Describes an operations audit as a means of reporting the effect of such interventions as training programs on organizational productivity; discusses the value of an accurate mission statement; describes an audit conducted to learn effects of management training programs at Lutheran General; and reviews steps and measurement techniques of…

Provides advice on conducting a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether a computer is needed for school administration. An account of successful computer implementation in a Florida school district is included. (TE)

Some computer education goals, such as computer-assisted instruction, are very expensive and difficult to meet. Programing, computer literacy, and word processing are less expensive computer education areas, and programs are easier to implement. (PGD)

Food processing contracts between schools and food manufacturers can result in huge cost savings. Fairfax County, Virginia, is one of 30 "letter of credit" sites in a three-year study of alternatives. After one year it appears that schools can purchase more for the dollar in their local areas. (MD)

This report focuses on the prospects and possibilities for using biomass as an energy source for the United States. However, the greatest potential for utilizing biomass as fuel exists in energy-starved developing nations, since it appears possible to develop biomass technologies keeping capital inputs low in relation to labor inputs. (BT)

Earth berms and burying the building into the hillside help insulate the Florida State Museum and make it operationally the most economical building on the campus. (Author/MLF)

A cost/benefit analysis of appointing trustees versus electing them. Concludes that neither method is "better" for all participants. (DC)

An experimental new surface material for schools, called "vitreous tile," is proving successful in lowering school maintenance costs by preventing destruction caused by vandalism, stains, and color fading. (Author)

Suggestions for economical and effective lighting that will contribute to overall productivity are offered by a vice-president of Bloomingdale's. (LBH)

An experiment conducted to determine the effects of a changeover to paperback collections and browsing arrangement on cost of bookmobile service and use of materials. (KP)

Various budgeting patterns and strategies are currently in use, each with its own particular strengths and weaknesses. Neither cost-benefit analysis nor cost-effectiveness analysis offers any better solution to the allocation problem than do the unsupported contentions of departments or the historical unit costs. An operable model that performs…

Americans are beginning to recognize that many of the nation's high schools are in crisis, as policymakers, business leaders, and celebrities call attention to the country's low graduation rates. But the dropout problem, although severe, is only one indicator of the trouble plaguing the country's secondary schools. Because too many students are…

The federal government provides student loans for college and graduate school in two ways: by: (1) guaranteeing bank loans; and (2) by lending directly to students. Approximately three-quarters of federal student loans are guaranteed and one-quarter are direct. In the guaranteed loan program, a 40-year-old system, banks lend students money and…

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of year-round scheduling on student achievement and attendance and to conduct a cost-efficiency analysis associated with year-round education. Participants were students who attended year-round school in the fourth and fifth grades (N=95) and students who attended schools with traditional…

This report presents U.S. comparative data, collected during the last quarter of 2000 from 248 educational institutions, on facility operating costs, including general information and profiles about the participating institutions. The report provides operating cost ratios for eight common functions performed in educational facilities, including…