District Administration - January 2012 - (Page 14)

NewsUpdate New Study Finds Inequities in State Education Funding Formulas IN 2004, DEBORAH VERSTEGEN, professor of education ﬁnance, policy and leadership at the College of Education at the University of Reno, wanted to create a vast library of data that, until now, didn’t exist: state-by-state school ﬁnance formula ﬁgures. “ e search for the best model to use in funding education is a perennial concern and interest,” she says. After years of research and communication with each state’s chief education oﬃcer, Verstegen’s ﬁndings were released on Nov. 3. e study showed inequalities across states due to the way they pay for schools, with urban districts often being the least fortunate. Getting Their Fair Share Forty-ﬁve states use, in at least some form, the foundation program, a structure developed in the 1920s. e foundation program essentially ensures that districts within a state receive equal access to revenue per student or teacher. “Because of these tough economic times, what’s striking to me is that states are trying to base the amount of money they provide to schools on some rational target,” says Verstegen. “Before it was ‘How much is available?’ Now it’s ‘How much is enough?’” Other models include full state funding, which Hawaii follows, a ﬂat grant, seen in North Carolina, and district power equalizing (DPE) systems, in which states match the ability of local districts to raise revenue rather than setting a minimum threshold of state support. Connecticut is one of three states following the DPE model. In August, Gov. Dannel Malloy created the Education Cost Sharing Task Force to evaluate its eﬀectiveness. “ e education cost share formula is 30 years old in various forms,” says Philip Streifer, superintendent of Bristol (Conn.) Public Schools and president of the Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding, a nonproﬁt organization seeking equitable funding for K12 schools in Connecticut. “Although the formula has been modiﬁed here and there, the fundamental problem is schools have never been properly funded by the BR IEFINGS state,” Streifer says. “ is is due to ﬁnancial neglect that stems from a state school funding that is broken and based on an arbitrarily derived formula.” Database for Legislators Verstegen is hoping her study will serve as a database for legislators looking to reform their state’s education funding models. In addition to funding disparities, Verstegen was “surprised” to see that states still aren’t doing much to pay for school buildings and infrastructure. “ at money is almost totally borne by the school district,” says Verstegen. “It should be a state responsibility, but the major cost is paid for by localities.” Verstegen’s ﬁndings can be found in Financing Education in a Climate of Change, written with Vern Brimley Jr. and Rulon R. Garﬁeld and available online through the Education Policy Analysis Archives (epaa.asu.edu). Education Stakeholders Need Shared Access to Data EVERY STATE IN THE COUNTRY NOW HAS a longitudinal data system extending beyond test scores, according to the Data Quality Campaign’s seventh annual Data for Action analysis. Thirty-six states—a giant leap from zero in 2005—have implemented the organization’s 10 Essential Elements of Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems. While the results are promising, Aimee Guidera, executive director of DQC, warns that building the data system isn’t enough. States must also help stakeholders, including parents, teachers and even students access this data to inform decisions and improve student achievement. higher education teacher preparation programs. The study also found that 38 states do not have policies around sharing data across agencies. Arkansas is the national leader in real-time data access and reporting, and Texas records college and employment data on students after they leave the district. “Data used to have a negative perception, but we wanted to change the conversation,” says Guidera. “We don’t want data to be used as a hammer. We want it to be a ﬂashlight to guide decision making.” Good data is deﬁned by DQC as longitudinal, contextual and interoperable. According to Guidera, data systems are meaningless unless stakeholders have access to them. To view the analysis, visit www.dataqualitycampaign.org. TECH TIP Mark your calendars for Feb. 1, 2012. Digital Learning Day—#DLday, for Twitter users—is a nationwide event capping what is a year-round awareness campaign for digital learning. The message of Digital Learning Day is three-pronged: start a conversation; try one new thing; and showcase success. The event is hosted by the Alliance for Excellent Education, which promotes reforms to ensure every child is prepared for learning and success. District Administration Data Awareness and Accessibility One example, notes the study, is that 46 states do not share teacher performance data with 14 January 2012 http://epaa.asu.edu http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org http://www.dataqualitycampaign.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - January 2012

District Administration - January 2012
Contents
Letters
News Update
Conversations
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Finding the Perfect Fit
Kansas City Plots Next Steps
Seeking Savings in Special Ed
K12 Guide to Audio/Visual Solutions
Equipping Teachers to Infuse Technology
Flipped Classrooms Gaining Ground
Buying in Bulk
Online Identity Management
Going Mobile
Student Counsel
Online Edge
New Books
New Products
Product Focus
Professional Opinion

District Administration - January 2012