Summarizes local, state, and federal sources of school funding and discusses the mechanisms used to distribute state aid and the criteria for assessing a school finance system. Overall, the federal government contributes about 7% of a school budget, with the remainder typically split fairly evenly between state and local governments. (SLD)

This appendix to the theme issue summarizes the challenges of providing and maintaining educational facilities, discussing the maintenance of existing buildings and the need for new ones. Possible sources of needed funds are considered, and the equity problems related to school facilities are reviewed, emphasizing the problems of urban schools.…

The basic assumptions built into the governance of higher education obstruct effective responses to problems influencing its decline. University leaders'"donnish" convictions about universality and professionalism hinder their ability to apportion scarce resources among competing missions and academic programs. A more centralized…

Assesses effects of the financial reform of China's basic education system, focusing on issues of structure, resource mobilization, equality, and efficiency. While decentralized funding reforms have succeeded in achieving structural change and resource mobilization, the current system is marked by glaring inequalities and significant…

The National Commission on Teaching and America's Future concluded that reforming education hinges on restructuring the teaching profession. Major barriers include inadequate teacher education, slipshod recruitment, haphazard hiring and induction, inadequate professional development and recognition, and failure-prone schools. The commission…

A purely geographic classification is not the best way to measure rural disadvantage in Australia. A service access model is described that incorporates the following elements: population center size; distance, time, and cost of travel to the service center; and a measure of the economic capacity of residents to overcome the cost of travel.…

Suggests library media specialists have a responsibility to make educational funding laws work for their children and communities. Discusses the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act; NCLB and libraries, and online resources; Reading First Grants; "VISIONS 2020: Transforming Education and Training through Advanced Technologies" and "Technology in…

Reviews four areas of change (resource allocation, organizational framework, governing systems, and market structure) providing a framework for understanding dynamic schools and their leaders. Today's principals must become resource mobilizers capable of forming business and private foundation partnerships, linking with social-service agencies,…

The National Women's Law Center alleges that 25 colleges and universities are violating federal anti-discrimination law (Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972) by giving female athletes a disproportionately small amount of sports-related financial aid. In 1995-96, 27 institutions achieved "substantial proportionality" in financial…

Twenty-five years after passage of Title IX, federal legislation barring sex discrimination in athletics in federally-funded schools, females make up 37% of college athletes and receive 38% of athletic scholarships at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I schools. Women's participation in college sports has increased four-fold.…

Rethinks the use of teachers, a school's most expensive and important resource. Four categories could benefit from restructuring: teacher and aide allocation/assignment, teacher compensation, student support services, and general and special program administration. Middletown, New York, actually improved its student:teacher ratio by using its…

The role of two main sources of university research financing in solar energy is examined to assess whether they oriented research in the direction of government programs. The strongest relationship appears to be in journal publication patterns. This scientific community has acquired the capacity to tap varying sources. (Author/MSE)

Budget problems are leading states to limit grants for college students in 1990-91, although overall aid spending is higher than ever. Grant programs not based on need are increasing faster than spending on need-based aid, mostly in awards for academic achievement and programs for equalizing tuition between public and private institutions. (MSE)

Changes in Australia's university research funding, with both indirect and a substantial portion of direct funding administered centrally by the new Ministry of Employment, Education and Training, are discussed. The new arrangement is intended to ensure university research gives greater priority to projects contributing to national social and…

Political, academic, and business leaders are urging adoption of a federal technology policy that would focus on helping American companies compete in international trade. They feel increased partnerships between government, business, and universities and reallocation of research resources could help speed new knowledge from academic laboratories…