This document contains the testimony of Richard W. Riley, Secretary of Education, on the fiscal year 1996 budget for the Department of Education (DOE), made before the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies. The lack of appropriation has two major effects on the DOE and its…

This report focuses on the group benefits available to Illinois public higher education employees. The study provides a perspective on the range of benefits and the differences in the administration of institutional benefits. Findings reveal the availability of retirement annuities that increase with each 10 years of service; optional retirement…

In November 1980, Massachusetts citizens voted to limit the allowable increase in local property tax revenue by supporting a state-ballot referendum named Proposition 2 1/2. This paper presents findings of a study that examined changes in both the sources and extent of funding for public education in Massachusetts communities during the first…

A reflection and training workshop held in Accra (Ghana) brought together African university presidents, vice-chancellors, rectors, and top-level administrators to discuss three themes: first, the nature and functions of higher education institutions; second, leadership and organization of the higher education institution; and, third, resource…

This report provides an overview of the use of functional assessment in the evaluation of individuals with psychiatric disabilities. It begins by discussing the difficulties with traditional forms of assessment and the development of functional assessment, particularly in the field of psychiatric rehabilitation. The need to not rely on any single…

Nearly all school reforms, regardless of their scope or intended target, share a number of characteristics. This report reviews the essential elements of planning, implementing, and sustaining school reform and presents eight key lessons to guide prospective reformers. The lessons are drawn from 12 major studies of education reform funded by the…

This study examined 1,200 adults' understanding of and attitudes toward learning disabilities, through a telephone survey. Additional objectives included the identification of various information sources and testing of potential messages about learning disabilities. Halfway through each telephone interview, a definition of learning disabilities…

The Collection Analysis Project (CAP) was undertaken in response to one of the major recommendations of the University at Stony Brook Libraries' strategic plan. It is the first step in promoting the necessary change to bring collection management and development into conformity with accepted professional practice, and make it more responsive to…

A conceptual framework is developed for analyzing the costs of alternative assessment instruments. The framework will be used in future analyses by the Center for the Study of Evaluation to determine the costs of alternative assessment programs in a number of states. It is important that a distinction be made between costs and expenditures. Costs…

A state mandated evaluation study was done of certain programs and activities of the Mississippi Commissioner's Office of the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) including the Commissioner's Fund and operations of university foundations and athletic programs. This report presents findings, recommendations, and documentation, as well as responses…

While much attention has been paid to educational reform or restructuring efforts to improve the nation's schools, the fiscal aspects of reform have received little attention. The Education Commission of the States studied 20 school districts in 6 states (California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, and South Carolina) to determine what impact…

This paper presents findings of a study that documented the initiation and early implementation of 22 projects participating in the Educational Partnerships Program, which is sponsored by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). This study of the first year in a proposed 5-year program, sought to identify partnership structures…

To determine how Hispanic Americans in various professional roles prioritize the importance of school desegregation and its continuation, a brief survey was conducted with approximately 20 people in January 1998. The school segregation of Hispanic students has a long history in the United States, and Hispanics have waged efforts comparable to…

This discussion paper is designed to stimulate dialogue within the United Nations system and the donor community with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of development cooperation. The paper also aims to increase awareness among policymakers about options for change and UNESCO's potential role in the context of the renewal and prioritization of…

One of the more pervasive fiscal trends of the past three decades is the use of state-sponsored lotteries to raise revenue, often earmarked for such publicly supported institutions as public colleges. Evidence exists, however, that lottery revenues, which are unstable in nature, tend to supplant stable general revenue funds. Moreover, lottery…