| Study Title: |
"Essential
Programs and Services: Equity and Adequacy in Funding
to Improve Learning for All Children" |
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| Date Completed: |
January 1999 |
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| Calculated Base Costs: |
Basic Foundation Amount (in 1996 dollars):
$4,407 per pupil level K-5
$4,543 per pupil level 6-8
$5,081 per pupil level 9-12
|
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Implementation
of the Essential Programs and Services (EPS) model
would cost an additional $132 million, or a 10%
increase over the total state and local expenditures
for 1996-97 reaching a total of $1.42 billion. |
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Standard
teacher salary: $32,291 (for 1997-98 school year)
|
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School
Personnel costs for Year One includes EPS model
Personnel Ratios, the most recent district and staff
profiles for salaries and benefits, and regional
salary differences. Following years include Year
One costs plus adjustments for inflation. |
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Costs for Specialized Student Populations: Special
Education students would receive a 2.1 weighting;
English Language Learners (ELL) would receive a
1.15 weighting (later updated to between 1.3 and
1.6); "Disadvantaged Youth" (as determined
by using data on free and reduced-priced lunch)
would receive a 1.02 weighting (later updated to
1.15); and students in grades K-2 would receive
a weighting of 1.1. |
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|
| Major Recommendations: |
Essential Programs are those programs and courses
Maine schools need to offer all students so that
they may meet the goals in the Maine standards for
eight Learning Results program areas (Career Preparation,
English Language Arts, Health & Physical Education,
Mathematics, Modern and Classical Languages, Science
and Technology, Social Studies, Visual and Performing
Arts.) |
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Essential Services are those resources and services
required to insure that each Maine student is offered
an equitable opportunity to achieve the Learning
Results standards in each of the eight program areas.
|
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The study recommended FTE teacher-student ratios
of 1:17 for grades K-5, 1:16 for grades 6-8 and
1:15 for grades 9-12. It also specified minimum
ratios for students and counselors and guidance,
library, and health personnel, and for school administrative
staff and support and clerical staff. |
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Funding should be distributed in a lump sum of general
purpose aid and local communities should decide
how the resources will be distributed among programs
and services. |
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It recommended an accountability system with a three-phase
mechanism which supports local control while insuring
statewide accountability. |
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A study should be conducted to make recommendations
to the Legislature as to the best method of transitioning
educational funding to the EPS Model. |
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|
| Special Features of the Study: |
This study is still ongoing. For example: |
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Adjustments
for special education, vocational education, teacher
educational attainment, transportation, and small
schools are still under development. |
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Public
meetings continue to be held throughout the state. |
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|
| Implementation: |
The Legislature enacted Public Law Chapter 660 (L.D.
2103) "An Act Regarding Essential Programs
& Services" in April, 2002 which required
the Department of Education and the State Board
of Education to continue development of a school
funding system based on the EPS model. |
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Chapter 127 of the Maine Department of Education
regulations, adopted in September 2002, set timelines
and targets for state and local efforts to implement
the EPS model. |
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The Legislature enacted Public Law Chapter 504 (L.D.
1623) "An Act to Implement School Funding Based
on Essential Programs and Services" in May
2003, which phases in implementation of the EPS
model from 2005-06 through 2009-10 and increases
the state share of total education funding to 50%
by 2009-10. |
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|
| Methodology:
|
Effective Strategies/Successful Schools |
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A 17-member committee representing various education
constituencies and chaired by Weston Bonney, a member
of the State Board of Education, contracted for
research and consultative assistance with the University
of Southern Maine office of the Maine Education
Policy Research Institute. |
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Used
empirical information from Maine schools, information
on high-performing Maine schools, national information,
when available, and expert opinions. This included
data from staffing patterns, program resources and
expenditures. |
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Developed three prototypical schools and grade configurations
to facilitate the EPS model building process, including
a K-5 Elementary School with 250 students, a 6-8
Middle School with 400 students and a 9-12 High
School with 500 students. |
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Used the most recent national literature on school
resources and performance and expert testimony from
individuals with knowledge and experience covering
topics under consideration, such as the connections
between resources and student performance and costs
associated with Specialized Student Populations.
|
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| Additional Factors:
|
The study included consideration
of programs for disadvantaged students, special
education, ELL, primary (K-2) grades, pre-school,
parental involvement, and gifted and talented, vocational
education, supplies, small schools, equipment and
transportation. The study did not include consideration
of facilities and technology hardware. |
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| Public Input: |
The committee held over 25 public
forums and meetings across the state at which over
420 individuals commented on the study's draft report.
|
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| Prepared for: |
The Maine Legislature |
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| Prepared by: |
Maine Education Policy Research Institute |
