Three school districts are working successfully with a private contractor to reduce the operating costs of lunch programs, while increasing participation and maintaining nutrition standards. The facilities department of the fourth school is producing higher quality work and greater accountability under the direction of a private contractor. (MLF)

Examines the rationale behind the Self-Access Language Learning Center at the University of Abertay Dundee (Scotland), outlines some practical considerations, and looks for future developments. The growth in popularity of self-access learning is due to the fact that it is learner centered and to the flexibility it offers over entirely class-based…

A survey of interlibrary loan (ILL) staffing levels in Michigan academic libraries was conducted in 1994 to examine the relationship between ILL transaction volume and staffing patterns. Results show that departments with the largest volume needed additional staff; inadequate staffing levels caused blurring of job descriptions; and that ILL staff…

Discusses the benefits and challenges of technology in the teaching of foreign languages. Benefits include accessibility in time and space and an accessible learning process. Challenges include providing sufficient access to learning for everyone who has adequate preparation, fostering the right kinds of learning outcomes for course graduates, and…

A methodology is presented for collection of cost data in evaluation of community-level health interventions that coincides with the intervention implementation. The seven discrete steps of the analysis are described, and the Minimal Contact Education for Cholesterol Change study is used as an example of how the strategy is used. (SLD)

Decentralizing educational budgets allows the disbursement of funds aimed at maximizing student development. Three strategies for decentralizing budgets are program budgeting, which eliminates line-item budgeting and allows administrators to address questions regarding the relative value of educational programs; zero-based budgeting, which allows…

Built 7 years after the original plan and budget were approved, Brunswick High School (Maine) houses 1,200 students on 50 acres and contains the latest technological features. Among these are energy management systems that students can see firsthand, a traditional library with 21st-century features, and interactive environmental learning from…

George Washington Bush Middle School (Washington) is built to accommodate a design and technology program. Technology education and information resource areas are located centrally to a cluster of eight general classrooms. (MLF)

Successful strategies for financing the Environmental Studies Programme at Grey-Highlands Secondary School (Flesherton, Ontario) consisted of developing a partnership with Project CANOE, establishing priorities in fund-raising activities; being financially independent by not relying on grants or special funding; and integrating money-making…

Discusses the search by school systems and construction professionals for new efficiencies in the face of economic pressures. Some are shrinking or stretching out construction programs and demanding better economies. Others are seeking new financial partners and non-traditional funding methods, or deciding that creating new school space does not…

Proposes that more cost-effective physics teaching could be achieved if methods of teaching and learning were substantially revised from the point of view of the desired objectives and if teachers recognized the need for continuing professional development in this area. Also recommends more student self-assessment, both as an economical measure…

Three retention and enrollment management experts share their most effective innovations and best practices that have achieved cost-effective results. Tables provide data on dropout rates, graduation rates, and results of a student satisfaction rating survey of four-year colleges and universities. (DB)

Case studies of seven school-to-work programs sponsored by diverse businesses showed that firms paid at least some training costs, only partially recouped by hiring former apprentices. Although the imperfections of the U.S. labor market motivate company participation and financing of training, long-term benefits do not seem to outweigh costs. (SK)

Private universities implementing nontraditional programs for working adults typically staff these programs with part-time, adjunct, and underpaid faculty with no benefits. The model outlined suggests that a policy establishing nontraditional faculty may represent a false economy. Paying such faculty proportionately more than regular faculty would…

This study examines the pragmatic design and cost-effectiveness of the Marchus School's 1261 Project, a California program that serves elementary and middle school students with emotional or behavioral disorders within a public school setting. Case studies demonstrated that not only have costs been avoided but funds have also been saved.…