This issue of the Standard focuses on a topic that occupies more space on state board of education agendas than any other: school finance. Most state boards do not directly make funding decisions in their states. But nonetheless, they review budget requests and appropriations and provide guidance to districts on how they report spending. As authors in the Standard point out, there are opportunities for state boards to exercise more leadership in ensuring that school spending is adequate to serve the needs of all students.
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School Funding: The Role of the Courts
State courts are focusing on whether resources are adequate to provide all students a sound education.
By Michael A. Rebell
Equipping School Leaders to Spend Wisely
It will take training to ensure that local leaders can take advantage of new data on school-level spending.
By Marguerite Roza
Making ESSA’s Resource Equity Provisions Meaningful
Key questions state policymakers should mull when leveraging ESSA’s call for resource allocation reviews and school-level spending.
By Ary Amerikaner
Teacher Salaries: A Critical Equity Issue
How states pay their teachers, why it matters for students, and what state boards can do about it.
By Karen Hawley Miles and Nicole Katz
The Advantages of Student-Driven Funding
Will California’s big leap in local control and accountability pay off?
By Rebecca Sibilia
Layering Funding for Quality ECE
Cross-system coordination of disparate early learning and K-12 funding can make the most of scarce resources while aligning goals and workforce development.
By Judy Reidt-Parker and Margie Wallen
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