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In June of 2015, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish a more effective Fair Market Rent System using Small Area Fair Market Rents (SAFMRs) in the Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP) instead of the current 50th Percentile FMRs. The 50th Percentile FMR is currently in use in the Richmond, Virginia region, and the region is likely to be among early adopters of the new SAFMR System. This thesis assesses existing conditions that will affect implementation of the Small Area Fair Market Rent (SAFMR) System. First, it evaluates where voucher holders have located and concentrated with limited mobility counseling and without the SAFMR System intervention. Second, this evaluation assesses the theory of opportunity and targeting metrics currently in use by the local Move to Opportunity Program administered in the region, because the SAFMR System has a stated objective to enable voucher holders to de-concentrate from low opportunity areas. Finally, this evaluation assesses the SAFMR System’s potential for value capture, estimating total savings and a discrete number of potential new vouchers that may be created with those savings. This research attempts to answer these dimensions of SAFMR System implementation by evaluating key characteristics of current voucher holder concentration in the metropolitan region.

<p>The overall aim of this study is to describe and analyse some of the consequences of market forces and decentralisation in the educational systems of Sweden and England.</p><p>Since the 1980s, many countries have restructured their educational systems and introduced decentralisation and market forces. The reasons have sometimes been the same and sometimes they have differed, but demands for better school performance and the need for economic cuttings in the public sector, including schooling, are two of the most common reasons. This study will describe the development towards market forces and decentralisation in some countries in the western world in general, and, in particular Sweden and England. </p><p>The thesis makes a general overview of research on these issues in different countries and focuses on certain key concepts. Interviews and document analyses are the principal methods used, and case studies have been conducted in seven secondary schools in one Swedish municipality, and in ten schools in an English county. Interviews were made with 20 school leaders in the Swedish municipality and 20 in the English community in order to study their opinions on market solutions like competition and choice of school, as well as decentralisation and local management of schools.</p><p>The findings indicate that the educational systems of Sweden and England differ in many aspects, even if both can be described as decentralised. While the Swedish system gives the schools a high degree of autonomy, whereby the school leaders are responsible for almost everything in the daily running of the school, the English system includes more aspects of centralism, and provides less local decision making. The findings also indicate that the school leaders in Swedish municipalities are more satisfied with both decentralisation and market forces in schooling than their English colleagues. Several plausible interpretations could be made of the interview answers from the school leaders, but it seems that the higher degree of decentralisation in the Swedish educational system is perhaps the most important factor in this case. </p><p>Finally, the findings also indicate that the school leaders see positive aspects of choice and competition in schooling, like increased quality and better efficiency, as well as negative aspects, primarily the risk of segregation due to free school choice.</p>

The overall aim of this study is to describe and analyse some of the consequences of market forces and decentralisation in the educational systems of Sweden and England. Since the 1980s, many countries have restructured their educational systems and introduced decentralisation and market forces. The reasons have sometimes been the same and sometimes they have differed, but demands for better school performance and the need for economic cuttings in the public sector, including schooling, are two of the most common reasons. This study will describe the development towards market forces and decentralisation in some countries in the western world in general, and, in particular Sweden and England. The thesis makes a general overview of research on these issues in different countries and focuses on certain key concepts. Interviews and document analyses are the principal methods used, and case studies have been conducted in seven secondary schools in one Swedish municipality, and in ten schools in an English county. Interviews were made with 20 school leaders in the Swedish municipality and 20 in the English community in order to study their opinions on market solutions like competition and choice of school, as well as decentralisation and local management of schools. The findings indicate that the educational systems of Sweden and England differ in many aspects, even if both can be described as decentralised. While the Swedish system gives the schools a high degree of autonomy, whereby the school leaders are responsible for almost everything in the daily running of the school, the English system includes more aspects of centralism, and provides less local decision making. The findings also indicate that the school leaders in Swedish municipalities are more satisfied with both decentralisation and market forces in schooling than their English colleagues. Several plausible interpretations could be made of the interview answers from the school leaders, but it seems that the higher degree of decentralisation in the Swedish educational system is perhaps the most important factor in this case. Finally, the findings also indicate that the school leaders see positive aspects of choice and competition in schooling, like increased quality and better efficiency, as well as negative aspects, primarily the risk of segregation due to free school choice.

All states have different perspectives and various statutes within broader constitutional law. Perception of public dissatisfaction with public schools has led to choice schooling options for parents. One of the fastest growing choice options in schooling is charter schools; schools privately run by organizations through public funds. This study analyzes the governance of charter schools and how charters operate under legal guidelines and Florida statutes, with significant legislative events cited. This study answers the following questions as they relate to evolution and legal parameters surrounding the charter movement using exploratory case study method: 1) What is the evolution of the charter school movement in the United States and specifically in Florida, and the legal precedence that comes from this reform effort? 2) What are legal parameters regarding the charter school movement nationally? (e.g. constitutional law, statutory law, administrative law, common or court/case law, and contract law) and 3) What present legal structures and parameters affect Florida’s charter school movement? The significance of this study lies in the need to understand significant legal parameters surrounding the current charter school movement and how policies and law related to charter schools impact stakeholders. All of the findings together signify the important role legislators and the judicial powers execute in the ongoing realization of the charter school movement. The legal support of the charter school movement fosters an opportunity for the development of charter schools. With charter school implementation, several issues arise in the process of the charter school practice. The study shows the following themes impacting the charter school movement: regulations, accountability, Special Education, facility concerns, innovations, and employee and legislative issues. Charter schools provide a niche for certain parents desiring a different approach from the local public school. Charter schools provide a niche to parents seeking alternatives to traditional public school education. Charter schools will continue to exist and cater to parents desiring school choice options.

Der öffentliche Verkehr in ländlichen Räumen beruht mehr denn je auf dem Schülerverkehr. Allerdings wird es zunehmend schwieriger, die vorhandenen Mobilitätsbedürfnisse mit herkömmlichem Linienverkehr zu befriedigen. Zudem gelingt es immer weniger, die gesetzliche Verpflichtung zur Schülerfreifahrt bzw. teilentgeltlichen Beförderung zur Schule mit vertretbarem Aufwand einzulösen. Schuld ist die demografische Entwicklung, die außerhalb der wachsenden Agglomerationen vor allem Süddeutschlands zu einer weiteren Ausdünnung der Bevölkerung in ländlichen Regionen sowie zu Schließungen bzw. Zusammenlegungen von Schulen führt. Je weniger Schüler und Auszubildende jedoch überhaupt gefahren werden müssen, desto stärker wächst der Druck, zu neuen Angeboten und Finanzierungsformen zu kommen. „Mobilitätsgutscheine“ können ein innovatives Modell sein, um durch finanzielle Anreize für die Selbstorganisation von Mobilitätslösungen den Linienverkehr von Umwegfahrten zu entlasten und so gleichzeitig die Attraktivität des gestrafften Angebots zu verbessern. Doch wie sehen Modelle für Mobilitätsgutscheine aus und welche rechtlichen Voraussetzungen müssen dafür gegeben sein? Klar ist, dass die Umsetzung einer „Subjektförderung durch Mobilitätsgutscheine“ die (teilweise) Umstellung der Finanzierung des ÖPNV von der bisherigen Förderung der Betreiber bzw. des Angebots hin zu einer Unterstützung des förderungswürdigen Personenkreises erfordert. Beispiele für die Subjektförderung gibt es im deutschen ÖPNV bisher nicht, jedoch lassen sich Anknüpfungspunkte in Form von Taxi-Gutscheinen oder Fahrradpauschalen finden. Hier zeigt sich bereits, dass das Genehmigungsrecht des Personenbeförderungsgewerbes, die Finanzierungsbedingungen des ÖPNV und des Schülerverkehrs, die bisherige und mögliche zukünftige Interpretation der (Umsetzung der) Daseinsvorsorge im ÖPNV sowie versicherungs- und angrenzende rechtliche Fragen zu berücksichtigen sind. Schon Pilotversuche bedürfen der Klärung der finanziellen Kompensation von bisherigen Busanbindungen und der haftungsrechtlichen Absicherung für selbstorganisierte Alternativen, um die Akzeptanz bei Eltern und Schülern zu erreichen. Unter den gegenwärtigen Rahmenbedingungen ist die Subjektförderung zumindest als freiwillige Lösung grundsätzlich zwar umsetzungsfähig. Für eine allgemeine und langfristige Lösung bedarf es jedoch mindestens der Änderung der kommunalen Schülerbeförderungs-Satzungen. Für mehr Rechtssicherheit ist mittel- und langfristig auch die Anpassung von gesetzlichen Grundlagen auf Bundes- und auf Landesebene nötig. Anpassungen sind vor allem im Personenbeförderungsrecht zu leisten, wo die restriktiven Genehmigungsbedingungen des Personenbeförderungsgesetzes geändert werden müssen. Außerdem sind die Schulgesetze der Länder bzw. Satzungen der Aufgabenträger hinsichtlich der gesetzlichen Verpflichtung zur kostenfreien bzw. ermäßigten Schulbeförderung zu ändern. / Public transport in rural areas is based on school pupils’ transportation more than ever. But it is becoming difficult to meet these mobility needs using traditional scheduled traffic. At the same time it is becoming increasingly hard to fulfil the legal obligations of providing free transport for pupils with reasonable budget. The cause for this dilemma mainly lies in ongoing demographic development: With the exception of the growing agglomerations in the south of Germany, the rural population of other parts of Germany is expected to shrink leading to the closure and merging of schools. The less pupils and apprentices utilise the transport services, the stronger the pressure will be to create new offers and to renew forms of funding of rural public transport. “Mobility vouchers” may be an innovative model to provide financial incentives for self-organisation in regard to mobility. This model allows scheduled services detours to be avoided and makes the remaining services more attractive. But how do such models look like? Which legal frameworks must be fulfilled? Obviously, an implementation of “a subject promotion by mobility vouchers” needs a transformation of funding methods for public transport. It is necessary to change the focus of promotion from operating companies to specified persons who need support. Examples for subject promotion cannot yet be found in the current German public transport system. Ways in which such a system could be introduced include taxi vouchers or flat rates for bikes. These examples indicate that certain framework conditions have to be taken into account: licensing law in public transport sector, funding structures in public transport (especially in school pupils’ transportation), a modified interpretation of the concept of basic public services, and last but not least convincing answers to questions of insurance and other legal issues. Already pilot projects have to deal with problems of compensation to previous bus lines. They also need legal accountability to gain the support and acceptance of parents and pupils. Under the current terms, the subject promotion is basically convertible on a voluntary basis. In a general and long term perspective, at least changes in local statutes for school pupils’ transportation are required. In order to ensure legal security the relevant preconditions of both the federal and state level must be adjusted. Above all, adjustments in law of carriage of passengers are overdue. Restrictive conditions of authorisation in the Public Transportation Law must be dropped. Also, school laws and statutes of the public transport plan have to be modified – with regard to the legal commitment for free or rather reduced fares for pupils.

Rural Appalachian populations have greater rates of obesity and chronic diseases attributed to lesser consumption of fruits and vegetables (F/V) and physical inactivity. Barriers to F/V consumption and physical activity include poor access and affordability. To help overcome these barriers, a community-initiated walking and farmers market F/V voucher program was implemented. Participants were encouraged to walk (1.2 miles roundtrip) to the local farmers market to redeem a $10 voucher which could only be spent on F/V. The 16-week program (June – Sept) included 121 participants. Data was analyzed by creating two groups, low-engagers and high-engagers that differed significantly in the number of times walked to the market and redeemed vouchers, p ≤ 0.0001. Among all participants’ significant decreases were seen in total cholesterol, LDL, ratio of total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol, 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke score, and hemoglobin A1c (p ≤ 0.05). Significant increases were seen in HDL, quantity and variety of F/V consumption among all participants and the high-engagers group. There were improvements in knowledge pertaining to participants’ awareness of the term “phytonutrient” with correctly identifying plant-based foods as the source (p=0.01). Results demonstrate that a community-based walking and farmers market F/V voucher program can improve health in a Rural Appalachian population.

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The purpose of this dissertation was to add to the literature on the school choice debate and educational voucher programs through an analysis of Florida’s John M. McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities. This dissertation looked at the major aspects of school choice theory, parental satisfaction, and reasoning for choice. A theoretical framework for analyzing school choice programs was put forth in this dissertation through an analysis of the over-arching dynamical elements that have shaped the administrative and political arguments for and against these programs. A comprehensive review of the literature on school choice comprised a substantial part of this study due to the need for citizens to better comprehend the origins and evolution of school choice planning and programming. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015 / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection