Using data gathered from the West Virginia Education and Tax Departments, from school architects, from the State Building Trades Council, and from the United States Census Bureau, this study relates the per pupil cost of new school buildings in West Virginia to financial conditions, school district demography, and building characteristics. A total…

A 1977 restudy of Colorado school finance, following a 1974 study of the effects of the state's 1973 finance reforms, indicates that Colorado school finance is still unequal. Colorado's school finance program is essentially a resource equalization plan (also known as a "guaranteed tax base" or "district power equalization"…

Selected financial and program records of nine administrative units of Michigan's Bilingual/Migrant Education Program from October 1, 1978 through September 30, 1983 were examined in an audit to assess fairness of fund allocation, compliance with appropriate laws and regulations, adequacy of administrative performance, and priority of school…

Describes the Louisiana Consent Decree, a federally imposed program to correct racial segregation and gross resource distribution inequities in the state's system of higher education institutions. Focuses on the following: (1) governance; (2) faculty development; (3) cooperative programs; (4) enhancement of Black institutions; and (5) monitoring…

This report, a letter to the Chairman of the Education Task Force of the Committee on the Budget of the United States Senate, summarizes work the General Accounting Office (GAO) has completed from 1990 through 1997 addressing early childhood, elementary, and secondary education issues. The GAO has identified the need for improvement in the…

Presents a history of New Jersey's Public School Education Act of 1975, including a discussion of the landmark decision Robinson v. Cahill (1970), which found the state's educational finance system unconstitutional. Measures of expenditure disparity and wealth neutrality are then used to assess the present New Jersey school finance system. (JW)

Given the changing legal context for higher education desegregation cases, there is an apparent need to rethink the strategies used by integration advocates. Examines implications of the articles in this special issue for the ongoing policy discourse on "de jure" segregation and inquires whether grounds exist for litigation on the "de facto"…

Rural Georgia schools have unique needs arising from inequitable funding and high teacher and administrator turnover. Central Savannah River Area Regional Educational Service Agency, which serves 12 school districts, assists with teacher recruitment and preparation, federal regulations, school improvement planning and implementation, and…

Although the driving philosophy underpinning British educational reform since 1988 has emphasized "quality" and "choice," few governmental pronouncements have addressed equity issues. This article defines "equity," focusing on distributional equity as a framework for examining reforms such as formula funding,…

Describes the historical purpose of black colleges and discusses whether the continued existence of publicly supported black colleges is justifiable after nearly 40 years of jurisprudence specifically oriented to the elimination of 1-race educational institutions. (127 footnotes) (MLF)

Examines how divergent values and belief systems operate within educational politics. Reviews five questions (concerning educational quality and equality, schooling's purpose, curriculum decisions, school policy making, and financial responsibility for schools) and their underlying value tensions within the research areas of micropolitics, school…

Textual analysis and statistical data are presented to support the contention that the current formula for providing federal financial aid to campuses serving low-income students (which is based on 1985 distribution patterns) penalizes states such as California which face demographic trends involving greatly increased numbers of needy students.…

Rural school improvement requires that state educational policies empower rural educators to attempt innovative programs. After extensive grassroots input, the Alaska Legislature defined seven statewide educational needs relating to poor school performance. A Washington education reform bill allows schools to do anything not expressly forbidden by…

Presents key findings from a survey on direct state expenditures for child care and early childhood development services. The survey found striking disparities among the 50 states, as well as patterns of inadequate investment in every state. Recommendations are offered to increase and improve state and federal investments in such services to…

Reports on a study of educational equity in Irish secondary schools. Finds that, although overall class differences in educational attainment declined, barriers based on socioeconomic status were not removed. Presents alternative reform efforts that might have been more effective without costing more money. (CFR)