| Study Title: |
The study's findings are compiled
in two separate reports: "Calculation
of the Cost of an Adequate Education in North Dakota
in 2002-2003 Using the Professional Judgement [sic]
Approach," issued June 2003, and "An
Estimation of the Total Cost of Implementing the
Results of the School Finance Adequacy Study (June
2003)," issued July 2003. |
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| Date Completed: |
July 2003 |
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| Calculated Base Costs: |
In six hypothetical school districts, base costs
ranged from $6,005 per pupil in a moderately sized
K-12 district to $11,593 per pupil in a very small
elementary district. |
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Adjustments ranged from $4,751 to $36,147 per pupil
for special education, from $4,651 to $13,279 per
pupil for ELL, and from $1,380 to $2,727 per pupil
for low-income students. These figures varied significantly
due, in part, to the need to create a class and
hire an appropriate teacher when only a small number
of students are in a particular category. |
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| Major Recommendations: |
Based on 2001-02 dollars and enrollment, increase
total state K-12 funding from $660 million to $866
million (31%), which would have been about $2,000
per pupil that year. For subsequent years, add an
inflation adjustment. |
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Consider allocating state aid for students with
high-cost special education needs outside the state
aid formula, since one such student can have an
enormous fiscal impact on a small district. |
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Consider adding a regional cost-of-living adjustment.
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| Special Features of the Study: |
Because teacher salaries in North Dakota were considered
too low to attract and retain enough teachers, the
cost calculations included a 10% increase in salaries
for all school personnel. Because salaries and benefits
vary dramatically across the state, the cost calculations
used averages by district type/size, not statewide
averages. |
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The additional costs of serving students in special
education, low-income students and students learning
English vary significantly by size of district.
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The study found that 25 districts enrolling 3,764
students, out of 202 districts enrolling 102,888
students, actually spent above the per-pupil adequacy
level in 2001-02 and recommended continuing to fund
those districts at their current levels. |
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| Implementation: |
Not yet implemented
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| Methodology:
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Professional Judgement |
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Adequate funding was defined as "the funding
levels needed to assure that all school districts
. . . have sufficient operating funds . . . to
be able to meet the requirements . . . that North
Dakota and the federal government use to hold
districts accountable for student academic performance."
Nonetheless, the study states that the full cost
of meeting the federal requirements is "unknown."
Adequate education was also defined in accordance
with North Dakota "input" standards,
such as required class size and library/media
staff, and "output" standards, such
as student performance goals and targeted graduation
rates. The panels received the state's student
performance goals for 2007-08, under the new federal
NCLB
law, which call for increasing the current rate
of student proficiency by 50% to 150% in reading
and math at different grade levels.
|
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7 panels of 6-8 North Dakota educators included
4 school-level and 3 district level panels,
which specified the resource needs of prototype
schools and districts
|
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1 ten-member, statewide panel reviewed the resource
designations, adjusted for consistency, and
made pricing recommendations for cost estimates
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The experts hired to conduct the study observed
that, "the members of all the panels behaved
in a way that can best be described as parsimonious."
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| Additional Factors: |
The study included consideration of
salaries adequate to attract and retain qualified
personnel - something most studies just assume -
and separate costs above base costs for special
education, low-income and ELL students - items most
studies include. The study also considered costs
for professional development, full-day kindergarten,
summer school, and technology. The study included
the new federal NCLB goals, but with the caveat
that the full cost of meeting these goals is unknown.
The study did not include consideration of facilities,
food service or transportation and mentions pre-school
only for students "with special education needs." |
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| Public Input: |
None |
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| Prepared for: |
North Dakota Department of Public
Instruction |
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| Prepared by: |
Augenblick, Palaich and Associates,
Inc. |
