Selected State Reports

Other Reports

■     Equity Goals in Illinois School Finance: 1973-1979 by G. Alan Hickrod, Ramesh Chaudhariand Ben C. Hubbard, Center for the Study of Educational Finance, Illinois State University Normal (February. 1979), 44 pp.

The disparity among unit school districts in how much is spent per student in the 1978-79 school year is greater than it was before the school aid reform of 1972-73. The research strongly suggest that the amendments to the basic 1973 legislation rather than the legislation itself, are to blame These amendments shifted significant numbers of dollars toward wealthier districts. Since other states have shown similar trends, the authors suggest that these reforms may only be successful in the short run.

■     Selected Cost-Size Relationships of High School Districts Having One Attendance Center in Illinois by Glorina A. Sabulao, Elwood F Egelston and Ronald Halinski, Center for the Study of Educational Finance, Illinois State University, Normal (January 1979), 30 pp.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the average daily attendance on the one hand, and administrative, instructional and operational costs on the other hand. Seventy-two Illinois high school districts having only one attendance center were analyzed, and results suggest that economy can be achieved by eliminating very small high schools.

■     Illinois Natural Areas Inventory: Summary Report, Department of Landscape Architecture, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Natural Land Institute, Rockford (November 1978), 27pp.

The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory was a three-year project to find and describe natural areas for the Illinois Department of Conservation. The results of the inventory will be used to develop and implement a state plan to protect the diversity of natural features in the state. This report summarizes the methods and findings of the project. Seven natural area categories were defined and 1,089 sites identified as filling the criteria for one or another of these categories. About one-third of these are receiving some degree of protection, but only one-fifth of the significant natural features can be considered permanently protected. Half of the areas are threatened with destruction from changes in the use of the land.