Most research on the association between school resources and student outcomes has concentrated on finances as measured in dollars. This study takes a fresh look at the issue by focusing on the allocation of real resources, defined as the personnel and materiel used to increase student learning, which are more relevant measures of a school's…

This report compares actual performance with the projected levels of performance set out in the National Council on Disability's (NCD's) annual performance plan. The findings of this report show a positive link between the allocated resources and NCD's performance. NCD's assessment review showed that it was successful in meeting its goals and…

This report presents the findings of the Arizona Indicators Panel, a statewide representative sample of Arizonans conducted in May and July 2008. Arizonans think best of local hospitals and community parks among a group of government and community services. While they did not think particularly well of the responsiveness of local governments' to…

The 2007 Hawai'i State Legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 118 S.D.1 HD 1 Improving the Community's Understanding of the Department of Education's Programs and School Expenses Including a Comparison with Other States on Adequacy of Funds. Among the requests contained in the resolution were the following: "Be it further resolved…

Education Resource Strategies (ERS) works with school and district leaders to help them more strategically use resources--people, time, and money--to improve student performance. They have found that many school districts begin creating small high schools without a clear sense of how much they will spend or how to ensure that small schools…

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

The critical importance of the early childhood years and the rights perspective to human development has made policy and programming for early childhood development an imperative for every nation. In India, poverty, changing economic and social structures resulting in the breakdown of traditional coping mechanisms and family care systems, and the…

Ever since the publication of "A Nation At Risk" in 1983, Americans have been preoccupied with two problems regarding public education: (1) student performance is unsatisfactory to most Americans despite large increases in real spending per student; and despite several attempts at reforming curricula, teacher training, testing, and other…

Even as the United States extends a free public education to all children, it rigs the system against the success of some of the most vulnerable by taking those who arrive at school with the greatest needs and giving them less in school. Low-income and minority students, in particular, get less of what matters most; these students get the fewest…

This report summarizes 2005-2006 school year activities at facilities for neglected youth and facilities for delinquent youth in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) attendance zones that were supported through federal Title I funds.

An important function of public policies is to distribute public resources rationally. But for a long time, our public policies have been so "city-oriented" that public resources are allocated unfairly and majority of high-quality education resources are concentrated in cities. This has already led to a serious unbalanced development in…

Faced with shrinking state and local tax support and an increased demand for K-12 educational reform, school leaders must use creative means to find money to improve and deliver instruction and services to their schools. This handbook describes innovative strategies that school leaders have used to find scarce dollars for purchasing educational…

Annual high school media center expenditures in Georgia were analyzed to determine what portions of the budget were being spent on print, non-print, and technology resources by high school media specialists. A 5-part 13-item questionnaire was developed as a data-gathering instrument. The questionnaire was distributed to all high school media…

Throughout its history, the property tax has remained a reliable source of revenue for operating schools and providing other local government services. However, differences in property wealth of school districts have created disparities in dollars available to fund educational programs. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the…

This bulletin, which is intended for senior managers in Great Britain's health, education, and social service sectors who are involved in planning or providing learning programs for adults with severe learning disabilities, identifies key issues in the strategic planning of programs using the packet of materials titled "A New Life." This…