School districts would receive $8,500 per student, before regional wage and district structure adjustments.

Rural districts would receive an additional $700 per student.

All districts would receive $3,200 for each low-income student eligible for free meals.

Districts would be reimbursed fully for spending on special education programs and on English for students from immigrant families, based on actual expenditures rather than a fixed per-student amount.

Very small rural districts (with less than 1,000 students) would receive additional aid.

All districts would receive funds to help them immediately implement some recommendations.

When adjusted for regional wage variations and applied to districts using 2000-01 school year data, the statewide average per pupil expenditure would total $11,121. By comparison, the actual statewide average per pupil in 2000-01 was $8,241.

Establish a correlation between school spending and educational standards, and the resources needed to achieve statewide educational goals.

Small schools: Elementary schools with a maximum enrollment of 350 students, middle schools with a maximum of 500, and high schools with a maximum of 800 students.

Small classes: A maximum of 20 students in kindergarten through third grade, 22 students in fourth and fifth grades, and 25 students in sixth through twelfth grades.

Broad curriculum: Art, music, foreign language at all grade levels. Advanced courses at all high schools.

Well-trained and compensated staff: Staff development and an across-the-board wage increase of 5% for all teachers, and salary incentives to teach in high-poverty and rural schools.

Full reimbursement for services for students with disabilities and students with limited-English proficiency.

Special resources for low-income children: Tutoring and enrichment programs, summer school, and all-day kindergarten.

Staff support for increased parental involvement.

Appropriate technology: Five computer terminals for every 20 students, updated regularly.

Professional Judgment Method

Expert panels of 45 education specialists were asked to define resource components needed to attain Wisconsin educational standards at the elementary, middle school, and high school level. Using the Wisconsin Model Academic Standards, best-practice research, and their own areas of expertise, the panels identified essential instructional and operating system components of model school programs at the elementary, middle and high school levels. A survey of all Wisconsin public school principals and a random sample of public school teachers was taken to determine what staffing, technology, curriculum and equipment resources educators deemed necessary to meet educational standards.
The total increase recommended is 32.8% of actual 2000-01 spending for Wisconsin’s 870,652 students.

A synthesis of information by state and national experts as well as a cost analysis of components was then undertaken to determine the cost of an adequate education.

Also recommended, but not included in pricing of this Adequacy model, are additional non-classroom services for children in poverty, including pre-k programs, and school-based medical and dental services.

Districts would be reimbursed fully for spending on special education programs and ELL students based on actual expenditures rather than fixed per-student amounts.

Staff Development time averaging one period daily for each teacher and a staff position to coordinate staff development, as well as an across-the-board wage increase of 5% for all teachers, and salary incentives to teach in high-poverty and rural schools were also factored under the Adequacy model.