Funding Education Equitably

8/7/2019 Funding Education Equitably

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Funding Education EquitablyThe “Comparability Provision” and the Move to Fair

and Transparent School Budgeting Systems

Saba Bireda March 2011


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/funding-education-equitably 2/23

Funding Education EquitablyThe “Comparability Provision” and the Move to Fair

and Transparent School Budgeting Systems

Saba Bireda March 2011

The subjects in the cover photo are models and the image is being used or illustrative purposes only.



1 Introduction and summary

4 Lessons from the front lines

7 Transition planning

11 Expanding the role of school leaders

13 Involving stakeholders

14 Beyond budgeting

16 Conclusion

17 Endnotes

19 About the author and acknowledgements

Contents



1 Cene Amecan Pgess | Fundng Educan Equably

Introduction and summary

Te old axiom ha he rich ge richer cerainly plays ou in he American class-

room—oen o he derimen o achieving academic success.

Daa on inradisric unding inequiies in many large school disrics conrm

wha mos would guess—high-povery schools acually receive less money per

pupil han more auen schools.1 Tese unding inequiies have real repercus-

sions or he qualiy o educaion oered a high-povery schools and a disric’s

abiliy o overcome he achievemen gap beween groups o sudens dened by amily income or ehniciy.

Te source o hese unding inequiies is no a deliberae scheme designed o

seer more sae and local unds o auen schools. Raher i is oen he resul

o an accumulaion o higher-paid, more senior eachers working in low-povery

schools. High-povery schools ypically employ less-experienced, lower-paid

eachers, hereby drawing down less o he disric’s unds. Te imbalance in und-

ing creaed by his siuaion can oal hundreds o housands o dollars school by

school.2 Archaic budgeing pracices ha rack posiions insead o acual school

expendiures only serve o reinorce his inequiy.

Aside rom concerns abou he inequiable disribuion o veeran and novice

eachers across schools, sudens atending high-povery schools acually need

more unding o achieve a he level o heir wealhier counerpars.3 Te ederal

governmen recognizes his ac wih is allocaion o ederal unds under ile

I o he Elemenary and Secondary Educaion Ac, or ESEA. One condiion o

receiving ile I unds is ha disrics allocae sae and local unds equiably o

non-ile I and ile I schools beore spending ederal monies. Te “comparabil-

iy” provision was implemened o ensure ha schools spend ile I unds onservices mean o enhance educaional opporuniies or sudens a high-povery

schools and no o make up or unair shares o sae and local resources semming

rom convenional managemen and budgeing pracices.




Te comparabiliy provision should be a srong ool o correc he unding dispari-

ies creaed by an inequiable disribuion o higher- and lower-paid eachers. Bu

or years, disrics have been able o evade rue comparabiliy beween schools

due o a loophole in he law. Te loophole allows disrics o demonsrae compli-

ance wihou comparing he amoun o acual dollars spen a each school. Insead,

disrics can show comparabiliy by placing equal numbers o eachers, on a per-pupil basis, a high- and low-povery schools.

I a disric does compare per-pupil expendiures, or example, he disric can

use a disric-average eacher salary in calculaions in place o acual salaries in

school budges. Tis common budgeing pracice masks signican unding

inequiies. Under he curren provision, disrics can coninue o receive ile

I money even as heir mos high-povery schools are deprived o air shares o

local and sae unds.

Te Cener or American Progress previously discussed he need o close hecomparabiliy loophole in he nex reauhorizaion o ESEA.4 One necessary ele-

men o his goal is requiring disrics o repor he acual amoun o money each

school in he disric receives in is annual allocaion o sae and local unds.5 Te

oremos challenge or many disrics will likely be updaing accouning and bud-

geing pracices o calculae school-level expendiures using acual dollars insead

o absrac quaniies such as ull-ime personnel slos. Once disrics complee

he ask o being able o see how much schools are receiving in acual dollars, hey

mus hen move o he challenging ask o devising a unding process ha correcs

he scal inequiies ha are uncovered.

CAP has proposed ha a phase-in period will be necessary or disrics o reach ull

compliance wih a revised comparabiliy provision. During his phase-in period,

disrics would have he opporuniy o experimen wih policies ha allow hem

o mee he requiremens o he new law. Disrics ha uncover unding inequiies

due o an imbalance in unds ied o eacher salaries will have o hink o creaive

ways o shi salary expendiures or supplemen unding or high-povery schools.

Some ear ha in pursui o a quick x, disrics will rely on counerproduc-

ive measures such as orced ransers o eachers o achieve comparabiliy. Teenuous link beween years o experience and eacher eeciveness should give

any superinenden concerned abou suden perormance pause beore pursu-

ing such pracices. Disrics ha rely on he orced reassignmen o experienced

eachers o achieve comparabiliy miss an opporuniy o direc resources oward




oher eecive sraegies, such as expanding learning ime, or increasing suden

achievemen. Furhermore, eachers are generally proeced rom involunary

ransers in collecive bargaining agreemens and sae law.6

Closing he loophole is sure o be a prioriy or he Obama adminisraion when

ESEA reauhorizaion occurs.7

Several disrics—including Balimore, Harord,Oakland, San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles—have aken armaive

seps o address unding inequiies even wihou he nudging o a more srenuous

comparabiliy requiremen. Several disrics now use weighed suden unding

ormulas where schools are allocaed unds based on he needs o sudens. As

par o unding reorms, disrics have also devolved many budgeing decisions o

he school level and allow principals o manage imporan choices abou spending

relaed o sang, curriculum, and academic enrichmen aciviies.8 Tus, an aug-

mened comparabiliy requiremen is consisen wih he idea o sraegic, resuls-

oriened managemen pracices.

Disrics ha have aken aggressive seps o make school unding more ranspar-

en and equiable will have a signican advanage in adaping o a new compara-

biliy provision. For now, hese disrics provide a prospecive view o he changes

needed o und schools airly and he implicaions such reorms have on school

and disric operaions. Tis repor will highligh relevan issues ha arise as dis-

rics atemp o design air and ransparen school unding sysems.




Lessons from the front lines

Tere are several issues disrics will have o consider i he comparabiliy

provision is revised and he loophole closed. Tese are:

• How migh unds be shied o increase equiy and mee he needs o

all sudens?• How can his be done wih minimal disrupion o school operaions?• How much inpu and conrol do school leaders have over school unds?• Are unds budgeed in a manner ha is ransparen and undersandable o

sakeholders?• Are unds spen in ways ha have he mos poenial o improve academic

achievemen?

Overhauling school unding sysems is complex and poenially poliically dicul

work, bu mainaining he saus quo in mos disrics is boh inecien and unair

or many sudens. Beyond compliance, he poenial revision o he law presens

an opporuniy or disrics o rehink he way unds are budgeed and allocaed o

schools. Forunaely, hose bellweher disrics ha have signicanly resrucured

school unding processes oer valuable guidance.

Actual versus average teacher salaries

One o he mos debaed aspecs o he comparabiliy loophole involves he use

o average eacher salaries in school budges. Te curren comparabiliy provision

allows disrics o exemp “sa salary dierenials or years o employmen” in

comparabiliy calculaions.9 Tis language refecs curren sang and budgeing

pracices in mos disrics. eaching posiions are allocaed o schools based onhe numbers o sudens. I a school needs 25 eachers, i requess 25 eachers

rom he disric. When he disric calculaes how much unding a school receives

rom he disric, i does so using an disric-average eacher salary, creaing a oal

salary expendiure ha equals he number o posiions muliplied agains his

average eacher salary.




Researchers have discovered ha his mehod o budgeing can conceal consid-

erable gaps in acual salary spending beween high- and low-povery schools.10

Higher-paid, more veeran eachers requenly move oward low-povery schools

while schools serving high populaions o low-income sudens oen employ

lower-paid, junior eachers. Low- povery schools employ higher-paid, more expe-

rienced educaors while he disric absorbs he cos over he average. Conversely,high-povery schools are charged a rae higher han wha heir eachers are acu-

ally earning and don’ recoup any o he money ha hey are saving he disric.

Le’s look a an example.

The Oakland experience

A revised comparabiliy provision will require disrics o conron his issue. Only

he Oakland Unied School Disric acors acual eacher salaries ino school bud-

ges on a disric-wide level (some schools in New York Ciy, Los Angeles Unied,and Boson also use acual eacher salaries in school budgeing). Oakland’s abiliy

o successully use acual eacher salaries indicaes ha concerns abou poenial

prejudice agains higher-paid veeran eachers and logisical diculies in coordi-

naing budgeing, sang, and oher adminisraive services may be unwarraned.

Te Oakland Unied School Disric, or OUSD, inroduced is Resuls-Based

Budgeing sysem as par o a larger disric reorm plan in 2004. In creaing is

RBB plan, ocials ound ha he disric’s highes-povery schools were being

shorchanged in he disric’s unding process because novice eachers worked

in hem a high raes.11 Tereore, OUSD viewed he inclusion o acual eacher

salaries in RBB as inegral o bringing equiy and ransparency o he disric.12

Te disric developed a minimum oal expendiure level or all schools and hen

adjused he budges o schools (including he acual cos o eachers) up or down

o mee ha expendiure level. Schools wih lower sa expendiures receive addi-

ional unds o spend on resources inended o increase academic achievemen.

Opponens o RBB believed ha he inclusion o acual eacher salaries would

encourage principals o ry o “evaluae ou” more expensive veeran eachers and

make sang decisions based on coss raher han qualiy.13

According o JasonWillis, ormer budge direcor or OUSD, he disric acually expeced a naural

migraion o experienced eachers o high-povery schools as a resul o RBB.14

Ocials hoped ha wih addiional unds, high-povery schools could be made

more atracive o a wide variey o eachers. o make his school more appeal-




ing, David Silver, principal o Tink College Now, a high-povery school in Eas

Oakland, increased eacher prep ime in an eor o increase collaboraion among

eachers. Te school now has a more experience-diverse aculy.15

Te use o acual eacher salaries does require principals o consider he coss o

cerain eachers, bu as Silver noes, principals end o simply hink, “I’m going ohire who is good.”16 Under a radiional budgeing sysem, a principal may olerae

an ineecive eacher and atemp o compensae or his or her presence in oher

ways. Under an RBB sysem, an ineecive eacher is a major expense or which

here is litle reurn on invesmen. OUSD ocials amiliar wih RBB say ha

principals rarely ariculae ha a eacher’s cos is more imporan han his or her

eeciveness in he classroom.17 Furhermore, due process and anidiscrimina-

ion provisions presen in sae law are designed o proec eachers rom being

dismissed or reasons unrelaed o heir perormance (such as cos).

In ransiioning o RBB, he Oakland school disric recognized ha schoolswould wan o reain highly paid veeran eachers. “Te goal was o have a good

mix o veeran and novice eachers, no o ‘rip’ veeran eachers ou o he school,”

saes Mat Hill, who helped implemen RBB. Te disric creaed a subsidy plan

o allow schools wih high numbers o veeran eachers o mainain heir sas

even in he ace o signican budge cus. Te need or he subsidy plan indicaes

he diculy in managing he shi rom average o acual eacher salaries.

Te use o acual salaries also presens a logisical challenge or many disric oper-

aions. Disric adminisraors noed ha calculaing acual salaries or par-ime

posiions and suppor sa can complicae he use o acual salaries in a school-

based budgeing plan. Budge and hiring calendars also have o be aligned in order

or principals o correcly budge sa expendiures. Disric adminisraors noed

he imporance o aligning key disric sysems, paricularly human resources,

wih changes in he unding and budgeing process.




Transition planning

Full compliance wih he comparabiliy provision will mean many disrics will

have o make adjusmens o he amoun o sae and local unding cerain schools

receive. Disrics will have o gure ou how o increase unding or hisorically

underunded schools and poenially scale back unding a oher schools. One

“quick-x” response, which CAP has warned agains, would be or a disric o

use involunary ransers o redisribue eachers among low- and high-povery

schools.18 Aside rom he harmul implicaions or sa morale and suden

achievemen, mos collecive bargaining agreemens and conracs guaraneeeachers a choice o school sies based on years o service, hereby prohibiing

ransers or he purpose o achieving comparabiliy.19 I is likely ha ederal

policy will echo his senimen in disallowing orced ransers as a means o com-

pliance wih he comparabiliy provision.

Disrics, however, can employ oher, more consrucive acions such as oer-

ing nancial incenives or more experienced, eecive eachers o ranser o

high-povery schools; and using sae and local unds o make high-povery

schools more atracive by expanding learning ime (o reinorce lessons learned

in he classroom) and providing planning ime wih oher eachers.20 Obviously

hese acions wil l ake some ime o draw higher-paid eachers o high-povery

schools. In he inerim, disrics like OUSD and New York Ciy have buil

unding sabiliy measures ino heir new unding ormulas o ease he burden

or schools heavily impaced by unding changes. Again, Oakland presens a

compelling case in poin.

Oakland’s veteran teacher subsidy plan

In Oakland, where he disric recognized ha several schools would be unable

o mainain heir sas and say wihin heir allocaed budges, OUSD began

oering a veeran eacher subsidy in 2004-05. In is rs year, OUSD disribued

more han $9.9 million in subsidies, bu by 2006-07 ha gure dropped o less




han $1 million.21 While he subsidy helped ease he ransiion o RBB, he

disribuion process was no clear o many in he disric and a more consisen

source o unding was needed.22

In 2010, he disric convened an RBB commitee o evaluae several pars o he

RBB allocaion process, including he subsidy. A more uniorm sysem was recom-mended in which schools wih a lower-han-average eacher salary conribued 1

percen o heir unresriced budge o an RBB award pool. Tis conribuion was

combined wih a cenral oce allocaion o he pool. Schools wih labor coss

greaer han he sie’s unresriced allocaion rom he disric received an award o

cover his “srucural deci.”23 Schools could also apply or discreionary awards

given by he RBB commitee.

Te disric also unds a reserve or schools orced o accep higher-paid each-

ers and sa due o cerain conracual obligaions.24 Oakland, like many oher

disrics, is required o ll open posiions wih displaced eachers and sa. Tesalaries o hese employees may be higher han schools originally expeced. Such

a und is necessary o honor he disric’s commimen o RBB and no penalize

schools bu also creaes an addiional nancial demand on he disric.

Spreading resources equitably

Allocation of subsidy funds against the percentage of students receiving free or

reduced-price lunches in select schools within Oakland Unified School District

School Enrollment

Percentage of students

receiving free or

reduced-price lunches

Amount of

allocation ($)

Burckhalter 184 69.0% 8,156

West Oakland Middle 167 100% 36,639

EOSA (Castlemont) 239 77.8% 41,711

Glenview 435 44.1% 45,024

La Escuelita 243 76.5% 45,943

Marshall 211 68.2% 75,336

Howard 198 73.7% 78,009

Dewey HS 282 63.8% 122,441

Leadership Prep 354 73.7% 148,404

Lazear 269 100% 160,642

Source: Oakland Unifed School District, 2009-10 Annual School Scorecards, Great Oakland Public Schools.




One concern around ransiional unding is ha i could help mainain he origi-

nal salary inequiies presen in a disric by providing subsidies o low-povery

schools. According o ormer OUSD direcor Nihin Iyengar, ha may have been

rue in he early years o he subsidy program. Now, however, he majoriy o

schools receiving a srucural deci subsidy appear o be schools wih signican

numbers o low-income sudens. Te char on page 8 shows he schools receivinga srucural deci allocaion or he 2010-11 school year, he percenage o su-

dens classied as receiving ree or reduced-price lunches, and he amoun each

school received rom he RBB award pool.

New York City’s fair student funding formula

New York Ciy’s program also provides a elling example. Te ciy consruced

a plan similar o Oakland’s when some schools ransiioned o is Fair Suden

Funding ormula. Schools operaing under FSF in he rs year o implemenaion(2007-08) received a supplemenal “hold harmless” allocaion i unding under he

disric’s old approach was more han FSF.25 In he second year o implemenaion

(2008-09), he disric calculaed all allocaions using FSF bu coninued o provide

a “hold harmless” allocaion o schools wih budges above he FSF allocaion.26

Te disric also implemened several policies ha allowed schools o mainain

heir curren sang levels. Te disric commited o providing schools wih

enough unding o coninue o pay or all eachers on a school’s payroll as o he

ime o FSF implemenaion (April 2007) regardless o salary increases.27 Te

“hold harmless” allocaion also permited schools o replace veeran eachers wih

oher veeran eachers wihou disruping school budges.

Transitional funding works

Te allocaion o ransiional unding allows disrics o implemen signican

school nance reorms wihou dramaically reducing resources a cerain schools.

ransiional unding can also ease concerns regarding sang and highly paid

veeran eachers. O course, hese subsidy sysems may have he uninended con-sequence o mainaining he maldisribuion o expendiures or eacher salaries

across a disric. Wihou he “budgeing discipline” imposed by sric adherence

o allocaed unding, principals a schools wih higher numbers o well-paid

eachers may no be orced o make criical decisions around he school program.




OUSD’s experience, however, may demonsrae ha an increase in unding or

high-povery schools and aggressive acions by principals o atrac eachers can

resul in he movemen o experienced eachers o higher-povery schools.

Perhaps equally imporan o providing ransiion unding as disrics reorm heir

budgeing sysems is communicaing he need or such reorms o relevan sake-holders. Mat Hill, who suppored he ransiion o RBB in Oakland, insrucs dis-

rics o be ransparen in providing daa on unding inequiies o eachers and union

ocials so hey can undersand he problem. Naural migraion beween schools

and annual reiremens may acually reduce he number o schools ha are severely

over budge due o salaries. I schools are able o keep eachers hrough he use o a

emporary subsidy, eachers may be more supporive o reorms. Ulimaely, how-

ever, more equiable unding may avor more eachers by making a higher number o

schools in he disric desirable places o work.




Expanding the role of school leaders

Te comparabiliy provision should ensure ha ederal money a ile I schools

is used o und aciviies inended o specically increase he academic achieve-

men o low-income sudens. Unorunaely, school leaders rarely have an

opporuniy o infuence imporan decisions abou how money is spen. Insead,

disric cenral oces oen make crucial decisions regarding everyhing rom he

ype o curriculum used o he number o lieracy coaches a principal can employ.

Alhough principal accounabiliy or suden perormance has increased, prin-

cipals in mos schools have litle power o spend unds in ways hey believe canbes increase suden achievemen.

Te expansion o principal auonomy over school budges is a rademark o several

disrics’ unding reorms.28 Principals are ypically graned discreion over hiring

decisions bu also may selec he school’s curriculum models and insrucional

maerials, proessional developmen aciviies, and oher aspecs o he school

program. Tis new role may require disrics o ideniy new skills o consider in

principal selecion; develop oversigh, suppor, and raining ools; and devise

sysems o hold principals accounable or how money is spen.

Principals informing staffing decisions

Principals are ypically old how many sa members (eachers, counselors, and

adminisraive sa) hey can employ based on norms or he disric. When

principals conrol heir own budges, hey have he power o redesign he sa in

a way ha works bes or he school communiy. For example, a middle school

principal may decide ha having counselors rained in adolescen developmen

is more imporan han employing a scheduling assisan. Or a principal may blend roles (or example, having an assisan principal also serve as a eacher) in

an eor o save money. Disric adminisraion and collecive bargaining agree-

mens may impose some minimum sandards on sang peraining o class sizes

and cerain oher posiions (or example, Oakland Unied requires principals o




hire oce clerks and janiors). Bu allowing principals fexibiliy in sa creaion

can undoubedly lead o a sa ha responds beter o suden needs.

Preparing principals for expanded roles

Te abiliy o creae and manage budges is no necessarily one ha mos princi-

pals immediaely possess.29 Principals mus be rained o ranslae heir knowledge

abou suden daa, sa capaciy, and academic achievemen goals ino acion-

able budge iems. Increased ransparency also requires principals o creae lines

o communicaion and collaboraion wih sa and oher sakeholders regarding

resource allocaions. Furhermore, in an era o coninued auseriy, principals

mus be able o keep a balanced budge and plan or poenial unding cus.

More vanguard disrics recognize ha principal raining and suppor is essenial

o he success o a decenralized school budgeing plan. Principals are oen inex-perienced wih budgeing ools or may no eel hey have he ime or inclinaion

o adequaely manage he budge process.30

In Los Angeles, where more han 70 schools operae under he disric’s ranspar-

en budgeing pilo program, he cenral oce has dedicaed resources and sa o

supporing principals in he budge process.31 Financial specialiss work direcly

wih principals o analyze and manage budges and provide raining.

Balimore Ciy Public Schools creaed a sysem o school suppor nework eams

ha consul and provide budge assisance o a cluser o schools.32 Nework sa

also assis principals in deermining ecien mehods o procuring services or

heir schools.




Involving stakeholders

A revised comparabiliy provision should also require public reporing o school-

level expendiures as a demonsraion o nancial ransparency.33 Tis inorma-

ion is inegral o holding disrics responsible or he equiable disribuion o

local and sae unds. As a recen CAP repor, “Liing he Fog o Averages,” on

Caliornia’s law requiring he reporing o school-level expendiures noed, several

educaion sakeholders, including civil righs organizaions, business groups, and

mos imporan, parens, suppor he disclosure o his inormaion.34

Some disrics have gone a sep beyond disclosure and are bringing parens and

oher sakeholders ino he budgeing process. In Caliornia, where school sie

councils are mandaed by law, principals, eachers, and communiy members

make spending decisions relaed o caegorical unds. In several Los Angeles

Unied School Disric schools where an even greaer amoun o unds are spen

according o principal discreion, principals are encouraged o mee and discuss

resource allocaion wih parens. Te disric’s ransparen Budgeing Projec has

aken signican seps o clariy he role o school councils and improve commu-

nicaion beween principals and sakeholders.35

Te Balimore school disric has ollowed a similar pah wih is amily engage-

men regulaions ha require he principal o solici inpu rom he school com-

muniy on he school budge and o consul wih a small group o sakeholders

ha provide “direc advisory inpu” o he principal on prioriies in he budge.36




Beyond budgeting

A revised and more demanding comparabiliy provision will increase und-

ing equiy in disrics naionwide. Many high-povery schools may experience

an increase in resources allowing or an expansion in academic opporuniies

or sudens. And he poenial growh o principal auonomy and sakeholder

involvemen in he allocaion o resources could ocus unds in innovaive and

meaningul ways.

Funding equiy and ransparency, however, mus be linked o oher imporanreorms relaed o disric managemen, school improvemen sraegies, human

capial policies, and daa collecion. Oakland, wih one o he counry ’s mos ar-

reaching school unding reorm eors, launched RBB as par o a larger “Expec

Success” plan. In addiion o implemening an innovaive small-schools sraegy,

OUSD aggressively reormed is cenral oce operaions, se high bu atainable

academic goals or all o is sudens, improved daa collecion, and made school-

communiy communicaion and collaboraion a high prioriy. Oakland’s reorm

eors have resuled in coninual gains on Caliornia’s Academic Perormance

Index, including a 26-poin increase in 2010.37

One area o disric operaions ha can heavily infuence he srengh o unding

reorms is ha o sang and oher human capial policies. Rules ha limi he

access o schools o cerain eachers or require schools o hire displaced eachers

can undermine principal auonomy and he impac o unding equiy. Senioriy

provisions in collecive bargaining agreemens and conracs may require princi-

pals o rs atemp o ll posiions wih eachers ha have been displaced rom

oher schools beore hey can underake heir own recruimen and placemen.

Recen budge cus caused a reducion in orce in Los Angeles where GeorgiaLazo, principal o UCLA Communiy School, was permited o hire only rom

a cerain pool o mosly veeran eachers. High salary expendiures orced Lazo

o have o cu back on plans or oher spending.38 Such rules no only limi a

principal’s abiliy o build he sa she wans, bu also can negaively impac a




school budge i schools mus ake on several highly paid eachers. Furhermore,

disrics canno expec o recrui high-caliber school leaders i hey have no say

over he eachers on heir sa.

Insiuing a sang sysem in which principals are permited o hire eachers

rom wihin and ouside o he disric, wih a prioriy on eeciveness and oversenioriy, can ree school principals o use unds o creae a highly eecive sa.

New York Ciy’s conrac wih he Unied Federaion o eachers allows or jus

such a sysem o open hiring.

Disrics ha canno immediaely implemen hese human capial reorms can

negoiae or a subsecion o schools o have sang auonomy as a pilo or

disric-wide implemenaion. Los Angeles’s Belmon Pilo Schools Nework

(early implemeners o he disric’s per-pupil budgeing sysem) enered ino

a memorandum o undersanding wih he Unied eachers o Los Angeles o

guaranee cerain auonomies, including power over sang.39 Even i sangresricions say in place, disrics can ake seps o reduce he impac on school

budges. OUSD creaed a sysem o cos-sharing or schools ha were required o

hire more expensive eachers hrough he disric’s “prioriy placemen” rules.40

Accounabiliy sysems may also look dieren as disrics work o reorm he way

unds are allocaed o schools. As low-perorming, high-povery schools receive

more unding, disrics mus analyze ongoing poor perormance in he conex

o already increased unding. Disrics mus creae srucures o hold principals

accounable or he way unds are spen and assess he correlaion beween

resource allocaion and suden achievemen. Measures o accounabiliy or

principals need o refec he amoun o unds over which principals have acual

conrol and he impac o oher disric and sae policies on suden achievemen.

Furhermore, disrics mus ensure ha high-povery schools are no negaively

impaced by decreased oversigh rom he cenral oce. Disrics can bes suppor

ragile, low-perorming, high-povery schools by providing a pipeline o srong

leaders and eachers ha can succeed wih increased auonomy. Disrics canno

assume all leaders will be ready o assume he responsibiliies required under

school-based budgeing. A mehod o phasing in school-based budgeing or plan-ning implemenaion in accordance wih human capial reorms will reduce he

likelihood ha more ragile, high-needs schools will be negaively impaced.




Conclusion

Te budge process in mos school disrics is a byzanine mater, undersood

and managed by a ew cenral oce sa members. Bu i does no ake inimae

knowledge o accouning principles and unding sreams o undersand ha hese

dysuncional processes oen deprive high-povery schools and sudens o equi-

able unding and schools o he abiliy o use resources eecively. A srengh-

ened comparabiliy provision may be exacly he caalys needed o orce disrics

o closely examine resource allocaion mehods and radically change he way

school unds are managed. In he inerim, disrics can glean imporan lessonsrom unding reorms happening around he counry.




Endnotes

1 Maguee rza and Paul tmas hll, “hw Wn-Dsc Spend-ng ineques help S me Scls Fal.” in Dane ravc, ed.,Brookings Papers on Education Policy: 2004 (Wasngn: Bngsinsun Pess, 200 4); Educan tus, “Fundng Gaps 2006,” aval-able a p://www.edus.g/ses/edus.g/les/publcans/les/FundngGap2006.pd .

2 ibd.

3 Saba Beda and raegen Mlle, “Walng e tal” (Wasngn:Cene Amecan Pgess, 2010), avalable a p://www.ame-canpgess.g/ssues/2010/03/cmpaably_be.ml.

4 Pylls McClue and es, “Ensung Equal oppuny n PublcEducan” (Wasngn: Cene Amecan Pgess, 2008), aval-

able a p://www.amecanpgess.g/ssues/2008/06/cmpaa-bly.ml

5 Beda and Mlle, “Walng e tal.”

6 Andew Spse, “Scl recnsun Unde N Cld Le Bend:Wy Scl ocals Suld tn twce,” UCLA Law Review 54 (5)(2007): 1339–1384.

7 U.S. Depamen Educan, “Duncan hglgs EducanDepamen’s Cvl rgs Agenda,” Pess elease, July 28, 2010, aval-able a p://www.ed.gv/news/pess-eleases/duncan-glgs-educan-depamens-cvl-gs-agenda.

8 F example, pncpals n New Y Cy’s empwemen sclscnl, n aveage, 86 pecen e scl budges. See Wl-lam ouc, “A e ead e class: Expe pases Jel klen leng pncpals lead - and eaces eac,”New York Daily News,June 5, 2009, avalable a p://www.nydalynews.cm/pn-

ns/2009/06/07/2009-06-07_a_e_ead__e_class_.ml.

9 Elemenay and Secnday Educan Ac, Secn 1120A(c)(2)(B)

10 te Educan tus-Wes, “Calna’s hdden teace SpendngGap: hw Sae and Dsc Budgeng Pacces ScangeP and Mny Sudens and te S cls” (2005); raegenMlle, “Cmpaable, Scmmpaable: Evdence inequy n eAllcan Funds teace Salay Wn Calna’s PublcScl Dscs” (Wasngn: Cene Amecan Pgess, 2010),avalable a p://www.amecanpgess.g/ssues/2010/05/cm-paable_scmmpaable.ml.

11 Ma hll, “Fundng Scls Equably: resuls-Based Budgeng ne oaland Uned Scl Dsc” (Wasngn: Cene Ame-can Pgess, 2008), avalable a p://www.amecanpgess.g/ssues/2008/06/pd/cmpaably_pa4.pd .

12 Pesnal cmmuncan w Jasn Wlls, me budge dec,

oaland Uned Scl Dsc Augus, 23, 2010.

13 Jay Cambes and es, “A tale tw Dscs: A CmpaaveSudy Suden-Based Fundng and Scl-Based Decsn Ma-ng n San Fancsc and oaland Uned Scl Dscs” (Wasng-n: Amecan insues reseac, 2008), avalable a p://www.ewle.g/uplads/les/AtaletwDscs_Fnal.pd .

14 ibd.

15 Pesnal cmmuncan w Davd Slve, pncpal, tn CllegeNw, Sepembe 2, 2010.

16 ibd.

17 Pesnal cmmuncans w Jasn Wlls (Augus 23, 2010); Mahll, me oUSD execuve ce saegc pjecs, oUSD (Au-gus 24, 2010); and Nn iyenga, me oUSD dec sclpl managemen (Sepembe 13, 2010).

18 raegen Mlle, “Pullng Bac e Cuan: Pmng Fscal Equy andPvdng All Sudens w Access Efecve teaces Wll Nreque Fcble re-assgnmen” (Wasngn: Cene AmecanPgess, 2010), avalable a p://www.amecanpgess.g/ssues/2010/07/ced_anses.ml.

19 Dscs a d n peae unde cllecve baganng ageemensmay pssess geae pwe anse eaces, bu even sedscs may acnwledge sme seny pvsns n eacecnacs. F examples, see Emly Cen, k ae Wals, and rSawnBddle, “invsble in n Cllecve Baganng: Wy key issues AeN Addessed” (Wasngn: Nanal Cuncl n teace Qualy,2008), avalable a p://www.ncq.g/p/publcans/dcs/ncq_nvsble_n.pd .


21 Cambes and es, “A tale tw Dscs .”

22 Pesnal cmmuncan, iyenga.

23 Nn iyenga, “rBB Balancng Awad Pcess” (oaland, CA: oalandUned Scl Dsc, June 21, 2010).

24 ibd. F me nman, see kay Mupy, “in oaland scls, ebumpng s abu begn,” te Educan rep, June 3, 2010,avalable a p://www.babuzz.cm/educan/2010/06/03/n-aland-scls-e-bumpng-s-abu--begn/.

25 New Y Cy Depamen Educan, “Fa Suden Fundng:Mang i W Yu Scl and Yu Sudens” (2007), avalablea p://scls.nyc.gv/Nr/dnlyes/49E192E9-02A7-452D-B0A3-C3CDBEF14845/0/FSFGude_05080707092007.pd .

26 ibd.

27 ibd.

28 Educan resuce Saeges, “Fa Suden Fundng Summ:Cneence Pceedngs and recmmendans Acn” (2010),avalable a p://esaeges.g/dcumens/pd/Fa_Suden_Fundng_Summ.pd.

29 Seven Adamws, Susan Bwles teaul, and Anny P. Cavanna,“te Aunmy Gap: Baes Efecve Scl Leadesp” (Was-ngn: tmas B. Fdam Fundan & insue, 2001), avalablea p://www.ec.ed.gv/EriCWebPal/seac/dealmn.jsp?_npb=ue&_&EriCExSeac_SeacValue_0=ED496189&EriCExSeac_Seactype_0=n&accn=ED496189.

30 Jay G. Cambes and es, “Pespecves key Cenal oce Saf and Scl Pncpals regadng resuce Allcan Plces andPcedues” (Wasngn: Amecan i nsues reseac and PvLeanng Panes, 2010).

http://www.edtrust.org/sites/edtrust.org/files/publications/files/FundingGap2006.pdf


http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/03/comparability_brief.html


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http://www.ibabuzz.com/education/2010/06/03/in-oakland-schools-the-bumping-is-about-to-begin/


http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/49E192E9-02A7-452D-B0A3-C3CDBEF14845/0/FSFGuide_05080707092007.pdf


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31 Pesnal cmmuncan w Ma hll, me oUSD execuvece saegc pjecs, oUSD, Augus 24, 2010..

32 Balme Cy Publc Scls, “oce Scl SuppNews,” avalable a p://www.balmecyscls.g/216710317165211540/se/deaul.asp.


34 Jn Afeld and Gullem Maye, “Lng e Fg Aveages: Enac-ng and implemenng Calna’s requemen rep AcualPe Pupl Expendues Scl by Scl” (Wasngn: Cene

Amecan Pgess, 2010), avalable a p://www.amecan-pgess.g/ssues/2010/05/lngeg.ml.

35 LAUSD tanspaen Budgeng Pjec, “rep n Scl Se Cun-cls,” avalable a p://budgeeales.lausd.ne/ses/deaul/les/rep%20n%20Scl%20Se%20Cuncls.pd .

36 Balme Cy Publc Scls, “Famly and Cmmuny EngagemenGudelnes,” avalable a p://www.baddcs.cm/mabe/bcpss/bad.ns/publc#.

37 oaland Uned Scl Dsc, “oUSD rases APi 26Pns, Dublng Sae Gw Aveage,” pess elease,Sepembe 13, 2010, avalable a p://publcp-al.usd.12.ca.us/199410811175158507/cwp/vew.asp?A=3&Q=278330&C=55771.

38 inevew w Gega Laz, pncpal, UCLA Cmmuny Scl,Sepembe 3, 2010.

39 Uned teaces Ls Angeles, “Memandum UndesandngBeween Ls Angeles Uned Scl Dsc and Uned teacesLs Angeles,” Febuay 22, 2007, avalable a p://www.ula.ne/sysem/les/belmn_ageemen.pd.

40 Pesnal cmmuncan, iyenga.

http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/216710317165211540/site/default.asp


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About the author

Saba Bireda was an Educaion Policy Analys a he Cener or American Progress.

She comes o he Cener rom Philadelphia, where she was a Philadelphia Bar

Foundaion Fellow wih he Educaion Law Cener. A American Progress, she

worked on several educaion policy issues, including school improvemen srae-gies, eacher eeciveness, and scal equiy.

Acknowledgements

Te Cener or American Progress would like o hank he Broad Foundaion

or is generous suppor or his repor.

Funding Education Equitably

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