The various and developing forms of governmental intervention and control affecting universities are discussed. State intervention and control, program audits and evaluations, and federal intervention are described. The cost of interventions into institutional autonomy and the negative effect on quality are seen as increasing. (MLW)

Institutional atonomy, from the standpoint of accountability and responsibility, is discussed in order to arrive at a concept of the kind and degree of autonomy essential for an educational institution to effectively and efficiently fulfill its responsibilities to society. (MLW)

Based on Strasser and Deniston's guidelines (TM 504 251), the author discusses pre-planned and post-planned program evaluation decisions based on: (1) attitude of the organization being evaluated; (2) availability of resources; and (3) usefulness of the findings for programmatic decision making. (MH)

Describes performance funding as a relatively new approach that links tax support to institutional results from performance indicators chosen by the state. Under result-based funding, states consider efficiency and effectiveness as a basis for funding two- and four-year schools. Budgeting shifts from what states should do for their colleges toward…

Presents background information on the Homestead Act of 1862 and includes a set of suggested teaching activities to be used in conjunction with replicas of original documents. The Homestead Act provided free land to settlers and was instrumental in settling the west. Includes replicas of an application and certificate. (MJP)

Prospects for state legislatures' treatment of higher education issues are charted for all states with regular legislative sessions. Information provided includes the legislative session dates, summary budget requests, outlook for the budget request, other key higher education issues likely to be addressed, and private college issues under…

Discusses the content and impact of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA) of 1990, which redesigned the state's education system, including new finance, governance, and accountability mechanisms. Although funding differences between school districts declined, the basic proportions of allocations changed very little. The KERA strategy appears…

The formal regulatory frameworks for higher education in four nations (Australia, Great Britain, Holland, and Sweden) who have recently enacted similar policies are described. Focus is on five areas: (1) higher education system design; (2) planning approaches; (3) funding; (4) outcomes assessment; and (5) government regulation of degrees,…

A study compared outcomes of a 1993 rating of Australian universities by the Commission for Quality in Higher Education with government grants to institutions for achieving equity goals and for strategies used to meet them, suggesting that the two issues are completely disassociated in funding considerations. Analysis of the data is detailed. (MSE)

Newfoundland and Labrador has many rural communities, low literacy rates, high unemployment, declining enrollment and population, and teacher shortages. Policy responses have been to consolidate schools, increase rural teacher pay, increase teacher recruitment, implement distance learning and distance professional development, intensify…

Reflects on research that showed that, as reading ability of students without disabilities increased in schools engaged in "effective schools" reforms, the reading ability of students with disabilities decreased. Concerns are raised that resources previously devoted to special education programs may serve to infuse general school…

Internet 2, a project intended to provide member universities with new computer network services and faster connections, is criticized for growing too large and too difficult to administer cooperatively. Its organizers are working closely with the Clinton Administration's Next Generation Internet Initiative, but some lawmakers feel the program is…

Describes the implementation in one British school district of a model auditing system that takes curriculum as its starting point. Although the model drives the local educational authority funding formula, its educational importance is at the school level. Its implementation in a special secondary school for students with severe, profound, and…

This article describes variables that may influence alternate assessment outcomes for students with disabilities and offers recommendations to enhance student achievement. These variables include technical quality, curriculum access, data collection, instructional effectiveness, risk factors, and resources allocated to instruction. Two of four…

Investigates resourcing issues for schools through headteachers' perceptions of the funding issues. Delegation of financial decision-making has made it harder to obtain impartial analyses of resource-deployment decisions. Concludes that linking resources to learning requires a shift in emphasis away from apportionment and toward the language of…