In 1983, Maryland's highest court rejected a constitutional challenge to the state's education finance system. In 1994, the American Civil Liberties Union and Baltimore City instituted new adequacy suits against the state. An eve-of-trial settlement provided a moderate school funding increase in return for changes in school governance structure.…

Analyzes patterns in lower income student enrollment and access to direct student aid resources, reviewing the federal government's original objectives with direct student aid policies and subsequent changes that expanded student access, examining recent research on lower income student enrollment patterns in higher education, and analyzing…

The drive for privatizing public education comes from two different movements: load-shedding and outsourcing. Districts hope to reduce perceived labor problems, avoid managing "uninteresting" services, save money, and/or buy quick-fix education reform. Privatization of charter schools is becoming big business, but its cost-effectiveness…

What do we know about education and diversity, and how do we know it? This two-part question guided the work of the Multicultural Education Consensus Panel, which included the eight scholars named above. The panel's work was sponsored by the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington and the Common Destiny Alliance at the…

The goal of "Keeping Pace" is to to serve as a useful document for policymakers and practitioners, and as such, it takes a journalistic approach to research and writing. Most state and program profiles include footnotes that reference state laws, state policies, and websites of programs. However, in some cases, the information is general and was…

This report presents findings from an investigation into relationships between academic achievement and the distribution of fiscal resources among rural school districts in Oregon. The investigation was prompted by earlier-reported findings suggesting the critical nature of both achievement gaps and resource gaps among rural school districts in…

This second edition presents 15 papers intended to summarize the well-confirmed knowledge in the field of special education. The handbook is divided into three sections: the first on students with mild disabilities, those at risk for school failure, and those needing remedial help; the second on distinct disabilities; and the third on general…

This report, which is intended for government officials, educators, and others interested in using technology in educational programs for adults, examines the effects of modern technologies on the accessibility, outcomes, and costs of adult learning programs. It draws on conclusions of previous Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI)…

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 provides 5-year federal grants to help states implement school-to-work (STW) systems with broad collaboration among employers, organized labor, educators, and public agencies. All states have taken steps to create a statewide infrastructure. Local partnerships are widespread, but new and evolving.…

This report attempts to define the nature and dimensions of the "college affordability crisis." It covers trends in college costs, student ability to pay, and some of the ways in which affordability problems are being addressed. The report finds that while annual growth in college costs has slowed, cost continues to exceed growth in…

This guide, which is intended for administrators of programs providing adult basic and literacy education (ABLE) services in Pennsylvania, contains 59 individually authored papers devoted to planning, managing, and improving ABLE programs. The following are among the topics discussed in the guide's five sections: understanding the role of the ABLE…

This annual performance report presents the results and accomplishments of Texas vocational education programs, services, and activities for the 1990-91 program year. It is composed of three sections. Section I contains information for secondary and adult vocational education programs, services, and activities offered by local education agencies…

The Workers' Educational Association (WEA) developed a series of recommendations in response to the British government consultation paper "The Learning Age: A Renaissance for a New Britain." The recommendations addressed the following areas: individual learning revolution; investing in learning; learning at work; realizing the learning…

This publication summarizes presentations and discussions from a conference that addressed specific issues in the National Assessment of Vocational Education and in the 1990 Perkins Act that mandated the assessment. Introductory materials include a summary of consensus issues from the conference (David Boesel), welcoming remarks (Bruno Manno), and…

This collection of 22 papers is organized by the five conference topics. "Part 1: Effects of the Perkins Act on Policy and Practice" contains five papers: "Federal Legislation as Rorschach Test: Methodological Issues in Assessing the Effects of the 1990 Perkins Act on States and Localities" (Grubb); "Effects of the 1990…