Transcript State Board of Education Costing

State Board of
Education
Costing-Out Study
Robert E. Feir, Project Manager
PASBO // March 15, 2007
Why do we Need a Study?
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“Commonwealth”
Our students compete on a global stage
Education quality currently relies too much on
local community wealth
Unfair for some children to be advantaged at the
starting gate while all are expected to meet the
same standards in this era of accountability
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Equity
Spending/Pupil, 2004-05
$16,000
$12,000
$8,000
High
Low
$4,000
$0
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Adequacy
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How much spending is
needed to assure every
student can meet the
state standards?
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Costing-Out Study Background
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Standards-based reform movement
How much does it cost to meet standards?
Studies in at least 35 states
Act 114 of 2006
State Board to contract for study to determine
cost of all students meeting state standards and
performance expectations
RFP led to contract with Augenblick, Palaich, &
Associates of Denver
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State Board Priorities
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Independence: contractors must perform their
work in a professional manner free from
political interference or State Board influence
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Transparency: all interested Pennsylvanians
should have access to information about the
study and how it is conducted
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The Standard
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The study will determine the cost of meeting
this standard:
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100% attainment of the state’s 12 academic
standards areas
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100% proficiency on PSSA
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By 2014
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Overview of the Study
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Cost out elements school districts need to
provide so students can meet the standard
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Base Cost
Adjustments for district cost pressures (size and
location)
Adjustments for students with special needs (special
education, poverty, English language learners)
Personnel wages
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Four Methods
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Four methodologies are being used to
estimate the cost of adequacy
Successful school district approach
 Professional judgment approach
 Evidence-based approach
 Cost function approach
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Successful School District
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Infers base cost from
basic spending of
successful districts
Includes efficiency
screens
Examines schools in
high performing/low
spending districts
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Professional Judgment
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Costs out resources
identified by 10 panels of
about 80 educators for
hypothetical schools and
districts
Provides base cost and
adjustment for district size
Provides adjustments for
special needs students
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Evidence-Based
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Based on research
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Will involve about 100
Pennsylvania
educators and citizens
(including board
members) in webbased activity
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Cost Function Approach
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Statistical analysis of
performance and
spending data
Includes an efficiency
analysis
Examines the cost of
enrollment changes
and sparcity/density
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Other Activities
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Meet with various stakeholders
School board members
 Parents
 Business
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Develop transportation cost model
Analyze student and taxpayer equity
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Not Included in Study
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Capital costs
Food service costs
Design of a new funding formula
Results of study can be used by elected officials for
this purpose
 Act 114 does not include design of formula
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Schedule
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Contract signed: December 2006
Data collection: January-February 2007
Data analysis: February-September
Professional judgment panels: March-May
Interim report: May
Final report: November
6 regional meetings on final report: NovemberDecember 2007
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State Board Oversight
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Education Costing-Out Committee:
Dr. James E. Barker, Chair
 Karl R. Girton
 Mollie O’Connell Phillips
 Larry A. Wittig
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Staff:
Jim Buckheit, State Board Executive Director
 Dr. Robert E. Feir, Project Manager
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For More Information
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Check the State Board’s website:
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http://www.pde.state.pa.us/stateboard_ed/site/defa
ult.asp
Contact:
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Robert E. Feir
717/230-8616
[email protected]
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