Since December 1992, the Capac (Michigan) Community School District has adopted zero-based budgeting for 40% of its budget. Instead of building on the previous year's budget, the superintendent requires every staff member and school to justify projected expenditures based on contributions to future educational goals. Academic programs benefit.…

An analytical report on educational policy in Zimbabwe, three associated commentaries, and a concluding summary describe ways in which the findings of educational research can be translated into policy in a developing nation. The emphases are on student achievement and equitable allocation of resources. (SLD)

The expected fiscal 1993 federal budget requested by the Bush administration is likely to involve meager increases for student aid and biomedical research, increases for Head Start, and major increases for the National Science Foundation and the Superconducting Supercollider. Critics suggest cuts in defense spending be used to provide increased…

Data from a national survey of fiscal year 1990 supported employment fiscal activity are presented, and fund source utilization patterns are compared to those from previous years' surveys. Supported employment expenditures grew 19% from 1989 to 1990. Nonvocational rehabilitation funds accounted for two-thirds of total state expenditures for…

According to federal rules governing the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program, grant applicants were required to develop plans for spending their funding allocation. This article discusses the CCDBG public hearings and the need for the public and government officials to prepare more carefully for the hearings. (LB)

Increasingly, student services on college campuses may be offered on a fee-for-service basis. Campuses are facing choices between essential services and conveniences. In some cases, the situation has encouraged innovation, but in many others it has created frustration and tension. (MSE)

A discussion of the use of performance indicators for evaluation and funding of higher education institutions by governments offers 10 lessons for governments and funding agencies, drawn from a study of the role played by performance indicators in the systems of Denmark, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. (MSE)

A Canadian public higher education official comments on the use of performance indicators for evaluating and funding higher education institutions. Focus is on putting the controversy over their use into perspective by narrowing the issues and arguments, clarifying them, and acknowledging inherent limitations of performance indicators. (MSE)

Specialization has become necessary in certain kinds of pharmaceutical practice, and colleges are developing curricula, faculties, and programs to respond. However, specialization also carries risks. Institutions must define their capabilities, resist encouraging students to specialize too early, provide adequate generalist education first, and…

The potential gains in efficiency of three types of contracts in college administration are contrasted. Contract types include explicit contracts in the budgeting process between the state and higher education institutions; institutional contracting for inputs; and interinstitutional contracting. The tradeoff between production cost savings and…

Thirty young and 10 elderly adults were assessed on orienting auditory attention, in a mixed-modal condition in which stimuli were either auditory or visual. Findings suggest that the mechanisms involved in orienting attention operate in audition and that individuals may allocate their processing resources among multiple sensory pools. (Author/JDD)

This special issue on international perspectives on educational restructuring focuses on cross-national analyses of the experiences of Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, and the United States in seeking appropriate allocations of authority over education given their current circumstances. (MLF)

An interview with a college student activities director addresses topics concerning student activities planning including the need for good planning, activities planning as leadership training, roles of staff and students, planning phases, effective use of financial and human resources, contracting with artists, effective promotion, event-day…

Analyzes trends in student achievement and student and teacher attendance--outcomes rewarded by South Carolina's School Incentive Reward Program since 1984. Results show modest improvements in student achievement and no significant improvements in attendance patterns for students or teachers. Grouping schools into socioeconomic bands to compete…

Problems in the financing of higher education in India, particularly in the large proportion of costs borne by the government, are examined. Several policy proposals to remedy the problems, including privatization, are critically reviewed. It is concluded that there is a need for experimentation with a number of alternatives. (MSE)