An approach to human performance based on economic concepts is described; the human system employs utility considerations to determine allocation of its limited resources. The efficiency of those resources in performance depends on parameters characterizing the task and the performer. Models and interpretations of dual task performance are…

Holds that (1) the disproportionate and discriminatory allocation of state resources to Black institutions, and (2) the reluctance of federal agencies to push for desegregation, have contributed to maintenance of the status quo with respect to the growth and development of Black universities in North Carolina. (Author/GC)

Presents an analysis of problems of resource allocation in the school library and a practical operations research approach toward accountability. Four planning instruments are included in the solution procedure: inventory of services; preference form; data collection guide; and program costing matrix. (Author/MBR)

An awareness of all the forces affecting higher education today is not enough; carefully planned strategies to deal with them are also necessary for effective administration. Organizational-environmental concerns, the seven-component model for managing organizational complexity, and forecasting technologies are among topics discussed. (Editor/TA)

Argues that to base the benefit schedule of an income-support program on an index that defines poverty in terms of money income alone is to create gross inequities across households that vary in their number of adult hours. Provides a two-dimensional poverty definition and shows how this standard can be used to define voluntary versus involuntary…

Recent judicial treatment of tax expenditures in both state action and establishment clause cases is analyzed and it is argued that tax expenditures and direct expenditures should be treated as constitutional equivalents. (LBH)

Expenditures per student in Australian universities are examined by a university vice-chancellor. Focus is on cost indexes, real resources, and corrections for faculty costs. (LBH)

Allocation of a lump sum appropriation among seven colleges and universities in a single system can often be a source of wide dissention. Institutions in Oregon have achieved consensus on a budget allocation model that rests on recent advances in cost analysis. The model allocates funds on an equal basis for each major discipline and by level of…

Discusses a simple technique for stochastic resource planning that, when computerized, can assist educational managers in the process of quantifying the future uncertainty, thereby, helping them make better decisions. The example used is a school lunch program. (Author/IRT)

A national study of rural superintendents identified several fiscal practices to maximize resources, including seeking bids and comparison pricing for purchases, paying bills promptly where discounts are available, employing aggressive energy conservation measures, joining a regional service agency to provide services and programs, and increasing…

A poll of 1,933 voters in two counties that passed school bonds and two that did not examines voter perceptions toward school bonds. The factors linked to passage were that the number of students was growing, that most students would benefit, and that the dollar amount of the bond issue was reasonable. (SLD)

Discusses problems with reallocating public resources for education in developing countries from higher to lower education levels. There is a case for maintaining and even increasing higher education spending, as long as public funds can be directed to research and other "public good" functions. The true social rate of return to certain…

Asserts that the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, which is intended to close the achievement gap by improving schools, may be largely ineffective due to several of its questionable assumptions (e.g, school attendance is valued by and valuable to all individuals, and education creates opportunities). Suggests that simply providing the poor…

A new budgeting concept currently popular in colleges and universities, Responsibility Centered Management (RCM) holds that unit heads, who understand their operations best, should be given greater budgetary authority and responsibility. Experience with the system at Indiana University and several hypothetical cases suggest that RCM would place…

A review of over 400 studies of student achievement demonstrates that there is not a strong or consistent relationship between student performance and school resources, at least after variations in family input are taken into account. Simple resource policies appear to offer little hope for improving student outcomes. (SLD)