This report summarizes discussions between education and youth development leaders regarding the need to address financial and resource issues in high school reform. They discussed: (1) allocation and alignment of resources to support standards-based reform (SBR) and higher expectations for all students; (2) generating resources for the…

This study sets out to examine the relationship, if any, between the decentralization of funding for schools and the prevalence of corruption and fraud. It is based upon work carried out in four countries: Australia (the State of Victoria), the United Kingdom (specifically England), Poland (with particular reference to two cities) and Brazil…

This report examines the revenue sources and levels of the Dayton Public School District and ten community schools that were operating in Dayton in the 2001-02 school year. The authors also conduct a "what if" analysis to see how the community schools' funding picture might change if its student population and/or funding level mirrored…

Variable fees at the graduate and undergraduate levels are a topic of discussion in the US and in the EU as part of a larger movement towards increasing the role of fees in the funding of public universities. This essay describes this relatively new shift and its causes, outlines various funding models related to fee levels, and discusses the…

The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FCCC) is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to support the California Community College (CCC) system and to save the CCC money. FCCC is the official auxiliary to the Board of Governors, the Chancellor's office, and the system of 108 colleges of the CCC. This document provides details on the…

This handbook was created to provide the user with an informative reference of the various elements contained in the Louisiana Minimum Foundation Program formula. The MFP formula adopted by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and approved by the Legislature determines the cost of a minimum foundation program of education in all…

In Sheffield, England, a budget crisis and the growing demands of the National Curriculum sparked a campaign for improved contact ratios and class sizes. The local education authority established an independent inquiry to determine existing resourcing patterns and create the framework for a new curriculum-led funding rationale. This paper…

Reviews research on the association between school size and educational outcomes and considers policy implications of that research. Suggests a shift of value from large size to small size. Describes current state finance formulas, with an emphasis on sparsity and geographical isolation factors. Identifies policy considerations relative to the use…

Shifts in state funding, improved school facilities, and changes in other measurable resources do not lead directly to improved student achievement. Choice may be exacerbating existing disparities. School business officials can expect increased pressures to provide more parental choice opportunities and innovative funding solutions. (MLH)

Mixed messages--a legislature intending to repair school finance system inequities and a governor claiming the problem is "fixed" by a $100 million construction grant--characterized the beginning of Arizona's 1997 legislative session. Charter schools, school-based management, vouchers, and property-tax reforms are also discussed. (MLH)

This article studies the effects of earmarking state lottery profits for education. Because educational expenditures generally exceed the funds earmarked for education by a wide margin, nothing prevents state legislators from using earmarked funds to replace rather than augment funds that would have gone to education in the absence of earmarking.…

Special education as a percentage of total enrollment has risen significantly across the nation, increasing from 8% of the school-age population in 1975-76 to 12% in 2001-02. These growing numbers have garnered increased public attention and have raised questions as to whether the type of special education funding formula used by states may be…

Flexibility is a lever for change that occupies an increasingly prominent place in federal strategies for educational improvement. Flexibility assumes that local actors are in the best position to identify the most serious problems facing schools and students and to determine how to solve them. Consequently, these actors should be given greater…

America's higher education system is among the best in the world. Nevertheless, there is scope for improvement. In particular, there appear to be substantial financial barriers to higher education despite large government expenditures aimed at promoting access. Policy makers have proposed addressing these barriers by increasing student grants.…

This article presents findings from a national study on doctoral education undertaken at a time of new government policies on funding of higher education and doctoral research in particular. The article discusses the overall policy developments in Australia and then examines the impact of policy on practice in doctoral education. Particular focus…