School districts offer teacher early retirement incentive plans (TERIPs) as an opportunity to hire less expensive teachers, reduce fringe benefits costs, and eliminate teaching positions. Discusses reasons for teachers to accept TERIP, and describes a computer model that allows school officials to calculate and compare costs incurred if an…

The zero-based curriculum model can help school boards and administrators make decisions about what to keep and what to cut. All instructional programs are ranked and judged in categories ranging from required to optional. (MLF)

Thirty-four suggestions for making college fund raising more effective are offered. The ideas focus on conserving what you have, getting and keeping extra income; finding creative donations; cutting travel and printing costs; bargaining with suppliers; using telephone, mail, and fax effectively; using creative staffing; and monitoring resource…

College and university professionals in publications and public relations recount how they have effectively coped with significant budgetary setbacks. Strategies include more careful and cost-conscious planning, staff reorganization, and reductions in printing and mailing costs. (MSE)

Considers both market choice and public choice mechanisms with respect to their efficiencies in producing social and private benefits. A market approach to education appears superior regarding private benefits, whereas the public choice appears superior regarding social benefits. Neither system is cost effective, although the market system yields…

Advocates using baseball statistics to illustrate the advantages of specialization in production. Using Babe Ruth's record as an analogy, suggests a methodology for determining a player's comparative advantage as a teaching illustration. Includes the team's statistical profile in five tables to explain comparative advantage and profit maximizing.…

Discusses information needs of university administrators and committees, and describes the development of an information service provided by the Electronic Information Services (EIS) unit of the Indiana State University library. Highlights include staff reactions, a pilot test, marketing the service, cost effectiveness of CD-ROM use, and document…

These two articles address the rising costs of monographs and serials in libraries and suggest strategies for coping with inflationary trends. Highlights include factors in price increases; gathering accurate data on the local budget; domestic and foreign price fluctuations; the increase in new journal titles; and publisher growth policies and…

The Greenwood in Vermont provides residential care for elders, day care for preschoolers, and after-school care for school-aged children. It is economically profitable and contributes to positive interactions between children and adults. (SK)

Major national policy statements driving the school reform movement ignore potential of interscholastic athletic programs for improving public education. A decline in public support for athletics, the "back to basics" movement, and athletics' traditional financial vulnerability point to an uncertain future. Research shows that athletic programs…

The Copernican plan can help almost every U.S. high school decrease its average class size, increase its course offerings, substantially reduce teaching load, provide students with regularly scheduled seminars, establish a productive learning environment, and substantially increase learning mastery within present funding levels. Sidebars describe…

Explains how training simulations can make on-the-job learning faster and safer by providing hands-on experience and controlled environments. Offers tips for assessing the costs and designing and effective simulation. (Author)

The insurance industry has experienced a round of claims costs as a result of recent natural disasters. These costs are passed on to customers. To avoid higher premiums, student-transportation systems can take the following money-saving steps: raise the deductible; beef up driver training; focus on driver retention; and get the fleet's loss…

A statewide food-purchasing cooperative in Mississippi offers cost savings, better service, and quality improvement. Explains 15 steps to forming a purchasing cooperative. (MLF)

Tools for studying the social and environmental effects of technology include case studies, community-based studies involving real local problems, role playing, cost-benefit analysis, technology assessment, and lab experiments. (SK)