A Reflection of Minimally Adequate Education In South Carolina More Than Fift...dbpublications
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This academic professional reflection is
primarily focused on inadequate funding of
public education in selected school districts
in the State of South Carolina, USA. It
examines, in summary, several Supreme
Court cases from a historical prospective
and its present day implications. The
research based reflection focuses on the
inequality of minimum adequate education
and funding in public education. The
analysis of Supreme Court cases shall
demonstrate how inadequate funding of
public education impacts the lives of
innocent children. The reader will find
themselves questioning the educational and
financial disparities within the arena of
public education and resting upon multiple
conclusions of personal thought or may
embrace the authorâs points of view.
Vermont experienced some serious violations of Ethics, Public Trust, Economic Hardships, Education Costs with needed School Consolidation for 21st Century STEM, High-Tech Start-Up Eco-Systems www.gilbertforsenate.us better access to information with accurate statistics at www.greenmountainrepublicans.org or President of Technology Award Earning Roth IRA/Roth IRA Rollover Business Models in order to grow good paying jobs with benefits. People are leaving Vermont due to an outdated, out of touch Socialist Democrat/Progressive Super Majority Destroying the Affordability of Vermont causing issues with all 3 E's. I love E, Economics, Education, Ethics.
The Teachers Unionsâ Fight for Universal PreschoolJames Dellinger
Â
This summer, Congress will
consider reauthorization of the 2002 No
Child Left Behind Act, the Bush
Administrationâs centerpiece education
legislation. This time around, Sen. Edward
Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep.
George Miller (D- California) are in the
driverâs seat. What kind of spoils will they
give their teachers union alliesâperhaps
funding for âuniversal preschoolâ?
A Reflection of Minimally Adequate Education In South Carolina More Than Fift...dbpublications
Â
This academic professional reflection is
primarily focused on inadequate funding of
public education in selected school districts
in the State of South Carolina, USA. It
examines, in summary, several Supreme
Court cases from a historical prospective
and its present day implications. The
research based reflection focuses on the
inequality of minimum adequate education
and funding in public education. The
analysis of Supreme Court cases shall
demonstrate how inadequate funding of
public education impacts the lives of
innocent children. The reader will find
themselves questioning the educational and
financial disparities within the arena of
public education and resting upon multiple
conclusions of personal thought or may
embrace the authorâs points of view.
Vermont experienced some serious violations of Ethics, Public Trust, Economic Hardships, Education Costs with needed School Consolidation for 21st Century STEM, High-Tech Start-Up Eco-Systems www.gilbertforsenate.us better access to information with accurate statistics at www.greenmountainrepublicans.org or President of Technology Award Earning Roth IRA/Roth IRA Rollover Business Models in order to grow good paying jobs with benefits. People are leaving Vermont due to an outdated, out of touch Socialist Democrat/Progressive Super Majority Destroying the Affordability of Vermont causing issues with all 3 E's. I love E, Economics, Education, Ethics.
The Teachers Unionsâ Fight for Universal PreschoolJames Dellinger
Â
This summer, Congress will
consider reauthorization of the 2002 No
Child Left Behind Act, the Bush
Administrationâs centerpiece education
legislation. This time around, Sen. Edward
Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Rep.
George Miller (D- California) are in the
driverâs seat. What kind of spoils will they
give their teachers union alliesâperhaps
funding for âuniversal preschoolâ?
Hemmer, lynn a cross case state analysis ijobe v2 n1 2014William Kritsonis
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Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD - Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Established 1982). Dr. Kritsonis earned his PhD from The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; M.Ed., Seattle Pacific University; Seattle, Washington; BA Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington. He was also named as the Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Central Washington University.
Module OverviewLiberal and Market Models of Higher Education AlyciaGold776
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Module Overview:
Liberal and Market Models of Higher Education Policy
Module Five focuses on two states, California and Minnesota, as the complexities of higher education policy are examined and the variety of political, social, economic, and environmental factors contributing to the ways in which policies are developed are discussed. These policies, in turn, deeply impact the higher education systems within both states, with a particularly strong influence on funding models for colleges and universities.
Higher Education Policy in California
The California Master Plan for Higher Education guided the development of three campus systems in California: the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges systems (St. John, Daun-Barnett, & Moronski-Chapman, 2013). Nearly four out of five college students in California attend one of the three public education systems and three out of every four bachelor degrees awarded annually are from either the UC or CSU systems (Johnson, 2014). Yet, the state is facing somewhat of an education crisis and Johnson projects a shortfall of one million college graduates by 2025.
In recent years, the historic California model has broken down as the systems have been negatively impacted by the stateâs fiscal woes. While colleges and universities have responded to funding cuts by reducing expenses, including cutting administrative costs and hiring more non-tenure track faculty, declines in state support have forced the UC system to increase tuition fees by 50% in three years while CSU fees have increase by 47% in the same period (Johnson, Cook, Murphy, and Weston, 2014). Students are increasingly becoming indebted in order to accomplish their educational goals in California; the average loan amounts among students have risen 36% between 2005 and 2010 (a figure adjusted for inflation) (Johnson, 2014). Hoping to save expenses, many students begin their college educations at California community colleges, which have become so overcrowded that in 2012, 137,000 students could not enroll into at least one class that they needed and community colleges resorted to ârationingâ courses (Dellner, 2012). This evidence suggests new changes are needed in the California state system to support students at all levels of enrollment.
In part, Californiaâs steady decreases in higher education funding are a consequence of a need to fund other state services; for example, Johnson (2012) notes that from 2002 to 2012, state expenditures for higher education fell by close to 10% whereas expenditures for corrections and rehabilitation increased by 26%. Historical trends suggest that the stateâs priorities began shifting from higher education toward corrections since the 1970s, even though the majority of Californians (68%) opposed spending cuts in higher education to reduce state budget deficits and 62% supported spending cuts in corrections to balance state budgets (Baldassare, Bonner, Pet ...
Module OverviewLiberal and Market Models of Higher Education .docxaudeleypearl
Â
Module Overview:
Liberal and Market Models of Higher Education Policy
Module Five focuses on two states, California and Minnesota, as the complexities of higher education policy are examined and the variety of political, social, economic, and environmental factors contributing to the ways in which policies are developed are discussed. These policies, in turn, deeply impact the higher education systems within both states, with a particularly strong influence on funding models for colleges and universities.
Higher Education Policy in California
The California Master Plan for Higher Education guided the development of three campus systems in California: the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges systems (St. John, Daun-Barnett, & Moronski-Chapman, 2013). Nearly four out of five college students in California attend one of the three public education systems and three out of every four bachelor degrees awarded annually are from either the UC or CSU systems (Johnson, 2014). Yet, the state is facing somewhat of an education crisis and Johnson projects a shortfall of one million college graduates by 2025.
In recent years, the historic California model has broken down as the systems have been negatively impacted by the stateâs fiscal woes. While colleges and universities have responded to funding cuts by reducing expenses, including cutting administrative costs and hiring more non-tenure track faculty, declines in state support have forced the UC system to increase tuition fees by 50% in three years while CSU fees have increase by 47% in the same period (Johnson, Cook, Murphy, and Weston, 2014). Students are increasingly becoming indebted in order to accomplish their educational goals in California; the average loan amounts among students have risen 36% between 2005 and 2010 (a figure adjusted for inflation) (Johnson, 2014). Hoping to save expenses, many students begin their college educations at California community colleges, which have become so overcrowded that in 2012, 137,000 students could not enroll into at least one class that they needed and community colleges resorted to ârationingâ courses (Dellner, 2012). This evidence suggests new changes are needed in the California state system to support students at all levels of enrollment.
In part, Californiaâs steady decreases in higher education funding are a consequence of a need to fund other state services; for example, Johnson (2012) notes that from 2002 to 2012, state expenditures for higher education fell by close to 10% whereas expenditures for corrections and rehabilitation increased by 26%. Historical trends suggest that the stateâs priorities began shifting from higher education toward corrections since the 1970s, even though the majority of Californians (68%) opposed spending cuts in higher education to reduce state budget deficits and 62% supported spending cuts in corrections to balance state budgets (Baldassare, Bonner, Pet.
A paper I wrote for English 04. It discusses what options are available to Public School Districts, unable to comply with government regulations. i discuss choices for districts, who cannot currently comply with, No Child Left Behind initiative.
Running Header: ENGLISH
ENGLISH
2
Week 10 English
Studentâs Name:
Institutional Affiliation:
PART ONE: A Problem Exists
The No Child Left Behind Act was established in the year 2001 and is considered to be the most recent iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, also referred to as ESEA (Hayes, 2008). This particular policy was passed on in the course of President Johnsonâs administration as part of the war on poverty program. The main motivation of the law was to establish equity between schools serving low income families and those serving high income families through the provision of funds to schools that serve the former (Hanushek & Rivkin, 2012). The No Child Left Behind policy tends to cover a number of federal education programs where the lawâs requirements for accountability, school improvement as well as testing are a priority. Those schools that fail to make adequate annual progress for two or more consecutive years are usually identified for school improvement and are therefore required to draft a school improvement plan in addition to committing at least 10% of federal funds to teacher professional development (Peterson & West, 2003). The NCLB expects all teachers to be highly qualified in that they must be fully certified by the state as well as possess a license to teach in the given state. States, on the other hand, are required to take up steps in ensuring that low income as well as minority students, are not taught by educators who are not highly qualified at higher rates as compared to non-minority and high income students (Erin & Rotherham, 2009).
Despite the fact that there are a number of issues that exist with No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy it should be noted that this policy came about as a result of the need to improve student education which has in the recent past appeared to be highly imbalanced. Recent studies have revealed that school districts which serve low income families are continuously receiving less funding from the federal government as compared to those that tend to serve high income districts (Hayes, 2008). Nonetheless, the initial goals of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act remain the same even though the law has been amended a number of times with the NCLB being the 7th Amendment (Hanushek & Rivkin, 2012). In addition, school districts which serve low income communities are still lagging behind those which serve high income families. Ever since the No Child Left Behind policy was enacted in 2002, it has so far had a huge impact on United States public school classrooms. It has also affected what students are taught, the training of their teachers, the tests students take as well as the way funds are distributed on education (Peterson & West, 2003).
The rationale behind having standardized tests within states is considered to be quite reasonable. This is because by having such tests, all stakeholders can be able to have a clearer understanding of how each .
Roderick Hooks 4
Roderick Hooks
EN 106
2/6/2020
Inequality in American Schools
Puritans of Massachusetts established the first public school and decided that these schools will get funds from property-tax receipts. Initially, the system of using property tax to fund local school was performing equally. In her article, XXX argues that education is unequal in the United States because students from poor district perform at levels several grades below those from the richer district. This is because of inequality in the money supplies to schools to fund public schools. Public schools are financed by different states depending on their contribution to tax collection. Most of the poor districts contribute low property tax because properties are less valued and only poor people stay in those districts. Because of this, public utilities such as schools lack adequate resources to support learning. The standard measure for economic hardship does not present the magnitude of the learning gap between poorest and richest students. The federal government and education sector in the United States needs to formulate policies that support the implementation of equal acts.
Public education became mandatory at the end of the 19th century and the responsibility for educating students was given to states rather than the national government. States gave more money for schools, even for schools that relied on property tax. However, regional disparities that arose due to increased urbanization lead to inequalities in schools. Areas with less valued properties or poor families had less money available for schools. As a result, schools in poor districts had fewer resources to support education. In the early 20th century, states started to provide grants to all districts to ensure equitable funding. Nonetheless, wealthier districts increased property values making the state subsidies to increased, hence, causing more education disparities. Advocates and activists have filed claims to push for equality in the American education system. Most of these efforts failed due to opposition in the Congress, the audience for this essay is to inform the federal government and local government that poor districts where most of the disadvantages students come from need more money to finance their education.
States should design a formula that will allow districts to share revenues for education to be more equitable. My argument is that states should give poor district enough money for disadvantaged students to have the ability to perform as wealthier students. Students in wealthier district have access to school psychologists, personal laptops, up-to-date exercise books, and counsellors. High-poverty areas do not access these resources. These areas have more students who need extra help, yet they have fewer tutors, guidance counsellors, and psychologists (Semuels, p1). They also have poorly paid teachers, bigger classes size, and poor facilities. This situation is experie ...
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
Â
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasnât one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
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The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesarâs dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empireâs birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empireâs society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
Â
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as âdistorted thinkingâ.
Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology:
Ethnobotany in herbal drug evaluation,
Impact of Ethnobotany in traditional medicine,
New development in herbals,
Bio-prospecting tools for drug discovery,
Role of Ethnopharmacology in drug evaluation,
Reverse Pharmacology.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Â
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
How to Create Map Views in the Odoo 17 ERPCeline George
Â
The map views are useful for providing a geographical representation of data. They allow users to visualize and analyze the data in a more intuitive manner.
1. NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
VOLUME 31, NUMBER 3, 2014
RESPONDING TO SCHOOL FINANCE
CHALLENGES: A SURVEY OF SCHOOL
SUPERINTENDENTS IN TEXAS
Don Jones
Marie-Anne Mundy
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Carolina âCarolâ G. Perez
Kingsville Independent School District
ABSTRACT
Within the last decade, school districts in the United States and specifically in
Texas have encountered major reductions in state school funding. In an effort
to meet the demands of the No Child Left Behind regulations, state high stakes
testing and maintenance and operations of school districts, superintendents
have had to make ends meet with less funding. This non-experimental
descriptive-survey research study examined how school superintendents in the
state of Texas have grappled with the school finance budget cuts. The results of
the study indicated that school district superintendents in Texas employed a
variety of cost cutting measures to meet the financial demands of their school
districts. The larger schools appeared more apt to eliminate administrative
positions while the smaller schools were more prone to eliminate teaching
positions. All superintendents increased the Student/Teacher Ratios. The cost
cutting strategies that superintendents believed were most effective in meeting
the financial demands of operating their districts and would thereby sustain
the school district in subsequent years were Professional Positions (6100) and
Auxiliary/non-instructional Positions (6100) with Student/Teacher Ratio
(6100) as the third most effective cost cutting strategy.
Introduction
he Education Commission of the States (1999) states that
âOver the years, state policymakers have struggled with the
question of how much should be spent per student forT 4
2. 5 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
education, or "what does an adequate education cost?" However, a
clear definition on what constitutes an adequate or "core" education
has been elusive. Furthermore, current education reforms and court
decisions have increased the need for a more realistic procedure for
determining the actual cost of a core education.
The No Child Left Behind Act (2001) has called for higher
academic standards and a focus on student achievement which has
shifted the idea of âadequacyâ from providing basic instructional
resources such as teacher/student ratio and instructional materials and
resources to identifying what resources are essential for students to
reach their optimal academic potential. In response to No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) Act, the state of Texas has also called for mandates
to ensure that students reach the academic mandates set forth by the
NCLB. However, this has presented school districts in Texas with
mandates that have imposed significant implementation costs which
include additional staff, instructional resources and often new
professional learning opportunities for staff and teachers.
In 2002, the Texas Association for School Administrators
(TASA) and The Associations for School Boards (TASB) compiled a
joint report known as the Report on District Mandates. Again in 2007
they updated their report and titled it Report on School District
Mandates: Cost drivers in public education. It reported that the
factors that have contributed to the rising cost of education in Texas
are State mandates and the impact of inflation. Furthermore, the
single largest cost factor was found to be staff salaries. Other cost
demands include the growth in student enrollment, higher costs of
utilities, fuel, and insurance. Still other increased costs are the result
of the new State curriculum expectations such as the college
readiness standards, end-of-course exams, the fourth year of
mathematics and science and the Recommended High School
Program (TASA & TASB, 2010).
The Education Trust (2006) concluded that states must take a
greater share of education funding and provide additional funding to
3. Don Jones, Marie Anne-Mundy, & Carolina G. Perez 6
districts with the biggest challenges. It presented several admonitions
to states to close the school districtâs funding gaps. (1) Reduce the
reliance on local property tax since wealth and property values are so
unequally distributed. Utilizing local taxes as the primary source for
schools essentially provides wealthier communities the advantage in
proving greater educational opportunities. (2) It is counterproductive
for statesâ to profess a commitment to close the achievement gaps and
to rely on local school district communities to fund education. This
ideology supports privilege, intensifies inequality, and is archaic in
the world where âallâ students are expected to meet State academic
standards consistently. (3) Additional State funds should be provided
to school districts with the most need; thus, targeting the education of
low income children. Childrenâs educational opportunities should not
be limited by their neighborhoodsâ demographics. âAligning state
education funding policies with goals would mark necessary, but not
sufficient, progress toward equality of educational opportunityâ (The
Education Trust, 2006, p. 9).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to survey school district
superintendents in the state of Texas to gather information about how
they have dealt with the current school finance issue to balance their
district budgets for the current school year. The study will inform
stakeholders how the current State funding cuts have impacted the
educational budgets of their school districts. In addition, the results
and recommendations of this study may be of interest to policy
makers and legislators.
Background, Context and Theoretical Framework
School finance is generally described in relation to three
values which include: (1) adequacy, (2) equity and (3) capacity.
âPolicy makers share a constitutional responsibility to ensure that
4. 7 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
sufficient resources are available to meet the educational expectations
of the state, that local school districts with varying levels of property
wealth have a similar ability to access this revenue, and that school
districts have enough remaining capacity to meet increasing cost
pressures and to provide for meaningful levels of local
supplementationâ (Moak & Associates, 2008, p. 4). Furthermore,
Texas lags behind other states in pupil spending (The Education
Trust, 2006). Even though the state of Texas has increased academic
and curriculum requirements for public school students, its allocated
funding has not kept pace with the inflation of the current and past
several years. Texas developed formula modifications to improve the
equity of the school finance formulas. However, the school finance
system has not used those formulas in its actual operation, which has
left some school districts with significantly less dollars to spend per
pupil enrolled. Moreover, school districts have limited leverage to
increase revenue by raising allowable tax rates (Moak & Associates,
2008).
The portion of education funding that states and local
governments provide has changed considerably over time.
Traditionally, the elementary and secondary education levels had
been funded primarily by local governments and states only played a
supporting contribution. Currently, states are required to take a
greater role in education funding which is a trend that began in the
1970âs when state funding first overtook education spending by local
governments (New America Foundation, 2011). The three levels of
government in the United States which include federal, state, and
local contribute to the education funding. States usually provide
approximately less than half of all of the elementary and secondary
educational funding. The local governments commonly contribute to
about 44% of the total, and the federal government funds about10%
of all direct educational expenditures (New America Foundation,
2011).
State Funding
States mainly use income and sales taxes to fund elementary
5. Don Jones, Marie Anne-Mundy, & Carolina G. Perez 8
and secondary education. The State legislatures have developed the
level or tiers of distribution of funding by following certain
guidelines contingent on the state expenditures (New America
Foundation, 2011). States must design school funding formulas to
determine its education funding requirements. States strive to give all
students a good education; however, funding formulas often come
under debate (Center for Public Education, 2008). The two terms that
are generally utilized to delineate school funding are adequacy and
equity. Adequacy is not about providing a set amount of money rather
it is about the number of dollars that are needed to fund studentsâ
needs in order for them to be successful in their academic
achievement (Center for Public Education, 2008). On the other hand,
equity means that school districts should have equal access to
comparable revenue per student at similar levels of tax effort (CITS,
2004). Furthermore, the Center for Public Education (2008) defines
equity as âthe process of distributing a set amount of dollars evenly
among studentsâ (Center for Public Education, 2008, p. 3).
State funding for elementary and secondary education is
typically distributed by formula. Many states utilize funding formulas
that allocate funding per pupils in a school district. Some formulas
are weighted based on student demographics which may include the
number of students with disabilities, the number of students with low
socio-economic background, or the number of students classified as
English Language Learners. The allocation of funding for these
students may differ considerably depending on the funding formula
(New America Foundation, 2011).
In Texas, the school finance system is known as the
Foundation School Program (FSP) which requires for property rich
school districts to render some of their local property taxes to the
state to be redistributed to lower socio-economic school districts
(Benson & Marks, 2005). The rendering of local school districts
funds and redistribution is also known as the Robin Hood law (Cook,
2004). The term to describe property rich districts is Chapter 41.
School Districts identified as Chapter 31, as per their Weighted
Average Daily Attendance (WADA), must redirect some of their
6. 9 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
property tax dollars to the state to support Chapter 42 school districts
which are considered property poor districts as per their WADA
(TEC, 2007). However, Walter and Sweetland (2003) state that the
redistribution of funds at the state level between property rich and
poor districts raised a concern of equity in how these funds are
accessed by the school districts.
Litigations in School Funding
It is important to note that in the majority of the 50 states
litigations have arisen, alleging educational funding disparities. The
school funding litigations were mainly concentrated on education
equity. These cases questioned the level of per-pupil funding in the
states. However, the 1980âs litigations deferred and were
characterized as focusing on education adequacy. Still these court
cases sought funding allocations required to ensure that every student
received an adequate education (Ujifusa, 2013).
From 1989 to 2010, plaintiffs have won 26 education
adequacy litigations cases. There are still numerous cases pending in
courts across the nation (New America Foundation, 2011).
In the landmark case, Rodriguez v. San Antonio Independent
School District, 411 U.S. 1 (1973), the United States Supreme Court
ruled that education is not a fundamental right under the federal
constitution. It also held that wealth is not a questionable
classification. This 5-4 ruling held that the state of Texas did not have
to justify the higher quality of education for wealthier districts that
might derive from their collected local property taxes (Ujifusa, 2013).
A combined case, Edgewood Independent School District v.
Williams, was originally filed in December 2011. Approximately 600
school districts representing three-quarters of the state's school
districts and responsible for educating 5 million-plus public school
students joined the lawsuit. The school districts claimed that financial
support provided by the Texas Legislature was inadequate and
unfairly distributed. This case was filed after lawmakers voted in
2011 to cut public school funding by $5.4 billion.
7. Don Jones, Marie Anne-Mundy, & Carolina G. Perez 10
In addition, the Court declared the school finance system in
Texas to be unconstitutional by not providing low-wealth school
districts the option in setting their tax rates. The Court noted that
school districts such as those represented by the Mexican American
Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) have been forced to
tax at the maximum rate because of the increased unfunded mandates.
Moreover, the Court ruled in favor of the other school district
plaintiffs' claims as well, on the grounds of equity, adequacy and
meaningful discretion (MALDEF, 2013).
On April 16, 2012, The Equity Center reported that more than
400 school districts in Texas are being represented by The Fairness
Coalition to file a school finance lawsuit against the state. The lawsuit
against the State of Texas focuses on a school funding system that is
unfair, inefficient and unconstitutional (The Equity Center, 2012).
It is noted that disparities in education funding in Texas have
reached levels that have not been evident for the last 20 years. Low
socioeconomic students and English Language Learners have been
affected the most. The lawsuit, brought by the Mexican American
Legal Defense and Educational Funding is the third in recent months
to challenge the constitutionality of Texas' school finance system
(Alexander, 2011). This case is being led by Edgewood schools that
have an established history of winning lawsuits against the stateâs
public school funding formulas (MALDEF, 2013). The Mexican
American Legal Defense and Educational Fund won the pivotal court
case against the State of Texas regarding inadequate school funding
for low socioeconomic and English Language Learner (ELL)
children. The ruling stated that âthe Texas public school finance
system is arbitrary, inequitable and inadequate under the Texas
Constitution and [...] low-wealth school districts lack local control
over their tax rates,â reported MALDEF in a media statement. Judge
John K. Dietz of Travis County District Court made this ruling after
more than three months of testimony. âThe State has left many Texas
children behind by blatantly defying its constitutional duty to fully
support their education,â said David Hinojosa, Southwest Regional
8. 11 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
Counsel for MALDEF, who delivered the closing arguments on
behalf of its clientsâschools and plaintiffs. âEvery Texas child
should have the opportunity to go to college and this lawsuit will
ensure that opportunity.â MALDEF filed the claim against the State
of Texas because the budget cuts for schools around the state were
considered to be uneven. Low wealth districts had as much as a
$1,000 difference per pupil as compared to high wealth school
districts. This occurred in spite of the fact that Texas residents were
still paying high rates in school taxes across the state (MALDEF,
2013).
Methodology
This non-experimental descriptive-survey research study
explored the strategies superintendents used to balance their school
district budgets during the 2011-2012 school year through the use of a
survey/questionnaire. Gall, Gall, and Borg state that âthis type of
research (sometimes called survey research) has yielded much
valuable knowledge about opinions, attitudes, and practices. This
knowledge has helped shape educational policy and initiatives to
improve existing conditionsâ (2003, p. 290). The study attempted to
answer the following research questions:
1. What cost cutting strategies have school district
superintendents employed to deal with the current school
finance crisis?
2. Which strategies yielded most of the savings?
3. What are the superintendentsâ perceptions and concerns
regarding the future of school finance?
Research Design
A non-experimental descriptive-survey research study design
was chosen in order to answer the research questions. The
characteristics of descriptive research communicate the following
9. Don Jones, Marie Anne-Mundy, & Carolina G. Perez 12
characteristics: (a) an instrument such as a survey/questionnaire is
developed by the researcher, (b) most responses to the
survey/questionnaire are quantitative or may be summarized in a
quantitative manner, (c) the population sample selected for the study
is usually large to ensure that generalizations are tied back to the
population being studied (Lodico, Spaulding, & Voegtle, 2006).
In order to protect participantsâ rights, each participant was
sent a URL to the survey monkey and completed the survey
anonymously. The limitations in this study consisted of a very low
response rate as only nine responses were able to be utilized.
This study took place within the state of Texas. There are
1040 school districts in the state of Texas. For the purpose of this
study, a purposive sample of all superintendents in the state was
selected. Surveys were administered using the online tool
SurveyMonkey. Thirteen superintendents responded to the survey,
but of these four had to be removed due to lack of responses, leaving
a total of nine. All the school districtsâ statuses based on information
from the nine superintendents were Chapter 42. The School districtsâ
total student membership ranged from less than 1000 to 10,000. One
school fell in the 6,001-10,000 range, one school fell in the 2,501 -
6,000 range, three schools were in the 1,001-2,500 range, and four
schools were in the 1,000 or less range (Table 1).
Table 1
School District Student Membership
School District student
membership
Frequency Percent
1000 or less 4 44.5
1001 â 2500 3 33.3
2501 â 6000 1 11.1
6001 - 10,000 1 11.1
Total 9 100.0
10. 13 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
Data Analysis
All of the nine respondents who had to eliminate professional
positions were Chapter 42. Of these, four eliminated administrative
positions, seven eliminated Teaching: Electives, six eliminated
Teaching: Core Areas, one eliminated athletic coaches and
instructional aides, and one reduced an Elementary Position and
increased class size. The larger schools appeared more apt to
eliminate administrative positions as three of the four eliminated were
from school districts with more than 1000 students while the smaller
schools were more prone to eliminate teaching positions (Table 2).
Seven out of nine respondents stated that they had eliminated
Auxiliary/non-instructional positions. Of these seven respondents,
four school districts eliminated Facilities & Maintenance: New
Construction & custodial, electrical, one eliminated Human
Resources, Accounting and Payroll, four eliminated Curriculum and
Instruction, three eliminated Athletics and Fine Arts, none eliminated
Counseling and Guidance, and one eliminated Transportation
Director, Bus Monitors, Tax Office Clerk position(s).
11. Don Jones, Marie Anne-Mundy, & Carolina G. Perez 14
Eight of the nine superintendents responded that they re-
purposed and/or re-assigned personnel. Six of these eight repurposed
Administrative: Central/District Based personnel, three repurposed
Administrative: Campus Based personnel, six repurposed Teaching:
Electives personnel, four repurposed Teaching: Core Areas personnel,
and one repurposed Counselors or Librarian personnel.
Superintendents made the following changes respectively to
Student/Teacher Ratios: 13:1 to 16:1; 15:1 to 19:1; Elementary: 14:1
to 18:1, Middle: 14:1 to 23:1, High School 16:1 to 20:1; 15:1 to 16:1;
16:1 to 18:1; Elementary 19:1 to 21:1, Secondary 15:1 to 18:1; 12.9:1
to 14.2:1; and 15:1 to 22:1.
Three of the nine superintendents who responded had to
submit a request to the state for a waiver on its predetermined
student/Teacher Ratio. Four of the nine districts had to resort to
utilizing the districtâs fund balance to make payroll and necessary
expenditures. Three of the nine stated that based on the current
funding, the district would not need to use the districtâs fund balance
in subsequent years.
The following programs or initiatives received less funding in
order to meet the financial demands of operating their districts (Table
3):
Professional Positions (6100) by five school districts
Auxiliary/non-instructional Positions (6100) by six school
districts
Student/Teacher Ratio (6100) by six school districts
Curriculum Development: Extra Duty Pay/Stipends (6100) by
three school districts
Extra-Curricular: Extra Duty Pay/Stipends (6100) by four
school districts
Extended Day Student Tutorials (6100) by six school districts
Enrichment Programs (6100) by six school districts
Consultant Contracted Services for Professional Learning
(6200) by six school districts
12. 15 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
Technology Purchases/leases (6200) by four school districts
Supplies and Materials (6300) by six school districts
Beautification & Maintenance of Buildings and Grounds
(6300) by five school districts
Travel for Educational Conferences (6400) by six school
districts
Land, Building and Equipment (6600) by four school districts
The strategies were prioritized in order of the amount of
savings and are listed below in order of most to least savings:
1. Professional Positions (6100)
2. Auxiliary/non-instructional Positions (6100)
3. Student/Teacher Ratio (6100)
4. Curriculum Development: Extra Duty Pay/Stipends (6100)
5. Extended Day Student Tutorials (6100)
6. Extra-Curricular: Extra Duty Pay/Stipends (6100)
13. Don Jones, Marie Anne-Mundy, & Carolina G. Perez 16
7. Supplies and Materials (6300)
8. Enrichment Programs (6100)
9. Travel for Educational Conferences (6400)
10.Consultant Contracted Services for Professional Learning
(6200)
11.Technology Purchases/leases (6200)
12. Beautification & Maintenance of Buildings and Grounds
(6300) tied with Land, Building and Equipment (6600)
The cost cutting strategies that superintendents believed were
most effective in meeting the financial demands of operating their
districts and would thereby sustain the school district in subsequent
years were Professional Positions (6100) and Auxiliary/non-
instructional Positions (6100) with five choices each. Student/Teacher
Ratio (6100) was deemed the third most effective cost cutting
strategy with three choices.
The least effective cost cutting strategies in meeting the
financial demands of operating their district were Supplies and
Materials (6300), Extra-Curricular: Extra Duty Pay/Stipends (6100),
and Beautification & Maintenance of Buildings and Grounds (6300)
respectively.
Student/Teacher Ratio (6100) was the cost cutting strategy
that was thought to be not effective in meeting the academic demands
of operating the district followed by Professional Positions (6100)
and Auxiliary/non-instructional Positions (6100)
Superintendents were asked about their perceptions of the
future of school finance. Three were optimistic, three were actively
involved with the school finance law suits and believed that the courts
would rule in their favor, and three believed that the struggle with
school finance would continue and the courts would not provide any
relief.
14. 17 NATIONAL FORUM OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION JOURNAL
Conclusions
Many cost cutting strategies were employed to deal with the
current school finance crisis. All nine respondents had to eliminate
professional positions. The larger schools appeared more apt to
eliminate administrative positions while the smaller schools were
more prone to eliminate teaching positions. The majority of the
superintendents re-purposed and/or re-assigned personnel and all the
superintendents increased the Student/Teacher Ratios.
Many programs or initiatives received less funding in order to
meet the financial demands of operating their districts. The strategies
were prioritized in order of the amount of savings, and the top three
were Professional Positions (6100), Auxiliary/non-instructional
Positions (6100), and Student/Teacher Ratio (6100). The least
effective cost cutting strategies were Supplies and Materials (6300),
Extra-Curricular: Extra Duty Pay/Stipends (6100), and Beautification
& Maintenance of Buildings and Grounds (6300) respectively.
The perceptions superintendents held about the future of
school finance was very varied. Three of the superintendents were
optimistic for the future, three were actively involved with school
finance law suits and believed that the courts would rule in their
favor, and three believed that the struggle with school finance would
continue and the courts would not provide any relief.
Finally, it is clear from the findings of this study that the
funding reductions experienced by Texas school districts in recent
years have forced superintendents to initiate significant cuts in
programs and personnel that have direct relationships to instructional
programs, staffing and student/teacher ratios as well as in a variety of
other areas. The question that must arise is what impact will these
cost cutting strategies have on the educational experience and
performance of children enrolled in Texas school districts? Further
research is needed to examine this issue as it relates to the impact of
these funding policies and strategies on student performanc
15. Don Jones, Marie Anne-Mundy, & Carolina G. Perez 18
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