This volume is the third in a series of four publications on aspects of governance in higher education produced by a project to create a Regional University Network on Governance and Management of Higher Education in South East Europe. This handbook gives a general overview of the ways in which higher education is funded in selected countries in…

This report is prepared annually by the State Board of Education and the Commissioner of Education in accordance with the Public Education Governance Reform Act (1984). It sets forth performance goals established for Tennessee school systems in accordance with the Education Improvement Act (1992) and provides a summary of data needed to evaluate…

In fashioning public school finance systems, states must balance competing values. Michigan's replacement of a general-aid formula and numerous categorical grant programs with a modified foundation formula constituted a substantial shift away from choice (local determination of spending level) and toward equality (smaller intradistrict spending…

Award-winning Colorado Springs Superintendent Trevor Burnley has dedicated his energies to the "kid business"; he recently adopted his two young grandchildren and works diligently to keep schoolchildren away from the eight-ball. Faced with a slashed budget, he had to cut staff and freeze salaries, earning teachers' resentment. He…

Reports findings of a study to determine the equity of the current Indiana fiscal distribution for pupil transportation expenditures and develop a more equitable funding model, if possible. If new state appropriation monies are added, a percentage equalizing method should be instituted that would assist school corporations in greatest need. (seven…

This article brings attention to decision-making in the world of state financing for higher education. It reflects on the origin of this field and the system builders in the 1960s and 1970s, who needed to figure out rational ways to both justify funding requests to the state and distribute resources among institutions. The article highlights one…

Under President Bush's proposed fiscal 2006 budget, the federal Head Start program would get a $45 million increase in funding. That money, however, would go for a project involving only a handful of states, not to increase the main program educating preschoolers. The proposed increase to Head Start's fiscal 2005 budget of $6.84 billion would go…

California's school finance system is long overdue for reform. The authors propose a new system that is more rational, more equitable, and, they believe, politically feasible. At its core, their proposal aims to link district revenue to student needs and regional costs while ensuring that all districts are held harmless at current funding levels.…

The vitality of New York State's economy depends on deepening the ranks of the skilled workforce, a need that will grow more urgent over the next several years as the Baby Boomer generation moves into retirement. If employers cannot fill high-skilled positions they will lose competitive ground, and some may leave. New York has successfully…

The impact of change strategies for developing research at an African primarily undergraduate institution is considered using a case study of the University of Botswana. After an analysis of the existing situation, a short research policy, written in understandable terms, was developed. The policy was structured so that it could be used for…

This article discusses the current student-aid system in American higher education and the policy issues surrounding it. The author asserts that it is time to consider serious reform of the complex system of federal, state, and institutional subsidies that has evolved to support postsecondary students. A rational long-term planning process never…

Demographic change in industrial countries will influence educational spending in potentially two ways. On the one hand, the decline in the number of school-age children should alleviate the financial pressure. On the other hand, the theoretical/empirical literature has established that the concomitantly increasing proportion of elderly in the…

Thirty years ago, the Connecticut Supreme Court forced our state to take stock of its system for funding schools. Our poorest towns had thousands of dollars less per child to spend. Today, our poorest districts spend roughly the same as our richest, but Connecticut's poor children still score far below their wealthy peers. Our school finance…

In the UK, education is the third largest area of government spending (of which school spending has the largest share). Since 2000, school expenditure has increased by about 40 per cent in real terms for both primary and secondary schools (see Figure 1). The question as to whether such investment is worthwhile is of central importance. The…

Reviews formula funding in higher education literature, including purpose, historical perspectives, definition and development, characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and future trends. In light of citizen demands, the formula approach seems the best method to ensure a satisfactory relationship between state government and state…