EDLD+5342+Cohort+5+Wiki+Group+5

Lorissa Bailey, Brenda Avance, Marie Adams
 * EDLD 5342 SU3003 Cohort 5 Wiki Group 5 Week 1 **


 * Week One Assignment, Part 1 **
 * //__ Top 3 Events in School Finance History: __// **
 * // 1. In 1824 schools were not established or funded by the Mexican government and was the first example of "unfunded education mandate" (EDLD 5342 Lecture Template Week 1, p. 1). // **
 * // Reasoning: // **
 * 1) As stated by Dr Nicks in EDLD 5342 Lecture Template Week 1, this concept continues today and is referred to as "unfunded mandate" when education finance is discuss.
 * // 2. When the state of Texas and its new Constitution was drawn in 1845 it established "free schools and called for state taxes to support education" // **** // (EDLD 5342 Lecture Template Week 1, p. 1). // **


 * // Reasoning: // **
 * 1) This is important because it is " the basis for what is now called the Permanent School Fund" (Dr Nicks, EDLD 5342 Lecture Template Week 1, p1).


 * // 3. Dr Nicks said, "The Gilmer-Aiken Laws significantly impacted how the state funded schools and how schools operated. These laws were passed during the 51st Legislative Session of 1949" (EDLD 5342 Lecture Template Week 1 p3). // **
 * // Reasoning: // **
 * 1) Several important items (I.E. school districts reduced, teacher salaries increased, school year formalized, the structure of the School Board) were impacted by he Gilmer-Aiken Laws (Dr Nicks, EDLD 5342 Lecture Template Week 1, p3)

Three issues that have had a significant impact (in the last decade) on formula funding are:
 * Week One Assignment, Part 2 - State Formula Insights and Reflections **

1. The Property Tax Relief Law passed in 2006 and revised in 2009. “Guarantees school districts a set amount of funds per student in weighted average daily attendance to compensate for a mandatory reduction in, or compression of, their local maintenance and operations tax rates from rates that were adopted in 2005” (School Finance 101: Funding of Texas Public Schools, pg. 7, TEA, January 2011)

2. HB 3646 passed in 2009. “This created a new funding component, based on the revenue target, known as revenue at the compressed (tax) rate, or RACR” (School Finance 101: Funding of Texas Public Schools, pg. 29, TEA, January 2011)

3. HB 1 passed by the 79th Legislature in 2006. This “expanded Tier II to provide three different levels of guaranteed yield funding on the pennies of tax effort exceeding a district’s LFA” (School Finance 101: Funding of Texas Public Schools, pg. 19 TEA, January 2011).

Great job Lorissa for writing this summary out for us!!!!! You rock! Marie’s Reflection: The three issues that impact the state funding are guaranteed tax based formula, caps on the tax capacity of wealthy district and the foundation formula itself. These issues are discussed in depth in School Finance Reform in Texas: A Never Ending Story? by Jennifer Imazeki and Andrew Reschovsky in May 2003.“School finance in Texas has been largely shaped by a series of important court cases. They have been based on the full range of arguments used to challenge systems of public school finance in the United States, from equal protection cases, to well articulated arguments for fiscal neutrality, and, most recently, to arguments that school system must provide all students with an adequate education. Texas is also interesting for the responses it has made to the court challenges. To achieve fiscal neutrality, it has implemented an innovative system of state aid that combines a foundation formula, a guaranteed tax base formula, and caps on the tax capacity of wealthy districts. In addition, Texas has recognized that certain characteristics of school districts and of students raise the costs of providing education. Its response has been to adjust its state aid formulas in ways that attempt to account for the full array of factors that have been found to be systematically related to the costs of education. Finally, Texas has been in the forefront in establishing student performance goals based on a set of standardized tests and using these tests to assess the performance of schools and school districts. Given the Texas background of the President and the Secretary of Education, there can be little question that the early adoption of an accountability system in Texas influenced the focus on school accountability in the recently enacted reauthorization of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act.” Brenda's R eflection: The three issues that impact the state funding are guaranteed tax based formula, caps on the tax capacity of wealthy district and the foundation formula. All of these are legislative actions discussed in by our professors in Week one Lecture one. Also court decisions that have been rendered and are still in court have heavily impacted all of the above issues.

Using the lecture and Glossary from Dr. Nicks in Week One as well as Dr. Jenkins’ interview with Dr. Arterbury in Week One, and information from any of the referenced links, define the concepts of equality, equity and adequacy, and identify two examples of each of these concepts: Equality means every student has the same access to the same type of basic educational program (EDLD5342Week 1 Video 1 interview with Dr Nick and Dr Arterbery p7). Adequacy refers to the need for just enough funding to allow students to achieve as retrieved April 09, 2012 from http://www.investintexasschools.org/schoolfunding/adequacy.php Examples- basic course like reading, math, science
 * Week One Assignment, Part 3 – Equality, Equity and Adequacy **
 * Directions: **In this activity, you will be asked to post to your faculty section blog and to your group Wiki and comment on at least one other group’s wiki. **__Your faculty and Instructional Associate will assign you to a Wiki group for this activity.__**
 * Define and provide two examples of each of these concepts in school finance: **
 * //Equality //**

Equity means that the system is fair and responds to the needs of individuals (EDLD5342Week 1 Video 1 interview with Dr Nick and Dr Arterbery p7). Examples- “Robin Hood” Retrieved April 11, 2012 from http://www.investintexasschools.org/schoolfunding/adequacy.php, free or reduced-price lunch program
 * //Equity //**

Adequacy means that the school district receives financial support sufficient to meet state accreditation standards (EDLD5342Week 1 Video 1 interview with Dr Nick and Dr Arterbery p7). Examples- standardize testing and “No Child Left Behind" Retrieved April 11, 2012 from []
 * //Adequacy //**

Brenda's Reflection: As we do vision and mission statements and make learning for all students’ number one priority all three of the concepts, equality, equity and adequacy come into play with high priority and importance?Right? Equality means every student has the same access to the same type of basiceducational program (EDLD5342Week 1 Video 1 interview with Dr Nick's p7).Adequacy refers to the need for just enough funding to allow students to achieve (Retrieved April 09, 2012 from[]). Through my research equity should take higher priority over adequacy. As for as equity is concerned I would love to hear the court tapes of the proceedings of “Robin Hood” court actions. Bottom line these three concepts will continue to be key in education and school financing.


 * Week One Assignment, Part 4 – Comparing District Improvement Plans and the importance of funding focus **


 * Directions: **In this activity, you will be asked to post to your faculty section blog and to your group Wiki and comment on at least one other group’s wiki. **__Your faculty and Instructional Associate will assign you to a Wiki group for this activity.__**

Using the Austin ISD District Improvement Plan found in the Resource section, along with your District’s Improvement Plan, and do the following:


 * review the districts continuous improvement plans, and in Austin ISD, carefully review Appendix A and B reviewing State Compensatory Education and External Grant Funding, as well as PBMAS (Performance Based Monitoring Analysis System;
 * Identify key funding sources supporting various goals and desired results/goals.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">Write a one page review of your comparison of the Austin ISD Improvement Plan and your district’s plan noting similarities and differences. Please pay close attention to goal driven budgeting – in other words, do the Improvement Plans explain how goals will be addressed and funded. __Remember we want you to recognize the importance of goal driven budgeting – and this activity should help you begin to see how district goals are achieved through appropriate allocation of funding and human resources.__ **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">Workspace **

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 15px;">Write your one page review of Part 4 of your assignment in the box below. The box will expand as you type. Marie's Response:

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">There are three areas that I look at in Austin ISD and Duncanville ISD district improvement plans (DIP). The percentage of highly qualified teachers, increase the student retention rate, and positive behavior support system. In accordance with Section 1119 of P.L. 107- 110, No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,Duncanville ISD employs only teachers and paraprofessionals who meet the criteria for being “highly qualified” as fully defined in Section 200.55 34 of CFR Part 200. They will use Title IA and Title II fund and the Director of Human Resources will be responsible. In order to attract high-quality highly qualified teachers, Duncanville has developed a recruitment strategic planning team, a marketing and outreach strategy, a partnership with traditional teacher education institutions and alternative licensure program, Title I A, Title II A, Title III, State, Local Funds will be used. Austin ISD reported that last year they had 100% high qualified teachers for the previous year.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> “Positive Behavior Support is designed to address discipline problems in a research-based, experimentally verified way, based on one simple premise: prevent problem behaviors before they start. In PBS schools, there are adult school-wide agreements to teach behavior and model expected behaviors with ways to support positive behavior. In any given school, the problem could range from bullying, school violence or a loss of instructional time because of behavioral issues. In PBS schools, the adults act together to set common expectations, not just for learning, but also for behaviors that support learning. These schools work to stop problem behavior before it starts, using research-validated practices. As a result, students learn more.” Austin ISD has had the program for 5 years and is now send presenters to conference to share their experiences with PBS. Duncanville ISD was to continue with phase 1 of PBIS and to have 100% of all campus implanting phase II of PBIS. They will be using compensatory education funds and the Director of Administrative Services will be responsible for follow up and follow through.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Duncanville ISD will increase the district completion rate to at least 80% in all subpopulations by continue to fund the PACE alternative campus to help ensure that more students have the opportunity to graduate and will design and create an 8th to 9th grade transition program (school within a school) at DHS to accelerate learning and build community for students who have struggled in grade 8. This will be fund with compensatory education funds and DHS principal and Assistant Superintendent for program effectiveness will be responsible. Austin ISD will increased number of students graduating within four years of enrolling in the 9th grade for the first time, increased number of students regaining credits and improved student attendance and participation. They will do this by Create a Credit Recovery Dropout Prevention (CRDP) Program that will serve at-risk students, assisting them in earning enough credits to remain with their cohort and graduate high school in four years, Establish a district-wide system for monitoring and reporting students’ academic improvement and progress towards the state standard and Improve the use of parent contact methods in order to better build relationships with families and improve student resiliency Create district wide support system that includes district staff, community support, county support, and parental support. Austin ISD will use Title I ARRA funds, School Improvement ARRA funds and will use many different district staff to help meet their goal.

Brenda;s Reflection for EDLD 5342 SU3003 Cohort 5 Wiki 5 4-14-2012

Because I had received the Garland Independent School District, District Improvement Plan 2011-2012 (GISD DIP) from Dr Culwell’s office and could not retrieve the 2010-2011 plan from the internet or get a copy from the district, I am using the Austin Independent School District, District Plan 2011-2012 (ADIP) (Retrieved April 14, 2012 from []. I will be using these for comparison purposes.

The GISD DIP is made up of a thirty-four page document and generated by Plan4Learning.com with minimal introduction. It has five goals containing from three to eight performance objectives each with each objective made up of a Summative Evaluation with the following areas; Strategy Description, Title 1, Staff Responsible for Monitoring, Evidence that Demonstrates Success, and 4 Formative Reviews. The GISD DIP does explain how goals will be addressed and is done with a formative review in November, January, March, and June by the staff responsible for monitoring each specific goal. The GISD DIP does not show on the plan any “goal driven budgeting” and how the goals are funded.

The AISD DIP is a short concise twenty-nine page document that has an introduction, two separate parts; Part One Comprehensive System for Continuous Improvement and Part Two Strategic Action Plan. Part One has information about policy, alignment, long range actions, resource plans, and several other actions and plans and websites to access information about each. These are all a great resource for us to check out but not appropriate in my opinion for a DIP. Part Two to me is more what the DIP should contain with needs assessment information and key actions I think are their goals. It also includes a AYP School Improvement Plan section which also confuses me. The AISD DIP does have a Appendix A and B reviewing State Compensatory Education and External Grant Funding, as well as PBMAS (Performance Based Monitoring Analysis System. In their Appendix A you can identify key funding sources supporting various goals and desired results/goals. This is not true in GISD DIP. None of the funding is discussed in the GISD DIP form.

In summary my opinion is that GISD DIP goals are easier to follow, but Garland ISD probably should add a column for funding to show goal driven budgeting in this plan to show the district’s adherence to the PBMAS (Performance Based Monitoring Analysis System. I do believe as I study more closely my district’s systems I will be able to see this tie-in and how they document it. This is a great process to go through as superintendent candidate prospects so we know what to ask about a district we are looking at signing a contract with and leading.