The current debate about class size is not centered on whether smaller class sizes are desirable. Rather, the debate is whether the costs involved are the best ways to spend taxpayers' monies. This analysis addresses this question for the state of Florida. Using the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test as a measure of educational achievement, a…

Currently, charter schools represent one of the fastest growing movements of educational reform. The first charter school opened in 1992 and there are now over 3,400 charter schools nationwide. Despite this growth, we are only beginning to learn about the performance and operation of these schools. This article adds to our knowledge of charter…

Within the population of students with disabilities there is a broad range of levels of expenditures. A few students with very high levels of needs can have a serious impact on the budget of an individual school district. The recent IDEA reauthorization allows state-level "local educational agency risk pools" to help distribute the…

Purpose: While state policy and market factors are known to have contributed to the increased supply of residential care, little is known about efforts to accommodate demand from lower-income consumers. This study describes participation and expenditure trends for residential care services funded by Medicaid waivers and examines variation across…

This report offers a plan for improving career and technical education (CTE) in Wyoming, but it is about more than just technical education. Realizing the potential of CTE to contribute to students' mastery of both academic and technical knowledge depends not only on strengthening the CTE curriculum, but also on embedding CTE in a larger program…

This paper examines the reality of teaching math in the rural southeast. Rural districts have low student expenditures and high transportation costs, due in part to the limited tax-base available. This leaves limited funds for technology. Universities prepare preservice teachers to teach math using the latest technology, however, many of these…

Voters in the State of Michigan reformed K-12 school financing significantly in 1994. The reform largely removed local government from playing a role in the determination of school finance and lodged this authority mainly with state government. In this article we examine the long-term impacts of the reform legislation. We find that although the…

This publication is the 14th edition of the "Mini-Digest of Education Statistics," a pocket-sized compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from kindergarten through graduate school. The "Mini-Digest" is designed as an easy reference for materials found in much greater detail in the…

Research suggests that investing in young children can help build a strong future workforce, improve children's educational success and health, and potentially reduce some of the social ills that drain the nation's resources and will. To have an informed conversation about future investments, it is important to start from an understanding of the…

This is the 11th annual report on conditions affecting the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). Analysis continues to focus on the long-term historical trends in RUSD, comparing RUSD to nine peer school districts and the State of Wisconsin. RUSD peer districts are Wisconsin's largest (Milwaukee Public Schools are not included) and their…

"Higher Education Counts" is the annual accountability report on Connecticut's system of higher education. Since 2000, the report has been the primary vehicle for reporting higher education's progress toward achieving six, statutorily-defined state goals: (1) To enhance student learning and promote academic excellence; (2) To join with…

The future of Greece's well-being will depend on improving educational performance to boost productivity and improve social outcomes. In the current economic context, with the need to get best value for spending, Greece must and can address inefficiencies in its education system. The challenges are significant. For example, Greece lags behind many…

The Annual Condition of Education Report provides a wide range of state-level data, including shifts in student populations and demographics, teacher salaries and characteristics, student achievement results, and school financial information. A few examples of the categories presented in this 22nd edition report include: (1) Enrollment; (2) Early…

This bulletin describes how Coopers & Lybrand and the United States Department of Commerce's Center for Workforce Preparation joined efforts to create a model for school-finance and management reporting. The Finance Analysis Model provides a new reporting system for districts that have implemented school-based management. The model is a…

In February 1993 the Buffalo Financial Plan Commission was asked to conduct a financial and management assessment of the Buffalo (New York) public schools. The effort involved the work of 115 volunteers from 75 businesses and community organizations in the Buffalo area. Thirty-four recommendations were produced, which were expected to yield annual…