In excerpts from alumni magazines, the treasurers of Haverford College (Pennsylvania) and Wake Forest University (North Carolina) communicate issues involved in setting tuition and offer unique approaches to explaining the value that students receive at these private institutions. (MSE)

Discusses the potential of self-help/mutual-aid groups as a way to reduce the demand for professional substance-abuse treatment and proposes a model that combines the two approaches for cost-effective and therapeutically effective networks of services. (SLD)

Describes a four-tier model for designing and developing practice and assessment in computer-based training. Topics include teaching versus assessing; levels of knowledge; taxonomy levels and intended learning outcomes; and time and cost constraints that result in criterion-referenced tests being most widely used. (Author/LRW)

Five reviewers of "School Choice and Competition: Markets in the Public Interest?" (Routledge, 1998), by Philip Woods, Carl Bagley, and Ron Glatter, critique this comprehensive study of three educational quasi-markets in Great Britain. Areas such as social stratification, overall student achievement, diversity, and innovation appear to…

A college or university's investment in information technology (IT) makes possible more effective teaching methods using both traditional and IT-based techniques, as well as making both student learning and faculty use of time more productive. A possible plan for making the transition from traditional to mixed teaching methods is presented. (MSE)

Provides evaluation snapshots of nine programs operated by the Chesapeake (Virginia) Public Schools to illustrate the importance of ongoing program assessment. Advises evaluators to use teamwork, employ a full-time evaluator, utilize consultants as needed, write annual management plans, involve school division administrators, and meet regularly.…

Discusses the fiscal condition of Florida, highlighting its school-funding system and comparisons with other states. Analyzes five issues identified in interviews with state policy analysts: adequate funding for growing demand, applied educational-equity/adequacy considerations, tax-base adequacy, alternative revenue sources, and accountability…

Estimates the operational costs of nationwide class-size-reduction programs under various policy alternatives, including the specified class size, flexibility in implementation, and whether the policy is targeted toward at-risk students. Depending on the options, estimated costs range from about $2 billion per year to over $11 billion per year.…

Presents an approach to calculating the costs of college education to maximize students' human capital. When considering college expenses, students often overlook the opportunity costs of income foregone while pursuing degrees. A true-cost calculation worksheet and a strategy for making true costs salient to students (projecting the number of…

Discusses multimedia software and describes the production and the learning rationale of a series of six multimedia CD-ROMs that develop the listening skills of learners of Business English. Describes problems of cost, time, and quality in producing multiple courseware and explains the programming solution which gives control to subject experts.…

Reviews a pilot project (teaching science) in India. Objectives included the following: developing reliable locally-produced low-cost equipment; finding experiments compatible with the equipment that illustrate principles and practice of modern chemistry; providing teachers with workshops, manuals, and videotapes; establishing a production unit to…

Focuses on students who fit into "niches," and discusses how the Chattanooga State Technical Community College's distance-learning program accommodates these learners. Describes five "niche" learner categories: students with disabilities, power-line maintenance technicians, emergency-service personnel, truckers, and industrial…

Choosing the right training technology for an organization should be based on the effectiveness and the costs of alternative delivery methods. ADVISOR 2.0 (a media selection/cost analysis tool) uses a systematic approach to analyze a training course, focusing on evaluation of direct and hidden costs, amount of up-front investment required, and…

Successful outsourcing is a learning process demanding careful planning, commitment, and heavy communication. The process also requires a strong leadership and a cohesive school board ready to weather a cultural change. Service employee options, contractors' managerial expertise, increased efficiency, and partnership opportunities are possible…

Restructuring serials management along access-versus-ownership lines doesn't solve the serials crisis, but it alleviates inflationary pressures and has other significant economic, service, and political outcomes. This new series model is illustrated at three institutional libraries. ((Author/AEF)