Pennsylvania Study Combines Methodologies and Tries
to Cost Out “100 Percent Proficiency”
Pennsylvania needs to increase education spending by
$4.61 billion or 26.8 percent per year in order to meet
performance standards, according to the study “Costing
Out the Resources Needed to Meet Pennsylvania’s
Public Education Goals” released in November
2007. In addition, the study showed that spending is
often lowest in the districts with the most need. According
to the authors, the poorest 20 percent of school districts
and Philadelphia need to raise spending by 34.9 and
50 percent respectively.
The study, prepared by Augenblick, Palaich and Associates
for the State Board of Education and requested by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, was designed to
determine the cost for all Pennsylvania public school
students to receive a quality education and be able
to meet state standards defined as universal mastery
of 12 academic areas and 100 percent proficiency on
state assessments of reading and math. Yet, one hundred
percent proficiency is actually an artificial, unattainable
goal, and the study more likely estimates the cost of
“100 percent opportunity.”
Beyond “adequacy” the study also considered
“equity” to determine if the resources spent
on public schools are distributed in a way that allows
all children to have an equal opportunity to succeed
in school. It was intended to help the state understand
education costs and adjust its funding system to close
the resource gaps between high and low-spending school
districts.
The study significantly advances the state of the art
of costing out by combining different methodologies.
APA combined three different methodologies, a successful
school district analysis, a professional judgment analysis,
and an evidence based analysis, to derive cross-checked
results based on combined evaluations. APA also conducted
other analyses designed to understand issues associated
with factors such as student transportation, educator
wages, change in enrollment, and regional cost of living
differences across the state. Professor Michael Rebell,
Director of the National Access Network, explains the
significance of combining methodologies in his article
“Professional
Rigor, Public Engagement and Judicial Review: A Proposal
for Enhancing the Validity of Education Adequacy Studies.”
Also, the general importance of the study was conveyed
by a number of Pennsylvania educators. Thomas M. Brady,
Philadelphia School District interim chief executive,
commended the study for making "a powerful case
for the city.” Also, one school district assistant
superintendent said the report "validates everything
we've been saying all along" about inadequate state
funding. John Augenblick, president of APA, says “costing
out studies are necessary to determine whether federal
and state education requirements cost more than is currently
being spent.” The Board of Education has scheduled
six public meetings across the state between November
27 and December 6 to review the study's findings and
hear public views.
Findings
Pennsylvania’s current state funding system is
inequitable, concludes the study after determining that
the average annual funding needed per student is $12,057
– $2,545 above the actual per-student amount spent
in 2005-2006. According to the study, 474 of 501 state
districts currently spend below the recommended levels
and 1.68 million students attend these under-funded
schools.
Based on current spending levels, the authors of the
study say that on average Pennsylvania needs to raise
spending by 26.8 percent. However, the study also found
that districts with higher wealth and lower student
needs spend more per student than lower wealth districts
with higher student needs. The study concludes that
the poorest 20 percent of school districts need to increase
spending 34.9 percent and Philadelphia needs to increase
spending by approximately 50 percent. APA also calculated
added costs for special education, poverty, English
language learner, and gifted students.
Prepared by Marcela Briceno, November 28, 2007
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