A teacher retraining program sends teachers who are certified in low demand areas to Virginia Commonwealth University to get certified in high demand areas. Retraining veteran teachers and the reduction of extraneous teaching positions, along with savings on substitute teacher costs, should save the system nearly $2 million. (MLF)

Provides information on how school districts can reduce their fiscal liability under the Handicapped Child Protection Act (HCPA) of 1986. School officials that present an image of service and cooperation for disabled students are less likely to have a dispute and less likely to have to pay attorneys' fees. (Contains 32 references.) (MLF)

Educational Alternatives, Inc. (EAI), and others have formed a consortium, "The Alliance for Schools That Work," that seeks to manage the curriculum, maintenance and operation, and financial operations of individual schools or entire school districts. EAI's president describes how the alliance would handle the business affairs of a…

The relationship between cost-efficiency and personal characteristics of 111 supported employees were examined. When sheltered workshops were used as alternative placements, supported employees with high IQS benefited more from employment within the community than did supported employees with lower IQS. From society's perspective, African-American…

Small colleges are under increasing pressure to spend on upgrading technology to win a real or imagined technology race against other institutions. However, the process of making this decision should be coordinated and focus on return on investment; strategic match of technology and mission; competitive advantage; knowledge of real needs;…

Examines whether the Modern Red Schoolhouse, an expensive reform design, could be funded in high-, medium-, and low- spending school districts across Wisconsin. Most Wisconsin schools can afford MRS reform elements; less expensive strategies are also available. Findings may not apply to states with lower per-pupil fiscal investments. (Contains 26…

Like county governments, hospitals, and municipalities, superintendents must develop policies and protocols for requesting proposals, administering contracts, and ensuring desired results of private-sector services. Administrators should consider performance criteria, legal issues, cost and efficiency analysis, contractor evaluation criteria, and…

Describes an inexpensive method for analyzing the cost-effectiveness of a liberal arts college's journal collection, based on measurements of journal use, journal subscription prices, and course enrollment by academic department. Explains data collection methods and presents results of collection analysis. Discusses the benefits of empirical…

Examines national experiences with educational vouchers in Chile and Sweden in relation to commonly held assumptions of proponents and opponents. Finds that vouchers did not improve academic achievement; "flight from public education" was related to prior lack of public support for public education; increased choice primarily benefited…

School districts have come up with some money-saving practices that include auditing utility bills, turning off lights, installing light fixtures that are more cost-efficient, keeping track of what the district owns, and shopping for better deals with utilities. (MLF)

The utility of cost-benefit analysis in program evaluation is illustrated using hypothetical examples of the consequences of natural environments service provision. Areas for further research related to cost and benefit implications are presented. Early intervention programs can use the cost-benefit framework to evaluate the social impact of…

A mortgage services company conducted a cost benefit analysis of a computer-based training program for its payment application process. A test group showed a 21% increase in speed of making payments, an 81% increase in accuracy, a reduction of average training time by nearly 65%, and improved morale. Program design, development, authoring, and…

States have had to budget increasing amounts for mandated pupil-transportation services as their state transportation aid has been slashed dramatically. Among school districts, cooperation and coordination through shared services (consortia) have resulted in safer, more reliable, and more efficient transportation. Implementation advice is…

A survey of one national and three statewide studies (in Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama) of class-size achievement effects revealed no consistent pattern across various subjects and grade levels. However, smaller classes can improve student achievement, particularly in early grades and when teacher quality remains constant. (Contains 36 footnotes.)…

Reports on a survey of academic libraries that was conducted to supplement findings of cost studies by providing measures of efficiency and effectiveness for cataloging departments based on reported productivity, number of staff, task distribution, and quality measures including backlogs, authority control, and database maintenance. Identifies…