Slides from Marilyn Gardner Milton's 1st chat session for her Advanced School Finance Class.

1. Class Chat Session 1
Welcome
EDD 8431
Advanced School
Finance

2. EDD 8431
Advanced School Finance
Agenda
Microphone Check
Post Biography
Elluminate Participation if miss: 7 days to submit brief overview from
archive- 4 Points Next session: Tuesday, June 30th at 8 p.m. EST
Course Goals
Assignments and % of Grade
What do “A” Students do Right?
Syllabus (Class Participation, Late Assignments, etc.)
Weekly Discussion Rubric
Assignment #1 & Assignment #2
Overview Future Assignments

3. Required Texts
• Hartman, W. T. (2003).
School district budgeting.
Lanham, MD: Association
of School Business
• Odden, A., & Picus, L.
(2008). School finance: A
policy perspective (4th
ed.). McGraw-Hill.

4. Week #1 Resources
 Syllabus
 Welcome Letter
 Course Assignment Due
Dates
 Introduction Bio and CV
(Week 1 - Share your own
in BlackBoard and get to
know your classmates)
 Assignment Cover Sheet
Sample

5. Course Goals
 Financial aspects of
educational
environment
 Key concepts of
revenue generation
and distribution
 Practice district and
site-based budgeting

6. Public School Finance is Big
Business!
$440 billion
48.7 million public
school students
Over 3.5 million
teachers
1.5 Million
administrators

7. Course Goals
 Hone leadership skills
in debate fiscal
policies
 Skills to garner
financial support to
accomplish mission.
 Knowledge shape
economic decisions in
the public sector.

8. Course Goals
 Historical foundations
school finance
 Changes in policy/
practices
 Influential court
decisions /current
legal challenges
 Federal, state, and
local funding practices

9. Course Goals
 Site-based budgeting
 Responsibilities
administrators
funding/finance arena
 Budgeting cycles and
influences
 Generation,
distribution, and
accountability issues.

10. Grades
91 – 100 = A
86 - 90 = B+
80 - 85 = B
F = NO CREDIT
I = INCOMPLETE

11. Course Overview
 Settling in with course format/expectations (3-4 weeks)
 Read Syllabus Carefully
 Proofread Carefully
 Covers/Reference Pages (APA)
 You will need your school and district budgets to respond
to many of the discussion posts. Retrieve copies as soon as
possible.
 Re-Submits (Sorry, will not be accepted)
 Late Assignments (Sorry, will not be accepted)

12. Why No Late Assignments?
 Not fair to classmates experiencing extenuating
circumstances/busy lives
 Access to entire syllabus, busy week in the future work on
the assignment now.
 Submit early on Thursdays &Sundays so do not run into
technical problems.
 Very, very rarely do I accept a late assignment and only
with notice (not the day it is due). Even if accepted late it
will be substantially downgraded.
 Grades are important/Everyone is on an equal footing
 I hope you understand!

13. Course Overview
International Students
Plagiarism (no group work)/Cite
Everything/Minimal Cut and Paste
I really, really care about your grade!
Overview of grading process.
Forgive Bb on Formatting Emails and
Assignment Comments

14. Advanced School Finance
Questions

15. Advanced School Finance
Overview of
Assignments

16. Assignment % Final Grade Week
Due
Assignment 1: School Finance Litigation 10 3
Assignment 2: Budget Analysis 15 7
Assignment 3: Approving an Operating Budget 20 11
Assignment 4: District 5 – Budget Allocations 25 14
Discussion Board and Chats 26
(2 points each) 1-13
Class Chat Sessions 4
(2 points each)
Total 100

17. Advanced School Finance
Overview of
Weekly
Discussions
(2 Points Each)

18. Weekly Discussions
Read weekly
discussion
question& submit
response on
Discussion Board
by Thursday
(graded down)
Value: .25 credit

19. Discussion Rubric
Description Points Credit
Earned
Posting Timeliness
Student submitted posting by Thursday (latest). .25
Quality of Candidate’s Posting
Includes comprehensive response to the discussion question (s), 1.00
300-500 words, complete background work to prepare
for posting,
Quality of Candidate’s Reponses to Classmates’ Postings .75
Responded to at least three of classmates’ postings (75 words),
on two different days (if by Saturday). Included, but not be limited to, your
reactions to the reading of the postings of your classmates and
any relevant information you feel would …………………….
Total 2
Comments:

20. Candidate’s Response
 Comprehensive response
to the discussion
question(s)
 Minimum 300 -500 words
 Completed background
work to prepare for
posting
 Value: 1 credit

21. Response to Classmate’s Postings
 Visit Discussion
Board at least three
times per week on
three different days or
two on the same day if
by Saturday to enter
response postings.

22. Response to Classmate’s Postings
Read the postings of all
individuals in class.
Respond (75 words) to at
least three of your
classmates’ postings
each week on three
different days or two
days if by Saturday.
Value: .75 credit

23. Response include:
your reactions to
postings of classmates
 relevant information
you feel would add to
discussions.
Response to Classmate’s Postings

24. Response to Classmate’s Postings
Two questions thought
provoking, probing
and specific to the
posting.
Differences will provide
basis for discussions
and responses to other
candidates

25. Response to Classmate’s Postings
Should be:
 supportive
probing to stimulate
thought
May debate and offer
differing opinions

26. Response to Classmate’s Postings
2-3 paragraphs in
length (i.e., 75-100
words)
 Grammatically
correct sentences been
thought out &
encourage further
discussion

27. Response to Classmate’s Postings
Add to/ disputing
posting can lead to
opening a discussion.
Stating, “I agree,”
“Great posting,” will
not cause classmates
to reexamine their
position.

28. Discussion Board Rubric
Rubric +
feedback
posted weekly
in Grade
Center.

29. Discussion Rubric
Description Points Credit
Earned
Posting Timeliness
Student submitted posting by Thursday (latest). .25
Quality of Candidate’s Posting
Includes comprehensive response to the discussion question (s), 1.00
300-500 words, complete background work to prepare
for posting,
Quality of Candidate’s Reponses to Classmates’ Postings .75
Responded to at least three of classmates’ postings, on three
different days or two days if by Saturday. Included, but not be
limited to, your reactions to the reading of the postings of your
classmates and any relevant information you feel would feel…
Total 2
Comments:

30. Advanced School Finance
Questions

31. What are the “A” students doing right?”
 Citing scholarly sources support views.
 Using more than textbooks for Sources – ensures a
correct, complete, and accurate response
 Proofreading
 Read syllabus and follow instructions
 Checking email/class site 3 times a week
 I access student course statistics
 Reflect on Past Assignment Comments
 Attend/Listen to Archived Collaborate Sessions

32. Assignment Suggestions
If you are
unsure or
confused
contact me!

33. Advanced School Finance
Questions

34. Assignment #1
School Finance Litigation
Evolution litigation
public school finance
from equity issues to
adequacy issues.
Point out major legal
cases that affected
public school finance

35. Assignment #1
School Finance Litigation
Organize:
1. Brief discussion
historical court cases
2. Current cases litigated
in courts in at least
one state other than
your own
3. Compare points of law
that are being debated.

36. Assignment #1 Format
I. Introduction/Background
II. Historical Major Cases/
Early Legal Challenges
III. Current cases in
Litigation and How They
Compare/Points of Law
Debated (two states)
IV. Summary/Conclusion

37. Assignment #1 Rubric
Description
• Content
• Quality of
Communication
• Preparation (readings,
field work, etc.)
• Format
Points
4
2.5
3
.5
10 Points Total

38. Assignment #1
School Finance Litigation
Submit analyses to the
Assignment #1 drop
box
Approximately 5
pages (double spaced)
Assignment #1 Rubric

39. Advanced School Finance
Legal Websites
U.S. Supreme Court Media website
www.oyez.org
Cornell Law School: www.law.cornell.edu
Find Law: http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com

40. Advanced School Finance
Questions

41. Principal/Super in
your current district
8-10 page scholarly
report (double spaced)
Analyze district’s
operating budget as to
achievement of
school/district’s vision
and mission
Review assignment
make interviews asap!
Assignment #2: Budget Analysis

42. Assignment #2: Budget Analysis
Written portion:
• Introduction.
• Interviews
• Components of a Budget and
Revenue Sources
• Managing the Organization
• Managing District Operations
• Managing District Resources
• Summary
*It is not a question and answer
format.

43. Advanced School Finance
Questions

44. Future Assignments
Assignment #3:
Approving an Operating
Budget (Conduct
Interviews for
Assignments #2 and #3 at
same time)
Assignment #4:
District 5 – Budget
Allocations

45. Assignment #3
Approving an Operating Budget
 New school principal/super
been appointed
 First task operating budget
approved.
 Gather information how the
proposed operating budget:
 addresses district problems
 impacts key stakeholder groups,
 communicated to community
and stakeholder groups

46. Assignment #4
District 5 – Budget Allocations
 Facts of case
study
 Build a budget

47. Website Resources
• American Education Finance Association.
• Campaign for Fiscal Equity (Campaign for Fiscal Equity,
Inc. vs. State of New York).
• Committee for Educational Funding.
• National Conference of State Legislatures School Finance
Litigation Main Page.
• National Education Association School Funding Adequacy
—What it Costs to Do the Job Right
• National School Boards Associations.
• National School Funding Network.
• School Finance: From Equity to Adequacy.

48. Advanced School Law
Questions?

49. Advanced School Finance
Final Thoughts

50. EDD 8431
Advanced School Finance
Thank You
Please Let Me Know How I Can Be of Help!
This Session Will be Archived.