In October 2002, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board adopted a preliminary analysis of the costs and benefits of reaching the first two goals of "Closing the Gaps by 2015," the state's higher education plan. Refinements to the analysis, which adjusted for inflation and made other changes, were presented in January 2003, and the…

The aims of this document are: (1) to enable school and college administrators to brief their architects on appropriate provision of lighting, and (2) to enable lighting designers to check that the criteria they apply are consistent with good current practice. The scope is restricted to learning and study activities and associated circulation.…

This document describes total cost of ownership (TCO) as a useful tool in the effective planning of technology use in schools. TCO is an analysis of all the costs of computer technology in a school in comparison with the value derived from the current investment. It also includes an assessment of strategies that can be implemented to reduce costs.…

This research brief describes how to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis. The first task is to find out if there are differences in the costs of operating program alternatives through the following steps: (1) describing each program alternative and its components and potential benefits; (2) determining the costs of the alternatives by…

This testimony is an evaluation of the U.S. Department of Education's progress in integrating its National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) with other student financial aid systems, as required by law. NSLDS was authorized under the 1986 Higher Education Act amendments as a means to improve compliance with repayment and loan-limitation provisions,…

This digest reviews the literature and discusses issues concerning college faculty workload. Trends in the United States which have created interest in faculty workload issues are identified including faltering state economies in the late 1980s and rising costs of higher education especially of personnel. Criticism of higher education by the…

This monograph describes a variety of approaches to understanding how cost and quality are related and offers analytical tools. The analyses focus on the direct cost of instruction for a course, a course of study, or an academic program and do not include related support services such as the library or academic computing. Following an introductory…

The hearing reported in this document focuses on K-12 and undergraduate science, mathematics, and engineering education and the improvement of the educational system to prepare the 21st century workforce. The report includes statements from Ms. Narvella R. West, Executive Director for Science, Dallas Independent School District; Dr. Geoffrey C.…

This guide to program evaluation presents questions that illuminate aspects of the evaluation process. Issues to consider in program evaluation are: (1) the intended results of the program; (2) hypotheses about the possible results of the program; (3) the types of data that will indicate achievement of the intended results and the variables that…

Medicaid helps finance certain health services that eligible children, including those with disabilities, receive in schools, such as diagnostic screening and physical therapy. Medicaid is also authorized to reimburse schools' costs for certain administrative activities, such as conducting outreach and providing referrals to qualified providers.…

This document addresses the concept of a year-round educational system (YRES) as an alternative schedule for education, the associated costs of an extended school year, the operational costs for single and multi-track YRES calendars, and the potential for the avoidance of capital costs in multi-track calendars. Topics include the reduction of…

Successfully retrofitting aging K-12 schools using energy conservation measures (ECM) that can improve the physical plant and reduce energy consumption are explored. Topics explore how certain ECM measures can benefit educational facilities, why retrofitting begun sooner rather than later is important, how to finance the retrofit program, and the…

This booklet reports on a study of food service functions in Texas schools. The report contains examples taken from previous school reviews and is based on the state Comptroller's instruction that the best practices identified by the Texas School Performance Review team be communicated to all the state's school districts. Some examples present…

Many front-line managers who are assuming more financial responsibility for their organizations find traditional cost accounting inadequate for their needs and are turning to Activity Based Costing (ABC). ABC is not a financial reporting system to serve the needs of regulatory agencies, but a tool that tracks costs from the general ledger…

North Carolina school districts thinking about building new educational facilities are legislatively required to conduct an analysis that compares the costs and feasibility of building the new building versus renovating an old building. This document contains the cost and feasibility forms suggested for use in this analysis. The forms provide a…