Examines effects of human capital investments and state intervention on mortality rate reductions and associated costs in four countries, 1890-1970. Net of other effects, investments in total doctors and in specialists reduced mortality rates but increases in specialists were not "efficient." Extent of government regulation influenced…

Discussed are advanced technologies which may offer an opportunity to meet the world's future energy needs while minimizing the environmental impact. Savings to both suppliers and consumers are described. International electricity usage is compared. Government standards for the manufacture of electrical products in the United States are…

Explores the influences state departments of education have on the cost and quality of pupil transportation. Evaluates the following state funding methodologies: (1) actual costs incurred; (2) a flat rate per unit; or (3) a multivariate calculation in providing service efficiently and equitably between districts. (MLF)

Describes a study that examined the impact of federated library systems on member library services, resources, and operations in Pennsylvania. The discussion includes a rationale for the research methodology used, and comments on the absence of reliable library statistics and published reports as a basis for comparison with pre-systems situations.…

Most school systems can cut the costs of many of their programs and operations and thereby save an imperiled program or uncover funding for new or expanded programs. Presents examples of creative cost-cutting in plant operations and maintenance, administration, employee benefits, transportation, and teacher employment. (MLF)

Educational planners must work within the same definitions and assumptions as their clients so that future facility planning will be based on educational programs incorporating equity, adequacy, and efficiency as inherent concepts rather than designs that respond to legal strictures. (MLF)

Based on survey data from 70 universities, this study concludes that differences in the organizational structure of development offices have no significant effect on fund-raising efficiency. However, because decentralized offices may be able to expand their activities more rapidly than centralized programs, decentralization may facilitate overall…

As higher education institutions plan for the future, common agreement to build open distributed computing environments (DCE) using common standards such as those of the Open Software Foundation can help exploit new application design approaches that promote application sharing, a more efficient way of meeting upcoming challenges. (MSE)

Methodology and results of a study of administrative costs and structures at Iowa State University are summarized. Indicators of administrative efficiency are examined, including those related to organization, costs, salaries, and intensity of administrative functions. Some comparisons with peer institutions or to other units within the same…

Strategies for promoting efficient control of quality in colleges and universities are examined. It is proposed that integration of external review and institutional self-evaluation can be used to support the goals of accountability, efficiency, and institutional effectiveness. (MSE)

A naturalistic probe of early language content was administered to 31 normally developing preschool children. The productivity of 3 different strategies for eliciting 27 content categories was tested and the efficiency of the probe technique compared with analysis of language samples. Results suggest this nonstandardized, criterion-referenced…

Several experts in the field of college financial administration offer their insights into the emerging relationship between high technology and financial management, focusing on the role of the institution's chief business officer. Topics include efficiency, cost effectiveness, organizational communication, homegrown vs. packaged software…

An interactive videodisc-based simulation was used to train 3 students (ages 12-17) with moderate disabilities on locating and purchasing items in convenience store settings. The students improved in their effectiveness and efficiency of locating items in the simulated environment and showed some transfer of skills to natural environments. (JDD)

Most evaluations of technology-based instruction are poorly designed because of failure to control three common confounding variables: (1) use of different instructional methods in different treatments; (2) presentation of different content in different treatments; and (3) the novelty of new media, which tends to increase early motivation and…

Benchmarking is an ongoing, systematic process for measuring and comparing work processes of one organization to those of another to identify best practices. Higher education can gain much from this technique, as industry has. The method is objective, reduces resistance to change and can lead to dramatic innovation and rapid development. (MSE)