In this issue of Forum Focus, we focus on what researchers and policy makers are doing to help governments take stock of their efforts to make sure that every young person is "Ready by 21"--ready for work, ready for college, ready for life. "Research Update" reviews efforts to establish a coherent set of youth development…

States benefit considerably when their stocks of "educational capital" grow. From a workforce and tax revenue standpoint, state rates of return on baccalaureate education are far higher than those associated with any other educational step. Additional benefits attributable to higher education--ranging from enhancements in citizen participation…

College and university trustees and administrators are employing various strategies to deal with financial challenges. These fall generally into five categories: (1) attracting additional revenues to help close the gap between resources and expenses; (2) reassessing tuition and financial aid policies to alter the size or mix of the student body;…

To improve the education of black students and to encourage desegregation, a federal judge ordered the Kansas City (Missouri) school district to come up with a cost-is-no-object educational plan and ordered local and state taxpayers to find the money to pay for it. Kansas City spent as much as $11,700 per pupil, more money per pupil on a cost of…

This handbook was designed to help Wisconsin Public Library trustees organize their thoughts, deliberations, and actions. The book is divided into three main sections: (1) Effective Public Library Trustees and Boards; (2) Planning for Effective Action by the Public Library Board; and (3) Appendixes. The purpose of the first section is to place in…

This written testimony, presented to the California State Assembly on February 28, 2001, by Thomas J. Nussbaum, Chancellor of the California Community Colleges (CCC), presents statistics for the financial state of the California Community College System, in comparison to both other states and to the California K-12, California State University…

This report describes capacity and needs assessments of youth services in the District of Columbia. The assessments were conducted by the Urban Institute, Georgetown University, and the University of the District of Columbia in the summer of 1999. D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams requested these assessments to help guide the allocation of additional…

This is the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) of the Yavapai Community College District (YCCD) (Arizona) for the fiscal year (FY) ended June 30, 2001. The report is separated into three sections: (1) introductory section; (2) financial section--includes the basic financial statements as well as the independent auditors' report on the…

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was created to address the unsatisfactory learning outcomes of U.S. students, especially minority and poor students who continue to perform at significantly lower levels than their peers. The NCLB requires states, districts, and high schools to take steps to ensure that all students meet high academic…

This report presents the Illinois governor's fiscal year 2001 budget, focusing on higher education. The governor has proposed a fiscal year 2001 state budget totaling $46.5 billion. The budget includes $3.4 billion for higher education operations and grants, which is an increase of $181 million, or 5.7 percent, over fiscal year 2000. This report…

Presents a history of New Jersey's Public School Education Act of 1975, including a discussion of the landmark decision Robinson v. Cahill (1970), which found the state's educational finance system unconstitutional. Measures of expenditure disparity and wealth neutrality are then used to assess the present New Jersey school finance system. (JW)

Recent abandonment of certain established criteria in Australia's system of resource allocation for higher education are discussed along with resulting effects. The criteria include: specific institutional needs, nondisruption of institutional activities, and recognition of institutional autonomy. (MSE)

Compares financial resource mobilization, allocation, and accounting for school desegregation in three large cities. Focuses on interactions between school officials, courts, and city officials in designing and funding desegregation remedies, and argues that budgeting for desegregation depends on legal and political processes that are often beyond…

General West German educational policy does not seem to influence application of new educational technology, which seems more dependent on the commitment of individual teachers, students, parents, and administrators. In addition, federal-state power structure influences related school funding and curriculum development. (Author/MSE)

The lack of government and citizen support forecast for public schools will also affect independent schools, as will any possible energy shortage. Independent schools must start to pool resources and personnel to deliver the needed high-quality, pertinent science programs. Redefining work and stressing lifelong learning are other school roles.…