Report sheds light on accountability systems and spending in the schools that need it most.
Contact: Enrique A. Chaurand
Email: echaurand@all4ed.org
Phone: 816-825-1072
Washington, DC – Today, All4Ed unveils its latest report, “When Equity is Optional: Does Accountability Drive School Spending?” The report, part of the “When Equity Is Optional” series, investigates the extent to which low-performing schools have access to the extra resources they need to improve school quality and student outcomes.
Notably, it sheds light on the inadequacy of funding to help schools identified for improvement across nine states by analyzing per-pupil spending in schools before and after their identification. In far too many cases, the lowest-performing schools spent less per pupil, not more, after the state identified them as needing extra support.
Over two decades, states have implemented accountability systems, generated school ratings, and identified schools in need of improvement. However, the report underscores that identifying schools is only the first step; school identification results should prompt states to provide necessary funding, services, and interventions and to address resource equity gaps to better support students. While identified schools generally spent more per pupil at the time of identification, the report finds policymakers often fail to consistently follow-up with those additional resources.
Ziyu Zhou, Research and Data Specialist at All4Ed, emphasizes the importance of adequate funding for school improvement and alignment between accountability results and funding decisions. Zhou states, “Our analysis reveals compelling evidence that funding for school improvement is inadequate to support all identified schools. In order to drive positive changes, accountability systems must ensure all identified schools receive the resources needed for improvement.”
Key Findings:
- In every state but one, at least 25% of schools identified for additional support and improvement spent less per pupil after identification.
- Among identified schools spending less per pupil after identification, declines in spending were more often from state and local funding sources than from federal sources.
- The average decrease in spending among identified schools spending less from all funding sources ranged from $705 to $2,819 per pupil – with the average decline nearing or exceeding $1,000 per pupil in most states.
Recommendations:
- State and local leaders should review funding systems, direct more resources to identified schools, and shield them from budget cuts.
- Federal leaders should increase funding for the “7% Title I set-aside” – the only dedicated source of funds for school improvement – to ensure more identified schools receive additional funding.
“Accountability systems can only drive meaningful school improvement if identified schools receive additional resources,” said Anne Hyslop, Director of Policy Development. “Policymakers in Washington and state houses across the country must address the significant gaps in school improvement funding and use school identification results to allocate more resources to the students and communities that need them most.”
To read the full report, please visit https://all4ed.org/publication/when-equity-is-optional-does-accountability-drive-school-spending/
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