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Pressing questions about the merits of full-fledged market accountability in K-12 education, and more limited choice programs, have spawned a large scholarly literature. This article assesses what we know from the most prominent studies and the importance of those findings to school system reform discussions. The studies most widely cited in the United States based their findings on small-scale, restriction-laden U.S. programs, and a handful of larger, but still restriction-laden, foreign school choice programs. The extensive restrictions and small size of those programs make them virtually irrelevant to the widely acknowledged transformational change imperative. Because the most intensely studied programs lack most, and sometimes all, of the key elements of market systems, such as profit, price change, market entry, and product differentiation, they don't help us determine whether unleashing market forces will produce more desired than undesired effects. However, absence of the key elements of market systems did not stop numerous analysts from stating conclusions about "markets," and "competition." So we know a lot about some of the policy approaches to increased school choice, but little about many policy approaches, and less than many people think we know. We know the most about programs and policies too limited in scope to yield much insight into reform policies capable of addressing the transformation imperative implied by the repeatedly alleged "nation at risk" problem. (Contains 203 notes.)

The article presents a study of the fiscal consolidation and rules in Switzerland and Sweden, which are considered as the most effective rules in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. It explores the support for the Swiss debt strategy, while support for expenditure limit in Sweden appears to erode, providing lessons for other countries like the U.S. in terms of fiscal-rule and implementation strategies.

The article discusses U.S. state fiscal policies for economic growth and budget stabilization and economic reforms that address economic stress. The authors apply an economic scoring analysis to budget policies in California, Utah, and Montana. It examines fluctuations in the U.S. economy, tax and expenditure limits (TELs), and capital expenditures.

In this article, the author reflects on the article "Rethinking the Market Metaphor: School Choice, the Common Good, and the National Football League" by the philosophers Brent Beal and Heather Olson Beal. He states that National Football League (NFL) addresses the shortcomings of funding processes of the U.S. He highlights the impact of schooling system on economic efficiency of the U.S. He mentions that the article depicts widening differences between the highest and lowest income groups.

Legislators considering large scale school choice proposals want information on more than likely schooling outcomes. They look to their fiscal bureaus and economic studies to provide that information. The fiscal notes that must accompany all proposals with revenue or expenditure implications are especially important. Often, fiscal notes must be produced on short notice. The article assesses the fiscal notes that have accompanied the major U.S. charter law and tuition voucher proposals, and to highlight key issues and research needs it assesses fiscal and economic impacts of the proposed Texas (2011–HB 33) tuition voucher program. We assess fiscal notes in terms of research basis for predictions, predicted level of participation (# of choosers), and predicted basis for fiscal impacts, including time trend of effects. Finally, we propose how the fiscal notes might be improved; not just what legislative analysts should do, but also what could be done to make doing a better job easier. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Longstanding concern about the rate of state and local government spending growth, strengthened by ' Great Recession' economic and fiscal conditions, sustains advocacy of constitutional amendments to cap the growth of state and local taxes or spending. For some states, interest recently changed to necessity, and current constitutional limits-most notably the California experience with the Gann Spending limit (1979-1990) and the Colorado experience with its Taxpayer Bill of Rights (1992-present)-contain numerous valuable lessons for fiscal restraint proponents. We use those lessons, and others, to develop a constitutional spending limit ( CSL) for Utah, and describe a CSL simulation for the state for 1990-2009. In contrast to what an ' Institutional Irrelevance Perspective' suggests for a politically conservative state such as Utah, we find that Utah would have seen large and robust CSL impacts from setting the spending growth rate at school-age population plus inflation for K-12 education funding, and at population plus inflation for remaining nonexempt state spending.1 Those impacts include a reduced tax burden, sizable reserves to cope with emergencies, elimination of fiscal crises, and expanded personal income. Extensive sensitivity analysis identifies the key underlying factors and demonstrates the robustness of those findings. We compare the Utah results to a 1990-2009 CSL simulation for California, and a 1995-2009 CSL simulation for Ohio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of various public school reform options, focusing on student performance in the U.S. for kindergarten through 12th grade. An overview of related previous research is provided, and several existing models which allow for estimates of the impact of independent variables on student performance are cited. The results derived from the input of best-case scenarios into these models are quantified in terms of National Assessment of Education Progress scores. None of the models indicated that significant educational improvements could be achieved within the existing parameters of the educational system, even under optimal conditions. This is said to indicate that more systemic reform is necessary if significant performance increases are to be achieved.

Pressing questions about the merits of market accountability in K-12 education have spawned a large scholarly literature. Unfortunately, much of that literature is of limited relevance, and much of it is misleading. The studies most widely cited in the United States used intense scrutiny of a few small-scale, restriction-laden U.S. school choice programs, and a handful of larger, but still restriction-laden foreign school choice expansions, to assert general conclusions about the effects of “choice,” “competition,” and “markets.” The most intensely studied programs lack most or all of the key elements of market systems, including profit, price change, market entry, and product differentiation—factors that are normally central to any discussion of market effects. The school choice literature is partly driven by a self-fulfilling prophesy. Large steps toward full-blown market accountability are widely seen as too radical to be worthy of study, especially in the absence of directly relevant data. The studies of small-scale school choice programs soft-pedal the large differences between the choices available now and those that could be available under conditions that are the norm in most of the economy and then compound the political feasibility problem by connecting market terminology to the modest effects of the small-scale programs. To address the need for credible evidence of effects of genuine education markets, scholars should look to simulation models, indirect evidence such as outcomes in similar industries, and school systems abroad that enjoy varying degrees of market accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressing questions about the merits of full-fledged market accountability in K-12 education, and more limited choice programs, have spawned a large scholarly literature. This article assesses what we know from the most prominent studies and the importance of those findings to school system reform discussions. The studies most widely cited in the United States based their findings on small-scale, restriction-laden U.S. programs, and a handful of larger, but still restriction-laden, foreign school choice programs. The extensive restrictions and small size of those programs make them virtually irrelevant to the widely acknowledged transformational change imperative. Because the most intensely studied programs lack most, and sometimes all, of the key elements of market systems, such as profit, price change, market entry, and product differentiation, they don't help us determine whether unleashing market forces will produce more desired than undesired effects. However, absence of the key elements of market systems did not stop numerous analysts from stating conclusions about "markets," and "competition." So we know a lot about some of the policy approaches to increased school choice, but little about many policy approaches, and less than many people think we know. We know the most about programs and policies too limited in scope to yield much insight into reform policies capable of addressing the transformation imperative implied by the repeatedly alleged "nation at risk" problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argues that increased specialization by schools either in what is taught or how it is taught has significant policy ramifications. Details of how the proposed specialized schooling options can help academic researchers improve their education models, especially proposals that would establish a competitive education industry in the U.S.; Essential elements of a competitive education industry; Benefits of launching specialization programs based on learning-style differences in schools; Factors that hinder public schools from launching specialization programs.

Focuses on the concept of the competitive education industry (CEI) in the U.S. and the reasons behind the need for it to be scrutinized. Key elements of a competitive education industry; Arguments raised against the CEI concept; Other issues on CEI that should be addressed.

Discusses the consequences of the voucher program which began in the Edgewood District of San Antonio, Texas in 1998. Comparison of the voucher program with other U.S. voucher programs; Background on the establishment of the voucher program; Eligibility for the voucher program; Issues that must be addressed with regard to the education system in the state.

Focuses on the school-choice controversy in the United States. Attributes of poor educational outcomes; Arguments concerning parental choice; Consideration of school-choice options; Child-centered public funding; Government's operation of schools; Factors that dominate the parental-choice debate; Competition as the key to improvement in the school system; Evaluations of the choice options.

Explores the transition of groundwater resources from free capture to allocation mechanism in Texas. Economic and political issues regarding the transition of groundwater allocation; Characteristics of an efficient groundwater allocation; Presentation of various means in addressing the transition issues of groundwater resources.

Focuses on the state government expenditure determinants and tax revenue determinants in the United States. Information on actual dependent variable for expenditure; Results of various tax revenue model specifications; Comparison between expenditure and taxation.

Focuses on a study which examined the validity of marginal-cost pricing in municipal water services using census data from San Antonio, Texas, with the estimation of income elasticity of demand for water. Aspects of marginal-cost pricing; Description of the data and model used in the study; Comparison of the regressivity of the pricing technique with other revenue sources; Process of adjusting progressivity and revenues without losing service efficiency.

Tests the hypothesis that teachers' salaries are affected by the competitiveness of their regional labor market. Monopsony in teacher labor markets; Implications of reduced salary competition, district consolidation, and parental choice; An econometric model based on school district data from 48 South Texas and 48 North Texas counties supporting the hypothesis.

Assesses the impact of rapid growth due to the boomtown or the energy development phenomenon in the United States and the appropriate measures to mitigate the impact of the rapid growth. Social problems associated with boomtowns; Characteristics of three classes of impact projection models; Applicability of the general types of models to boomtowns; Strategies for coping with funding problems.

Discusses reasons why a command and control (CaC) core limits emissions trading and reduces economic efficiency. Arbitrary and irrelevant nature of a CaC-based assignment of pollution control responsibility to firms; Illusion that a CaC-based policy has lower inventory and monitoring costs; Flaws in air quality policies in the United States.

In this article, the author reflects on an article by Anna J. Egaliteon, a research associate at the University of Arkansas, on the impact of school voucher programs and assessment of productivity of market-based educational reforms in the U.S. It highlights the development of market-based schooling policies to increase student achievement in public schools. He concerns about the effect of school choice program in creating a level playing field between public and private schooling options.

In this article, the author discusses several issues related to the journal. The journal has got a third sponsor, the E. G. West Institute for Effective Schooling (WIES). The 2009 WIES assessment of the 1998-2008 Edgewood Voucher Program that provides educational vouchers to residents of Edgewood district in the U.S. has found significant, immediate economic development effects on that area. The assessment has found that since any families moved to Edgewood to become voucher eligible there has been an increase in the business activity in that area. A list of educational issues as discussed in the previous issues of the journal is also included.