Noting that economic crisis until recently was considered a peculiar characteristic of free-enterprise economies, this article provides factual information demonstrating the economic crisis in the planned economies of eastern Europe. It describes in detail the consequences of the crisis for education in Poland. (JDH)

Following a brief history of education over the last forty years, this article provides a discussion of the meaning, impact, and relevance of the recent educational reform movement in the United States. (JDH)

This article describes the static or declining economic conditions of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and relates these conditions to restrictions on education, the relationship between education and employment, control of education by governing authorities, and the employment conditions of teachers. (JDH)

Several criticisms of a "Journal of Education Finance" article by Guilbert Hentschke and John Yagielski (v8, n1) are elaborated, the most fundamental of which is its failure to consider the revenue side of fiscal strain. (MJL)

Authors of "School District Fiscal Strain: Implications for State and Federal Financial Assistance" respond to a critique by F. Howard Nelson in this issue. Among other points, they counter that their article did consider the revenue side of fiscal strain by assuming a constant budget constraint. (MJL)

The president of Wesley College, Delaware, offers management guidelines for coping in a period of severe financial stress which include involve the board, examine past audit reports, talk to personnel, install an energy control system, and examine business office computer sheets and ledger books. (MLF)

Chronicles the process used by University of Denver officials as they decided to close the library school as of August 16, 1985, due to overall enrollment declines and financial pressures. Highlights include plans of university's reorganization committee, questioning of library school's quality, and 30-minute defense by library school dean Bernard…

Argues that the poor's plight is likely to worsen as New York City's fiscal crisis is transformed into a service crisis. Asserts that the tendency to close small old schools in areas where densities are higher (which minimizes transportation costs) closes schools that are predominantly attended by poor and minority students. (KH)

In view of faculty morale problems and budget limitations, a case is made for selective funding of new approaches to higher education. The value of incentive grant programs is addressed, and two specific programs are cited: the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education and a special California State Fund for Innovation and Improvement in…

If education for all American children and youth is of maximum importance, then we must recognize the great numbers who attend parochial schools--and the fact that their problems can be problems for us all. (Editor)

On November 12, 2003, over 70 policymakers, fiscal analysts, and academics gathered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to examine the fiscal condition of the state government sector. The conference was cosponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the National Tax Association. Despite a shallow national recession that ended in…

This document discusses the Florida Community College System's Long Range Program Plan (LRPP) for the fiscal years 2002-2003 through 2006-2007. The document begins by addressing the mission statement of the college, which strives for "high student achievement, seamless articulation and increased access, workforce skills and economic…

This article analyzes education and finance in Texas. It reports that Texas spends less per pupil on education than many other states in the nation--despite a greater than 10 percent increase in state appropriations for education since 1996. There is also high variance in per-pupil expenditures from one district to the next, with some school…

This paper examines the financial consequences of one section of Bill 47, which allowed Manitoba's parents to have "freedom of choice" when placing their children in school. The article traces the passage of Bill 47, the Public School Amendment Act, which the government of Manitoba rushed through the Legislative Assembly in 1996.…

An issue often arising in discussions about government support for graduate education in science and engineering is student indebtedness. An earlier issue brief entitled "What is the Debt Burden of New Science and Engineering Ph.D.'s?" (NSF-98-318) provided information about the debt owed by new doctorate recipients at the time of Ph.D. conferral…