Discusses the top challenges commonly confronted nationwide by school districts districts, facilities, and business. Challenges include construction and repair, enrollment, funding, security and safety, technology, maintenance, staff training and retention, and unfunded mandates. (GR)

A commissioned study on the possible use of vouchers for higher education in Finland is summarized. Because costs vary greatly by discipline, the voucher is defined in terms of time (period of study) rather than money. In the study, five different models were chosen for closer analysis, and comments were received from universities and other…

The higher education systems and financing mechanisms in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland are described. In each, enrollment and productivity, in terms of student flow, are important financing factors. A new budget model developed for Norway is outlined, and efforts to create a cooperative community for higher education in the Nordic countries…

The nation's largest and most effective educational system is the job training provided by private business. Subsidies and financial aid for postsecondary education should be channeled directly to students and away from any particular institution. Workers should be encouraged to make their own decisions about their job training needs. (SLD)

Examines compliance with child support orders by divorced fathers in Wisconsin during 1981-89. The fathers' ability to pay is strongly related to compliance: compliance increases as the fathers' income increases. Analysis of nonpaying fathers suggests that although they are not a high-income group, they are generally not so poor that they could…

Addresses the issue of Title I student assessment for at-risk students and the possible funding ramifications if Title I schools reduce the frequency and coverage of their assessments. It argues that continued Congressional funding of Title I programs will be difficult if sufficient assessments cannot reveal positive impact. (GR)

The Asynchronous Learning Network, an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation program aimed at providing access to higher education through technology, has made grants for distance-education projects totaling nearly $27 million in the last five years. The program supports large and small projects around the country and sponsors an online scholarly journal and…

Describes the ASSET, a student success system for two-year institutions designed for student advising, placement, and retention. The American College Testing (ACT) Program's Underprepared Student Follow-up Report (UPSFUR) indicated a successful completion rate for developmental courses. States that UPSFUR can be used to determine placement program…

Critical analysis of historical financial data of the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) examined the impact of Alberta's 1994 funding changes on the CBE and the distribution of Alberta's education funding. Findings illustrate how funding mechanisms are used to govern from a distance and how seemingly neutral accounting/funding techniques function…

Examines an innovative philanthropic program instituted by a Midwestern United States manufacturing company during organizational downtimes. Examines the tensions that emerged when a traditionally structured company instituted a program indicative of incremental shifts toward feminist organizing principles. Explores the pragmatic and far-reaching…

Discusses two danger signs for writing across the curriculum (WAC) program survival, dealing with their cross-curricular structure, and their heavy dependence on just one person for their health and continuation. Outlines two cases from the history of writing instruction at the University of Michigan providing a precautionary tale for both kinds…

Describes selection of the first recipients of Gates Millennium Scholarships and examines philanthropy's role in overall spending on higher education and student aid. Asserts that while private efforts are important for the individual students they help, they have a negligible impact on access to higher education and cannot be counted on to…

Examines the implementation in eastern Germany of western Germany's much-praised "dual system" of vocational education, in which students divide their time between work and school. Focuses on the role of European Union (EU) programs and funding that supported this transition. Includes information on specific EU education and training…

Without effective planning, interactive distance education can drain economic and personnel resources. Discusses questions (needs, costs, faculty selection, faculty incentives, time for training and planning, promotion and tenure, probability of success, impact on student services) designed to provide a basis from which administrators can obtain…

Explores World Bank's view of early childhood as an example of the globalization of childhood, arguing that the Bank's policies exacerbate the gap between rich and poor nations and between rich and poor within countries, and affect children's lives adversely. Explores inherent contradictions of policies that draw on traditional Anglo-American…