Research universities, both public and private alike, are the leading producers of science and engineering (S&E) bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. They are contributors to economic development at the local, state, and national levels, performing over half of the Nation's total basic research in 2009, and they educate and train our…

This study explores the cost-effectiveness ratios associated with individual tutoring, intensive reading/language arts instruction, and a focus on core subject areas. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K) database, this study analyzes these programs using a three-level hierarchical linear model (HLM) with a nationally…

Nebraska's statutes require the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education to prepare biennially the "Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid Report." This report studies the public policy issues relating to tuition, fees, and financial aid for students in Nebraska. It examines the significant, interrelated issues facing the state's…

After years of non-stop increases--national k-12 per-pupil spending is up by "one-third" in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1995--schools now face the near-certainty of repeated annual budget cuts for the first time since the Great Depression. In some states and districts, reductions will be dramatic--well into the double digits. And…

A policy analysis of Florida's 10-factor Performance-Based Funding system for state universities. The focus of the article is on the system of performance metrics developed by the state Board of Governors and their impact on institutions and their missions. The paper also discusses problems and issues with the metrics, their ongoing evolution, and…

In 2002 the Council of the Great City Schools and its members set out to develop performance measures that could be used to improve business operations in urban public school districts. The Council launched the Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Project to achieve these objectives. The purposes of the project were to: (1) Establish a common…

This report presents findings on public education revenues and expenditures using fiscal year 2007 (FY 07) data from the National Public Education Financial Survey (NPEFS) of the Common Core of Data (CCD) survey system. Programs covered in the NPEFS include regular, special, and vocational education; charter schools that reported data to the state…

This report presents data from the School District Finance Survey for School Year 2006-07 (fiscal year 2007, or FY 07). The School District Finance Survey is a district-level survey that consists of data submitted annually to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) by state education agencies (SEAs) in the 50 states and the District of…

How important are subsistence concerns in a family's decision to send a child to work? We consider this question in Ecuador, where poor families are selected at random to receive a cash transfer that is equivalent to 7 percent of monthly expenditures. Winning the cash transfer lottery is associated with a decline in work for pay away from the…

During the economic expansion of the past several years, interest in the subject of spending broadened as public interest groups, the media and the Senate Finance Committee voiced concerns about whether colleges and universities were distributing enough from their endowments each year. Critics argued that after many years of strong investment…

Expenditures on gambling advertisements and promotions in North America have increased to unprecedented rates. Youth are particularly vulnerable to pro-gambling messages, and underage gambling has become a critical public health crisis the solution of which necessitates an environmental approach. In this paper, we examine an analogous situation,…

This is a study of financial disparities in primary and secondary education in OECD countries that have a relatively large population and a school finance system with decentralized features. These countries include the United States, Britain, Australia, Spain, Canada, and Japan. There are two major research questions: What are the trends in…

It is commonly asserted, especially by people within higher education, that the American Ivory Tower is strapped for cash and tightfisted taxpayers are to blame. Taxpayer support for postsecondary education has long been in decline, this narrative goes, and has forced schools to continually raise tuition to make up for the losses. Tallying…

Improvement of educational attainment in schools in urban, disadvantaged areas is an important priority for policy--particularly in countries like England which have a long tail at the bottom of the educational distribution and where there is much concern about low social mobility. An anomaly in the spatial dimension of school funding policy in…

Purpose: This study examined demographic and rehabilitation service variables affecting employment outcomes of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) receiving services from state vocational rehabilitation agencies. A secondary purpose was to determine whether there are disparities in services and outcomes between European American and Hispanic…