Slides from Marilyn Gardner Milton's class on school finances and how to manage them effectively.

1. Collaborate Session 2
Welcome
EDD 8431
Advanced School
Finance

2. Advanced School Finance
Agenda
Microphone Check
Collaborate: 7 days to submit brief overview from archive- 2 Points each
Weekly Discussion Grade Distribution
Assignment 1 Comments
Assignment #2 Comments
Review of Assignment #3
Review of Assignment #4
Reflection Questions
• To date, what has been the most “interesting/surprising” financial or
budgetary theory/concept/fact/issue to which you have been
introduced?
• During the budget analysis interview process, what were your
impressions of your interviewees’ comments and insights?

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

4. Course Overview
 Settling in with course format/expectations (3-4 weeks)
 Read Syllabus Carefully
 Proofread Carefully
 Covers/Reference Pages (APA)
 Re-Submits (Sorry, will not be accepted)
 Late Discussion Board Postings and Assignments (Sorry,
will not be accepted)

5. Why No Late Discussion Posts &
Assignments?
Posting is class discussion & did not attend
or participate.
Classmates cannot benefit from your
insight.
Not fair to classmates!
Access to entire syllabus work on the
discussion/assignment early.

6. No Late Discussion Posts & Assignments?
Submit posting by Thursday (11:59 pm) –
Response Posts Sundays (11:59 pm)
Submit Assignments Sundays (11:59 pm).
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!

7. Advanced School Finance
Questions

8. Advanced School Finance
Overview of
Assignments

9. 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 15
Discussion Board and Chats 26
(2 points each) 2-14
Collaborate Sessions 4
(2 points each)
Total 100

10. Weekly Grade Breakdown
Assignment #1 6 - 10 (2)
Discussion #1 0 – 2 (3)
Discussion #2 0 – 2 (5)
Discussion #3 0 – 2 (8)
Discussion #4 1.6 – 2 (10)
Discussion #5 1.25 – 2 (12)
Discussion #6 1.5 – 2 (13)
Discussion #7 .85 - 2 (13)
Assignment #2 10-15 (4)

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

12. Discussion Rubric
Description Points Credit
Earned
Posting Timeliness
Student submitted posting by Thursday. .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 and Timeliness of Candidate’s Reponses to
Classmates’ Postings .75
Responded to at least three of classmates’ postings, on three
different days. 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

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

14. Response to Classmate’s Postings
2-4 paragraphs in
length (i.e., 75-100
words)
 Grammatically
correct sentences &
encourage further
discussion

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

16. Advanced School Finance
Questions

17. Assignment #1
School Finance Litigation
Nice job on evolution
of litigation public
school finance
Identified major legal
cases that affected
public school finance

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

19. Great Interviews
Analyze two district’s
operating budgets
supported by scholarly
research
 References/Sources
Not a
Question/Answer
Format
Assignment #2: Budget Analysis

20. Advanced School Finance
Questions

21. Assignment #3
Approving an Operating Budget
Minimum 10 pages
7 Sections
5 Scholarly Sources
 Textbooks
Odden & Picus – Chapters
3, 9 10
Hartman – Chapter 3
 20 Points

22. Assignment #3: Budget Analysis
Written portion:
• Introduction
• Interviews
• Problem Solving
• Operating Budget
• Stakeholders
• Communication
• Summary

23. Overview
Approving an Operating Budget
 New school principal and 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

24. Approving an Operating Budget
1. Introduction
• An overview of the
assignment.
2. Interviews
• Describe the results of
the interviews.

25. Approving an Operating Budget
3. Problem Solving
• Describe sub-elements
of problem solving.
4. Operating Budget
• Describe sub-elements
of an operating
budget.

26. Approving an Operating Budget
5. Stakeholders
• Describe sub-elements of
stakeholders
6. Communication
• Describe sub-elements of
communication.
7. Summary
• Summarize the importance
and implications for
school leaders.

27. 2. Interviews
• Finance officer or
superintendent in district
(or both)
and
Principal of a local school.
• Focus: on the politics and
process of presenting a
budget to a funding body.

28. 3. Problem Solving
• Describe sub-elements of
problem solving.
• What types of problem-
solving strategies and
knowledge of strategic,
long-range, and
operational planning could
be used?

29. Problem Solving (cont.)
How ensure effective,
legal, and equitable
use of fiscal, human,
and material resource
allocation?
What new resources
are being sought to
facilitate student
learning?

30. 3. Problem Solving (cont.)
How:
• Use Research methods,
educational and finance
theories, to improve school and
district operations?
• Does operating budget
demonstrate an understanding
of the complex issues of
poverty their effects on
families, communities, students,
and learning?

31. 4. Operating Budget
How proposed operating
budget abides by
policies, laws, and
regulations enacted by
local, state, and federal
authorities.

32. 4. Operating Budget (cont.)
• How can school and
district-level personnel
communicate
effectively to key
stakeholders and the
community to support
the need to adequately
finance public
schools?

33. 4. Operating Budget (cont.)
• How work with
political leaders at the
local, state, and
national level to assist
the fiscal needs of the
school community and
district?

34. 5. Stakeholders
• How engage students,
parents, members of
school board, and
other community
members concerning
trends, issues, and
potential changes?

35. 5. Stakeholders (cont.)
How communicate with
all segments
community to assist
them to understand the
trends and issues
being addressed in the
district operating
budget?

36. 6. Communication
How communicate with
local, state, and federal
authorities to actively
advocate for the
adoption of the district
operating budget and
policies?

37. Communication (cont.)
How the proposed
operating budget
promotes equitable
learning opportunities
and success for all
students.

38. 7. Summary
Importance and
Implications for
School Leaders

39. Advanced School Finance
Each section weave in
scholarly research and
compare with
responses received in
interviews
Questions?

40. Assignment #4
District 5 – Budget Allocations
Narrative 5-6 pages
Budget
Textbooks
Hartman – Chapter 8
Odden & Picus – Chapters 3,
5, 6, 7, 8, 12
Case Study Handouts
(Bb)
25 Points

41. Assignment #4
District 5 – Budget Allocations
Handouts in
BlackBoard
(Left Column
Menu)

42. Case Study Facts
Funds allotted by
category and
allocated to District
5.
Elementary
Schools (14);
Middle School (5)
and High Schools
(3)

43. Case Study Facts
Categories
Instructional Staff
Staff Development
Supplies
Administrative Support
 At Risk

44. Case Study Facts
1. Responsible Funding
District 5 schools
($40,345,388 million)
2. Prepare formulas for
allocation of the five
categories of funds
among schools in District
5
3. Justify why & how your
formulas are most
equitable (scholarly
research)

45. Budget Spreadsheet
Two Tabs (at bottom)
Allocation Spreadsheet
and
Grade Level Enrollment
(Student enrollment by grade)

46. At-Risk Funding
Exceptional Children (number identified on
“Grade Level Enrollment” tab)
Schools: E1, E7, M1, M2, and H1
ESL Students (additional funds to serve at-risk)
Schools: E13, E14, M3, M4 and H1

47. Case Study
4. Once funds allocated to
each District 5 school,
write a brief (5 pages)
explanation for the
rationale you used to
allocate the funds.

48. Weave in Scholarly Research
• “Research indicates that providing intensive
instructional intervention in Kindergarten and
Grade One can help struggling readers to catch up
to their peers, so it is recommended that lower
class sizes and additions support be offered,
particularly in the primary years (Odden & Picus
2008), therefore, I allotted $$$$$ for the category
of ??????? for each??????? school in District 5.

49. Case Study
5. Address class size and
other factors you
considered when
making your
allocations.
6. May leave modest
fund balance in your
total allocation ($1.0
million or less)

50. Case Study Information
Statewide formulas
District 5 Budget allocations
Descriptions of what is included in each
funding category
Schools with ESL and Exceptional Children
Description of all Spreadsheet Columns and
Rows

51. Assignment #4
“You do not need to worry about
exceeding individual accounts as long
as you have an adequate fund balance
in the at-risk funds to cover the
overage.”

52. Assignment #4
You may exceed the budget in
individual accounts!

53. Assignment #4
Under No
Circumstances
Can You Exceed
Your Total
Budget!

54. Case Study
Please check
all allocation
decisions for
reasonableness!

55. Reflection Question
To date, what has been the most
“interesting/surprising” financial or
budgetary theory/concept/fact/issue to
which you have been introduced?

56. Reflection Question
During the budget analysis interview process,
what were your impressions of your
supervisor/superintendent/manager/
principal comments and insights?

57. Advanced School Finance
Final Thoughts,
Questions or
Comments?

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