Reactions of public college and university officials (e.g., universities of Maryland and Iowa) to issues in lobbying for more funds during a recession are reported. Reactions range from continuing traditional approaches such as testifying at hearings to participating in protest rallies and urging students, parents, and college employees to fight…

The northeast's economic problems have had a serious impact on higher education in student access, faculty contracts, faculty "brain drain," rising tuition, more time spent completing degrees, and decaying facilities. Higher education must shift its emphasis away from mere survival and back to creativity in teaching and research. (MSE)

Identifies nine major state educational strategies with specially targeted rural assistance goals. Categorizes the strategies according to their primary intent and state policy instruments used in implementation. Suggests that this classification will further the assessment of the equity, adequacy, responsiveness, and appropriateness of the…

Although selecting goals and indicators is the most challenging task of performance funding, implementation requires development of other critical elements: success criteria to measure institutional performance; indicator weights for percent of funding allocated to each indicator; an allocation method for setting the relationship between…

A 1996 survey of state policymakers and public college representatives in states with performance funding (Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee) is presented. Although differences exist across states in a number of areas, findings challenge the assumption of an irreconcilable gap between…

Data from national sources were used to test whether state school finance reform alters neighborhood income homogeneity. Results show that school finance has a significant effect on school district income sorting, especially among low-income communities. (Author)

Reviews higher education racial desegregation equity since the U.S. Supreme Court's 1992 "Fordice" decision. Discusses historically black colleges and universities' future status and African-American students' progress, using finance data analyzed and interpreted via critical race theory. HBCU's receive inferior state appropriation…

Presents statistics and research results in support of the view that the St. Louis (Missouri) public schools continue to be highly segregated, and that the district should not be granted the unitary status that would reduce state funding. The economic costs to disadvantaged children of segregated schools are noted. (SLD)

Argues that, if higher education is serious about achieving sustained policy to support the arts, it must build consensus about the value of art, artists, and artistic freedom. Politically, more attention is given to tactics than to underlying philosophy. Trend data for National Endowment for the Arts funding and state arts funding in New England…

Reports that North Carolina colleges are working together as never before to secure passage of the most expensive ($3.1 billion) statewide bond referendum package ever for the support of higher education in the United States. University and community college officials have cooperated in making the case across the state for the increased…

Employs school funding formulas enacted under Georgia's Quality Basic Education Act to explore changes in interdistrict equity over time. Regarding overall distribution of per-pupil resources across districts (horizontal equity) and for special- needs students (vertical equity), dispersion measures approach Odden and Picus' suggested equity…

Though many maintain that current standards-based school reform is unprecedented, an educational reform effort begun nearly a century ago set standards for improving rural midwestern schools. Begun during the tumultuous Progressive Era, the standard-school initiative emerged from a larger concern for the quality of American rural life. A…

Describes a state's and district's process of bringing available technology up to expectations with the Digital High School Education Technology Grant Program (California). Discusses several challenges: getting started; aligning technology to standards; matching media to needs; addressing information literacy development; training staff; getting…

A recent study found no evidence of inadequate state-aid general funding for Oklahoma's mandated elementary class size requirements as they became more restrictive during implementation phases. Over the years, state aid increased on a per-simulated-class basis for grades K-6. State-aid distribution equity also increased. (MLH)

Reviews 30 years of state efforts to support school-facilities construction and renovation in Texas. Describes recent state programs to provide direct funding for school facilities: Instructional Facilities Allotment, Existing Debt Allotment, and New Instructional Facilities Allotment. Although state funding of school facilities has increased,…