Constructed a child care subsidy tax investment model to investigate the contribution to families' self-sufficiency and to government cost-effectiveness of child care subsidies. Concluded that subsidies act both to keep families from ever needing welfare and to help move families from welfare to work, and that while reaching these goals, the…

Discusses how school districts can best determine when it is most cost efficient to build a new school or renovate the present one. Examples are used to illustrate the decision making process. (GR)

Now 30 years old, the Head Start program has received continued bipartisan support in Congress. Competing proposals for early intervention, day-care, and child/parent centers are costly, ineffective band-aids. Expanding Head Start into a four- to six-year program starting at age three or four would be the most cost-effective use of federal…

A study applied an economic impact model to Texas state appropriations for four-year colleges and universities, expressed in terms of impact on gross state product, payrolls, and employment opportunities in the state and at one institution, Texas A & M University. Three alternative impact scenarios are considered in each case, and the utility…

Views assessment of "Costs of Electronic Reference Resources" both in a general descriptive framework and within the context of a specific model for costing of library operations and services called LCM, the Library Costing Model. Examples of costing data uses are provided, and categories of costs are related to types of electronic…

Property theft at schools is a problem districts are having to confront. Deterrents include inventory checks and etching equipment with inventory control numbers. In Washington, D.C., officials are installing high-security equipment such as closed-circuit television, fiber-optics lines to secure computers, and motion detectors. (MLF)

The ultimate cost of workers compensation is made up of loss costs (the amounts paid to injured employees to compensate for lost wages and medical bills) and administrative costs. This article concentrates on potential savings in loss costs, highlighting indemnity and medical cost drivers, the need for effective policy communication to employees,…

Sprinklers can protect school buildings, save lives, and actually reduce construction costs. Sprinkler-system costs can be easily offset by insurance savings, as well as by specific alternatives or design options permitted by nationally recognized building codes in view of the superior protection that sprinklers provide. (MLF)

Describes how Colorado's Pueblo School District #70 dealt with impending funding cuts. The district developed a Budget Reduction Model to educate the public about the impact of loss of funding on various school-district goods and services. Presents the timeline and tools used to examine areas for potential cuts and to arrive at a consensus about…

Considers the size of online classes in higher education. Highlights include size as a factor in course design; interactivity issues; synchronous communication; balancing budget considerations and quality concerns; and enrollment parameters. (LRW)

Explores the use of needs assessment to provide evidence of college career center effectiveness, justify costs, and make effective decisions about their services. Discusses the benefits and process of conducting a needs assessment in a career center at a small university. (JOW)

Discusses the decision making behind whether some school district services are better to be outsourced rather than done in- house. Issues examined include calculating the cost of in-house service delivery before turning to the private sector. A list of what questions to be addressed in the decision making process is included. (GR)

In this exploratory study, university students were given the choice of two forms of course participation. One involved structured instructor support using the World Wide Web, including regular feedback; the second made the same possibilities available but did not require or structure their use. Includes a cost benefit analysis. (Contains 21…

Discusses portal technology in higher education, including planning, design, technical, and financial issues. Highlights include determining the customers; marketing possibilities for the university; ownership issues; data design; effective cost structuring; security issues; adaptability; content; and customer input and feedback. (LRW)

Examines several alternative ways for school districts to reduce the construction costs of new facilities. Finds that spacing out the start of facility construction projects and building during economic downturns in the construction industry offer the best options for construction cost savings. (PKP)