Investigates the basis of short-term memory deficits for children with reading disability and explores the origin of developmental verbal memory span increases. Finds a strong relationship between efficiency of phonological processes and capacity of verbal memory but no relationship between phonological processing and nonverbal memory. (RS)

An investigation was conducted of the relative drag experienced by different types of tea/coffee stirrers to make deductions about their stirring efficiencies. Experiments compared the stirring performances of convex and concave sides of a plastic teaspoon with the performance of a commercial stirrer. The performance of the spoon exceeded that of…

When Governor Roy Romer challenged Colorado's 20 largest districts to undergo performance audits, 12 responded. Consultants recommended that districts provide more market-sensitive salaries, privatize certain functions, cross-train personnel, and create job flexibility. Districts can improve overall efficiency by generating accurate operational…

Describes the development and implementation of a small-dollar procurement card program at the University of Colorado, Boulder, detailing establishment of policies and procedures, adaptation to different departments, transaction review system, card controls, piloting, measures of program success, and specific benefits realized with the new system.…

Reviews Ohio's data-collection process and makes recommendations for developing a school-level data-collection system that gives stakeholders a clearer picture of resource-allocation/utilization patterns and of school operations' adequacy and efficiency. Various process and methodological issues must be tackled before instituting such systems. (35…

Reviews the nature of rural education and meanings of efficiency as seen in finance-litigation literature. Describes litigation in five rural states (Arkansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, West Virginia), highlighting interpretations of the "thorough and efficient" clause within these states' constitutions. Rural schools' small size and…

Compares approaches and trends in lifelong learning in Britain, Sweden, and Germany. The centrally planned Swedish approach increasingly needs to curb public expenditure. The German experience, an integrated partnership between the state and the private sector, is particularly sensitive to downturns in the economic cycle. The British approach…

Examines administrative processes in higher education institutions, focusing on the different core processes within an institution and the creation of structures to make them more efficient and productive. Proposes a framework of four process-related activities benchmarking, identifying best practices, redesign, and organization alignment to…

Reflects on the dominant idea in this issue that efficiency and productivity criteria are the basis for educational accountability policy, and relates this to leadership of urban schools. Policy makers should be held accountable for knowing the credible research that informs their decisions. (MMU)

Undertakes two exercises: (1) argues that the public sector has been transformed from a Keynsian Welfare State to a Schumpeterian Workfare State, and (2) examines educational researchers' conception of and engagement with social policy. Observes a tension in education policy research between commitments to pursue efficiency and social justice.…

Analyzes overall effectiveness and efficiency of Chicago public elementary schools, evaluating performance changes following fundamental school reforms of 1988-89. Some schools are effective regarding student achievement at certain points in time; others are efficient in adding value (improving disadvantaged students' performance). Some have both…

The learning productivity approach to higher education attempts to gain productivity, not so much by reducing or cheapening inputs but by enhancing higher education's major output: student learning. In the learning productivity perspective, the principal problem is in teaching and learning inefficiencies such as excessive nonlearning time,…

Explores the cost savings (efficiency) of a year-round schedule versus a traditional 9-month schedule for 115 schools in Clark County, Nevada, including real-estate capital in the estimated cost functions. The 26 year-round schools experienced efficiencies in cost of capital and other areas, such as operations. (Contains 15 references.) (MLH)

Objective: To determine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among incarcerated male adolescents and to investigate the influence of psychopathology on allocation to either plain detention or detention with compulsory treatment. Method: A cross-sectional study of a representative sample (N = 204) of incarcerated boys aged 12 to 18, using the…

This study examines technical efficiency in European higher education (HE) institutions. To measure efficiency, we consider the capacity of each HE institution, on one hand, to provide competencies to graduates and, on the other hand, to match competencies provided during education to competencies required in the job. We use a large sample of…