This Practical Guide is intended to help educators and others interested in education promote the value of public education to the nation. Research and polling suggests that Americans share deeply held beliefs and values about public schools. Americans believe that one of the strengths of public schools is that they provide concrete benefits for…

In its 1998 Amendments to the Higher Education Act, Congress directed the Commissioner of Education Statistics to conduct a study of higher education costs paid by institutions and prices paid by students and their families for a postsecondary education. (For the full law, see: http://www.ed.gov/legislation/HEA/sec101C.html). Section 131 of the…

Article examined the remedies available to states in the wake of Serrano and its progeny. As well, it analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of "district power equalizing" and "full state assumption" as alternative methods of financing schools. (Editor/RK)

Discusses the Environmental Protection Agency report on the economic impacts of clean water on industries and municipal sewage treatment works. Concludes that the long-term growth of the industry may be slightly impaired, but market trends, technological advances, and productivity will far overshadow these impacts. (CC)

Describes the use of a faceted geodesic structure in place of the true spherical dome in the construction of an effective and modestly priced planetarium. Indicates that the construction can be undertaken as a student group project. (CC)

Libraries are getting involved with open university programs. Some of them are so structured however, that they contradict the concept of independent learning. Problems to be considered include: 1) should librarians adopt the role of teachers? 2) should participants be recruited? 3) what are funding priorities? (DH)

Discusses the agenda, arrangements, and costs of a regional meeting designed to help seniors in planning careers. Suggests the physics groups sponsor similar meetings in their regions. (CC)

Discusses the benefits of elementary education, its function as an economic unit, and how it develops the individual working for economic stability. (RK)

Turn over in the position of university library directors has increased markedly in the past decade. Seventy-eight large university libraries have been investigated to identify problems and make recommendations. Planning, budgeting, and the relationship of the library to the university are discussed. (70 references) (DH)

Reviews past studies of the relationship between school inputs and student achievement. (JF)

Reviews Christopher Jenck's recent book, Inequality, a Reassessment of Family Schooling in America and its views concerning the relationship between school inputs and student achievement. (JF)

The committee recommends reducing local property taxes by replacing such revenue with a personal income tax, a uniform statewide property tax at a rate of $1 per $100 of true value, less sales tax exemptions, increased corporation taxes, and a number of smaller revenue items. Key provision calls for basic funding of schools by the State. (Editor)