system is presented that generates significant…