The decade from 1987 to 1997 saw two unsuccessful attempts to reform Illinois's school finance system from a constitutional perspective. In 1997, prospective reforms will probably be limited by partisanship, revenues and anti-tax sentiment, regional antipathies, fragmentation, and pressures for property tax relief. (MLH)

Alberta Education provides funding to school authorities to support the development and implementation of programming for students with severe disabilities. The Handbook for the Identification and Review of Students with Severe Disabilities presents case studies to assist school authorities in identifying students who may be eligible for special…

The fight over school funding in most states involves a long battle in the courts that may span several years and never have a definitive endpoint because resistance to adequate funding of public schools appears to be endemic to government processes. The "DeRolph" case, first filed by the plaintiffs in December 1991, is one such legal…

This is a summary of a paper prepared for a conference on the White Paper of 2003, sponsored by The Center for Studies in Higher Education, UC Berkeley, and OxCHEPS, New College, Oxford, in Oxford, 28-30 September 2004. It offers reflection on the history of the relationship between British higher education and various British governments since…

IDEA Part B funds have more than doubled between the 1999 and 2003 fiscal years, from $4.3 billion to $8.9 billion. This is an increase from 8% to 13% of total special education spending. Increases in federal funds can theoretically support "program growth" by providing fiscal relief to states and districts facing rising special…

In 1997, Vermont passed Act 60, which reformed its education finance system to achieve greater equality of spending. The reform encouraged wealthy towns to reduce spending; it was politically unpopular and was replaced, in 2004, by Act 68. We analyze the spending incentives created by the two acts and estimate the effects the change will have on…

Although 6 million adults in Britain are studying at any one time, survey findings confirm continuing underrepresentation of people in lower socioeconomic levels. This paper suggests that widened participation in education and training is necessary to improve competitiveness and economic success and to enable all to have an equal opportunity of…

The Legislature requested a study of the student-faculty ratio workload measure used by the University of California (UC) to determine if it results in excess instructional resources for the University. Following a statement of the purpose of the report, information on the background of the University's instructional resources formula is provided.…

A study was conducted of state funding methods, practices and trends in the states covered by the Southern Regional Education Board. The use of funding formulas was found to be about as prevalent as in the late 1970s. A detailed profile is presented for each of the 15 states studied. The profiles provide such information as: state agency name;…

This policy brief summarizes the full report [ED468840], which describes a study that evaluated whether smaller school districts, as a result of their higher costs per pupil, experienced greater hardship in the areas of infrastructure, resources, and staffing. The policy brief reports on the results of a survey that was administered to the…

This policy brief on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is based on March 2002, discussions involving chief state school officers and state directors of special education from five Western states and staff of Western educational research and policy organizations. It focuses on those issues that are…

The rationales for various state-finance distribution formulas, from 1896 to the present, are explained along with the rationales of the lawsuits questioning their validity. Chapter 1 describes attempts at financial equity from 1896 to the 1950s. Chapter 2 examines the current status of financing public education, emphasizing a state's obligation…

Minnesota Statutes 2003, Section 127A.51, reads as follows: Section 127A.51 Statewide average revenue. By October 1 of each year the commissioner must estimate the statewide average adjusted general revenue per adjusted marginal cost pupil unit and the disparity in adjusted general revenue among pupils and districts by computing the ratio of the…

With state budgets in disarray, school districts are taking a hard look at cuts and possible reforms. At the state level the issue is the complex ways states fund public schools. Finding a better way to link dollars to academic performance includes simplifying school finance and equalizing funds to provide adequate education. (MLF)

A study in seven Quebec First Nations communities determined per-pupil expenditures on education, excess costs of special education, and unmet special needs; developed five funding formulas for special education; and estimated their potential impact on First Nations communities locally and across Canada. Total special education costs were high…