Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'State Educational Finance Commission'

This study examined strategies teachers are implementing for personal finance instruction in answer to the state financial-literacy mandates in Central Texas. One-on-one interviews, focus groups, and document analysis found that teachers are relying on personal experience, community resources, and Internet resources to instruct in personal finance in absence of personal finance curricula. No data emerged that school districts were providing resources; however, administrators are willing to provide resources if they were available. Teachers are using a variety of creative methods to enhance personal financial literacy in the classroom. Sporadic in-service/professional-development opportunities were available to train teachers in personal financial-literacy instruction; however, many teachers opted not to participate in those events, selecting to depend on their own personal experiences as background. Data from this study also found that there was no evidence of teachers being involved in the curriculum-change process for personal financial-literacy education.

The first chapter provides an introduction to my investigation of the impact of state-level educational investments in public K-12 education on future labor markets, specifically earnings and employment. In Chapter 2, the current literature supporting this investigation is examined while I offer a hole in the literature that I intend to fill. Then, in Chapter 3 I present a two-period, balanced-budget theoretical model in which I relate educational investments, mobility, and future earnings. This theoretical model is then implemented in Chapter 4 using state-level data and again in Chapter 5 using individual-level data. Chapter 4 examines the impact of state-level educational investments in public education on aggregate state labor markets, specifically earnings and employment. Using data on K-12 educational spending, 8th grade cognitive test scores, and educational demographics of a state’s labor force, I observe the impact these state-level investments have on employment and earnings growth. Taking interstate migration into account, I separate the benefits from educational investment into benefits due to in-state investment and benefits due to out-of-state investment. By doing so I am able to identify whether or not educational investment spillovers exist between states. Results indicate that the earnings benefits associated with public K-12 educational spending spill over into other states, 8th grade NAEP test scores do not spill over into other states, and neither has a significant impact on other states’ employment growth. Chapter 5 examines the impact of educational investments in public education on earnings of individuals. I extend my analysis from Chapter 4 by employing micro-data (on individuals) from the American Community Survey (ACS) instead of using state-level data. Using micro-data allows me to more accurately measure the investments used in the education of an area and to incorporate where education was attained and where it was employed. Using individual-level data also allows me to narrow my focus to younger participants in the labor force, providing a stronger link between lagged educational spending and earnings. Results indicate that K-12 educational spending does spill over in the form of positive earnings benefits, which helps to support the results of Chapter 4.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how school superintendents were using general fund referenda to meet their school district’s operational budgets. However, after interviews began it became clear that the superintendents wanted to tell a different story and that was how the current school funding mechanism and property tax caps has changed the job of the school superintendent. The research consisted of one-on-one guided interviews of a mixed qualitative methods framework combining theories of hermeneutics and phenomenology. The interviews combined open-ended, guided questions and conversations and were with superintendents who were leaders of school districts that have passed general fund referenda. Each of the superintendents worked for school districts that were in the top 50 national schools, as reported by USA News and World Report, serve affluent communities and serve a low free and reduced lunch population of less than 20% of their student population. Data collected came directly from the interviews and were framed and verified within the context of newspaper articles, public blogs, and public social media posts. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, organized, and coded using a modified data analysis table, which combined elements of item analysis and an unfolding matrix. Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to understand the superintendents’ understanding of the phenomena that is a general fund referendum campaign and their role during its passage. The purpose of this study evolved into how the superintendents perceive their role in light of their new financial realities, which is driven by changes in how schools are funded and the institution of property tax caps. This study is intended to inform current and future superintendents with guidance in how important political communication is for successful execution of the duties of a superintendent. In addition, this study should guide superintendent preparation programs by showing the importance of training and internships for future superintendents in the skills of effective political communication and managing political campaigns.

In this thesis I explore the rhetoric behind the assessment push nation-wide and, particularly, in California. I take a close look at what politicians, educators, and citizens say about public education and their views of the current educational reform: whether they are speaking in support of or opposition to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. I look specifically at the finances of public education in California, the impact and current outcome of NCLB, and propose new reforms as suggested by those intimately involved in education.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1990.
Title from title page screen, viewed November 18,2 005. Dissertation Committee: G. Alan Hickrod (chair), Robert L. Arnold, Ramesh B. Chaudhari, William Humm, Rodney Riegle. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-99) and abstract. Also available in print.

This qualitative, phenomenological case study was designed to illuminate the perceptions and experiences of eight undocumented community college students navigating the California public higher education systems with the aim of identifying factors associated with college persistence. These factors fall into three categories: financial, academic, and legal. The specific problem of interest is the lack of undocumented student persistence in California community colleges. Given that college students depend more on financial aid to reach their college goals; it is important to understand the relationship between California State funding and undocumented student persistence. A qualitative case study design enabled the exploration of undocumented students’ perceptions and experiences with financial assistance for college due to the new and changing federal and state immigration policies, and the academic and legal factors that contribute to their persistence. Emerging themes from interviews conducted with eight undocumented student participants were analyzed and coded. The financial factors contributing to persistence included understanding the financial aid process for undocumented students, information on grants and scholarships, and knowledge of AB540 for lower college fees. Academic factors contributing to persistence included support from: Faculty, Dream Club membership, Puente Project, EOPS, and Tutoring Centers. A welcoming campus environment was also a factor in having students feel safe to continue their education. Legal factors contributing to persistence included: knowledge of federal and state laws such as DACA, AB540, and the California DREAM act application for state aid.

One limitation of qualitative research is the reliance on small participant samples, which allows for in-depth explorations but limits generalization. The use of standardized instruments to capture the experiences of undocumented students would also facilitate comparison studies involving students at various institutions and in different states. Given the numerous variations in state and institutional policies this would help researchers, college administrators, and practitioners understand how different policies and practices affect the educational trajectories of undocumented students.

The purpose of the study was to examine district, campus, and community determinants of principal’s salaries using a spatial econometric framework. Among the district variables business tax (p = 0.001), property tax (p < .01), and the Herfindahl Index (measure of competition) were statistically significant indicators of principal salaries. The results suggest that more affluent districts tend to pay principals higher salaries, which was expected. Regarding campus characteristics, the percent of economically disadvantaged was not a statistically sound indicator (p = 0.468), but campus enrollment was significant (p = <.01). Interestingly as the percentage of economically disadvantaged students increased, the principal salary decreased. In contrast, as student enrollment increases the salary of principals increases, suggesting that principals of larger campuses earn higher salaries. Interestingly, student achievement was not a statistically significant predictor of principals’ salary given that pay for performance in Texas is at the forefront of political debate. Among the variables examined at the community level, only the percentage of homes owner occupied (p = 0.002) was found to be a statistically significant indicator of principal salary (p = .002). The lack of evidence on reforms, such as determinants of principal salary, points to data and research deficiencies to be addressed in order to learn more about their effects and make sound public policies. The paper utilized a spatial regression approach to examine the determinants of principal salary using data from the local, state, and national data sources. Principal salaries are viewed from several lenses in this study by considering effective outcomes of pay defined by actual salaries and market considerations for pay as defined by community, organizational, and human capital variables. Literature from the private sector as well as from the public school setting was used as a theoretical underpinning for the hypotheses set forth in this study. Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. The paper includes implications for educational policy development related to pay for contribution, rather than pay based on tenure, experience, or district wealth. The research also fulfils an identified policy need to study how principal salaries are determined.

With changing funding models and increased competition, academic institutions are increasingly looking for new ways to finance their missions. Business schools are turning to revenue diversification through new venturing to offset declining MBA enrollment, high business faculty salaries, and changes in accreditation standards that require more engagement with industry. Diversifying revenue streams is an important challenge for business schools in California, which has experienced significant cuts in public funding since 2000. With thousands of business students across 23 campuses representing the largest concentration of future business professionals in the country, the California State University (CSU) is on the frontlines of needing to innovate for new revenue and funding sources. Despite not having the expertise or infrastructure needed to successfully launch new ventures, CSU business schools recognize the need for revenue diversification strategies and are finding ways to implement these initiatives. The purpose of this study was to examine how business schools in the CSU system diversify revenue streams. Qualitative methods were used for this study in order to uncover the stories behind the success or failure of revenue diversification strategies intended to lead to new sources of revenue and increased investment for these institutions. The research questions addressed by this study included examining what CSU business schools have done to diversify revenue streams, who were the entrepreneurs in this context (i.e., who were the drivers and implementers of these initiatives), what organizational and financial structures were used for launching these ventures, how have these schools measured success, and what have they learned. The study findings are presented as descriptive case studies of four CSU business schools that represent new venturing lessons learned that ideally could be extended to other contexts and other institutions. These institutions are finding ways to be entrepreneurial despite the lack of resources, infrastructure, or support. They are launching new initiatives designed to generate revenue; throwing mud at the walls, and seeing what sticks!

Includes bibliographies.
This paper explores possible future policy options for a democratically elected South African government as regards private schools. The paper establishes the context of contemporary and historical state policy for private schools in South Africa in combination with a comparative international perspective, a summary of arguments in the literature for and against private schools, and principles identified by a recent (non-governmental) policy investigation into education in South Africa (NEPI) as encapsulating the demands of the democratic movement concerning education. These principles therefore serve as evaluative criteria for the examination of future fiscal and regulatory policy for private schools in South Africa. It will be shown that, as compared to many countries, private schools in South Africa are moderately regulated and receive only moderate financial assistance. However, the historical (and current social and political) context of state policy for private schools will be shown to be one of increasing state support since the early 1980s. It will be argued that this increased level of ideological and fiscal support for private schools in the past decade is a consequence of the government's reformist strategy, and its identification with the politics of 'New Right' parties, which dominated Britain and the USA in particular during the 1980s. It will also be demonstrated that changes in state policy have resulted in large-scale growth in the private schooling sector over the past decade. It is against this background that the lens of democratic principles and fiscal implications will be used to focus on possible future policies for private schooling in South Africa.

The comprehensive computerized decision support system developed in this research employs two techniques, computer modeling and goal programming, to assist top university financial officers in assessing the current status of funds sources and uses. The purpose of the DSS is to aid in reaching decisions concerning proposed projects, and to allocate funds from sources to uses on an aggregate basis according to a rational set of prescribed procedures. The computer model provides fast and easy access to the database and it permits the administrator to update the database as new information is received. Goal programming is used for modeling the allocation process since it provides a framework for the inclusion of multiple goals that may be conflicting and incommensurable. The goal programming model allocates funds from sources to uses based on a priority structure associated with the goals. The DSS, which runs interactively, performs a number of tasks that include: selection of model parameters, formulating goals and priority structure, and solving the GP model. It also provides on-line access to the database so that it may be updated as necessary. In addition, the DSS generates reports regarding funds allocation and goal achievements to allow analysis of the model results. The decision support system also provides a framework for experimentation with various goal and priority structures, thus facilitating what-if analyses. The user can also perform a sensitivity analysis by observing the effect of assigning different relative importance to a goal or set of goals.
Ph. D.

This project developed a resource development plan for the Department of Communication Studies at California State University, San Bernardino. It employs research in organizational communication and applies the theory of organizational identification to the relationship / donor aspect of the program. It also covers research in the field of organizational identification and its relevance to college alumni.

The purpose of this study was to identify issues that are considered important to the legislators and higher education leaders of Tennessee in making decisions that affect the funding of higher education. A further purpose was to identify actions that such individuals believe should be taken by higher education leaders to ensure that higher education is accountable and worthy of continued or increased financial support. Using a qualitative research design, interviews were held with 10 legislators and 6 higher education leaders selected in accordance with the concept of purposeful sampling. Legislative participants included five members from the Senate and five members from the House of Representatives. All participants served on either the Education Committee or Finance Ways and Means Committee within their chamber. Higher education leaders consisted of a university president, the President of the University of Tennessee System, Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Comptroller of the Treasury, and a member of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. Issues identified from the interviews were reduced to eight categories: (a) issues affecting higher education and (b) findings regarding the accountability of higher education. The issues category was divided into eight categories: (a) financial issues that was further subdivided into funding issues, accountability issues, capital expenditures, taxes, fees, and other general financial issues; (b) administrative structure and costs; (c) quality outcomes; (d) faculty issues; (e) technology; (f) program duplication; (g) relationship to K-12 education; and (h) other general issues. Issues that emerged related to accountability included the measurement of educational outcomes and the communication of those results to legislators and the public. Based on the findings of this study, three recommendations are offered: (1) a committee consisting of appropriate representatives should be established to study the issue of accountability and determine appropriate measurements that will provide relevant information; (2) leaders in higher education should make a concerted effort to improve communication with legislators and their staffs; and (3) those in higher education must improve their communication with the public.

The main aim of the study is to determine the views of teachers in the East London district on the influence of quintile-based school categorization on the culture of teaching and learning in No Fee Schools (NFS). The study is motivated by the high rate of underperformance registered by the NFS despite the huge amount of support and intervention directed to them. The study is located in the interpretive paradigm and hence used, was a qualitative approach and case study design. Purposive sampling technique was followed to identify participants. Twelve (12) teachers from three research sites, which are NFS, participated in the study. Data was gathered through observations, document analysis and one-on-one semi-structured interviews, respectively. In each school, a principal, a School Management Team (SMT) member and two Grade 12 teachers were interviewed as participants in order to enrich the study. The study is underpinned by the Social Identity Theory (SIT) which is guided by the pursuit of evaluative positive social identity through positive intergroup distinctiveness, which is, in turn, motivated by the need for positive self-esteem (Tafjel & Tunner in 1979). Thus, according to Hogg (2006), social identity is motivated by self-enhancement and uncertainty reduction, which causes groups to strive to be both better than and distinct from other groups. This theory afforded the researcher the opportunity to understand how teachers’ personal identity and professional identities are influenced by the categorisation status of their schools as well as by their associates. This study revealed that the no fee categorisation status seems to affect the teacher identity and their professional identities which in turn appears to affect the culture of teaching and learning in NFS. This is indicated by data that some of the teachers in NFS seem to be in denial or feel rejected whilst some are proud and embracing teaching in these disadvantaged schools. The study further reveals inadequacy of the funding systems to address lack of resources in NFS means teaches have to provide for these in one way or another. One of the main findings of this study is that various strategies used by the NFS in trying to enhance the culture of teaching and learning in their schools produces differentiated results depending on teacher’s attitudes, commitment, determination and hard work. The study also reveals that teachers from the same communities as the schools in which they work are more dedicated and willing to go an extra mile to plough back. In addition to this, teachers from similar environments seem to be driven by their backgrounds to help and support destitute learners. Amongst the strategies used in schools, matric revision camp, cell phone policy and parenting of learners by teachers are the most effective in terms of enhancing culture of teaching and learning thereby improving matric results. Moreover, the study further divulges that some of the teachers in NFS are committed, motivated and hardworking despite the contextual factors found in these schools. Furthermore, learners in these schools tend to mirror their teacher’s positive attitudes, hard work and determination towards their work which in turn they apply in their own studies. The study concludes with the findings that the teachers in underperforming NFS have to prove their worth to their associates in affluent schools or high performing NFS. Structural committees used at school levels have a positive contribution in the effective implementation of the intervention and support programs directed at NFS.

ln a class action suit brought to obtain a judgment declaring that the Kentucky system of financing public elementary and secondary education violated the Kentucky Constitution Judge Ray Corns ruled the system unconstitutional on May 31, 1988. He held that the system violated not only the state constitution but also the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the study traced the historical and legal development of the financial support system for public elementary and secondary education from 1830 to the present date. Second, the study analyzed the facts surrounding the ruling declaring the system unconstitutional. The study was a historical review of the legislative documents, historical records, and legislative acts which set the stage for the unconstitutional judgment. Judge Ray Corns, the Circuit Court judge rendering the decision, and other key actors in The Council for Better Education v. Wilkinson were interviewed to analyze facts and events related to the ruling that the system was unconstitutional.
Ed. D.

Urban Education
Ph.D.
Teacher turnover is a well-studied phenomenon, particularly in highly urbanized locales, but not well researched in a state as geographically and demographically diverse as Pennsylvania, which is a composition of two major metropolitan areas combined with smaller urban centers and expansive rural regions. Those retention studies that do exist have been mainly exclusive to the Philadelphia region, with limited research devoted to the remainder of the state. This lack of a comprehensive empirical approach that compares turnover in three distinct settings limits a nuanced understanding of the issue and, in turn, can lead to incomplete policy considerations. This study utilizes Pennsylvania Department of Education data from 2012-2017, which describes the entire public-school workforce in all local education agencies (LEAs), to study how compensation and auxiliary spending (per student spending sans instructional costs) influence teacher turnover using multiple, parallel Cox Proportional Hazards survival models. Findings suggest that despite a “one size fits all” approach to public school funding policy popular amongst politicians on both sides of the political aisle, the effects of a monetary increase in reducing the likelihood of turnover varies considerably when accounting for the region, Title I status, experience and subject matter. The study highlights how the lack of monetary investment can lead teachers to seek employment elsewhere since low pay functions as a strong demotivator. Additionally, the results suggest that while a pay raise may arrest turnover risk, it is a poor long-term motivator or cause of job satisfaction. The study concludes by offering state and LEA leaders with policy recommendations that may improve both retention and job satisfaction. To date, this is the only study in the current literature that explores teacher turnover extensively in the nation’s fifth most populous state.
Temple University--Theses

As a local education agency, school districts play an important role in providing instructional support for teachers and school leaders, making instructional goals, and allocating financial and human capital resources in a rational way to promote overall students’ learning outcomes. Studies on school districts that look to find reasons or characteristics related to school district success are known as district effectiveness research (DER). Previous quantitative research in DER using longitudinal dataset has assumed that all school district effectiveness (SDE) changes in a common pattern through a traditional ordinary linear regression or a hierarchal linear model while ignoring the probability that there might exist distinct subgroups of school district effectiveness trajectories. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the existence of different SDE trajectories and how school district demographic variables and financial expenditures affect classification of SDE groups using a growth mixture model (GMM) with a national longitudinal dataset containing all public school districts in all 50 states and Washington D.C. from 2009 to 2015 (n = 11,185). The results indicated that (a) there are three different classes of school district effectiveness growth trajectories, which can be named as a constant SDE group (3.66%), a decreasing SDE group (34.16%), and an increasing SDE group (62.18%); (b) school district demographic characteristics such as a percentage of free lunch students and general administration expenditure per pupil are significantly associated with the probability of a school district being classified to a specific group; and (c) the longitudinal effects of school district demographic covariates and financial expenditures within each class such as school district locations (e.g., urban, suburban, etc.) are associated with the growth factors (intercept and slopes) in different ways.

Every college age student should have the opportunity to attend college and earn a degree, but the fiscal realities for lower income students prevent the majority from attending and the vast majority from completing college, thus perpetuating an intergenerational trend of limited postsecondary education and a likelihood of marginal income and status. Past research studies have shown that, among lower income students, those who receive higher levels of grant funding to offset college expenses are more likely to persist toward completing their educations than those who do not receive the same level of grant funding and thus are forced to rely upon other means, such as student loans or employment, to pay for college. The majority of this research was conducted prior to the recession that began in December 2007 (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2008), which has been more severe and longer lasting than any economic contraction since the Great Depression (Dwyer & Lothian, 2012); more current research is needed to determine whether the educational retention behaviors of lower income students in the current challenging economic climate are positively impacted by grant funding. In this study I used quantitative methods to analyze a specific state policy change to determine whether a significant change in the grant funding provided to lower income students resulted in increased retention rates for these students. This study examines school years from 2006–2010, thus encompassing the recent financial crisis and affording an opportunity to explore the persistence behaviors of lower income students during the greatest financial crisis of modern times. The ultimate purpose of the study is to provide conclusions from the research to postsecondary policy makers in the hopes of informing policy and supporting continuing funding of need-based financial aid for lower income students.

When Oregon voters passed the property tax limitation initiative, Measure 5, and the state legislature enacted school reform under the Oregon Educational Act for the 21st Century during the 1990-91 school year, the trajectory of public schooling in the state changed significantly. After Oregon's tax revolt, the state legislature also enacted legislation that equalized school funding throughout the state. The combination of equalization and the Measure 5 step-down to the $5 per $1000 tax limitation led to a decrease in statewide school funding over the decade. Many wealthy urban districts experienced years of budget cuts, while rural districts received additional funding. Despite differences in school funding, teachers emphasized the importance of student teacher relationships for teaching and learning. This thesis traces the history, passage, and implementation of these pieces of legislation and evaluates the impact of school funding and school reform, two simultaneous but uncoordinated movements, on the school system in the state. Through historical research and oral history interviews with teachers from the large urban district, Portland Public School, and the small rural district, Nyssa School District, this thesis demonstrates that teachers experienced school reform similarly. When school reform implementation relied upon teachers' collaboration to align, develop, and assess curriculum, teachers embraced change. However, when school reform shifted from outcome-based to standards-based, teachers disengaged from the reform process. They rejected reform when standardized testing drove the curriculum, was deemed irrelevant to the lives of their students, utilized inauthentic assessment, did not treat teachers as professionals, and disregarded teachers' knowledge and skills. Teachers viewed their profession as a craft and disagreed with a business model of schools. Taken together, however, school funding and school reform led to a more uniform school system centralized by the state.

This research focuses on School fees at public schools in Gauteng: implications for the provision of education. The demand for free education is no longer one made by revolutionaries or radicals only. Even the World Bank – key architects of user fees – have come around to this way of thinking, seeing that charging school fees for primary education is bad for development. The subject of school fees has been in the news because of the disruption of schooling by the Pan African Student Organisation in Tskane (Gauteng) and Balfour (Mpumalanga). In Tskane, students demanded a reduction in fees from R300-00, (Secondary Schools) and R120-00 (Primary Schools) to R50-00 and R25-00 respectively. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) has called for the total scrapping of school fees over the next three years. Cosatu and Sadtu President sang from the same hymn book, “education fees are a tax on the poorest and must be dropped” (The Educators’ Voice, 2002b:2). The Freedom Charter, a beacon of the revolution, was drafted by popular assembly in Kliptown in 1955 by the African National Congress Alliance. Declaring, “the doors of learning and culture shall be opened,” it championed the right to education, which shall be free, compulsory, universal and equal for all, and adult illiteracy shall be ended by a mass state education plan. (The Educators’ Voice, 2002b:3) The Reconstruction Development Plan document based on the Freedom Charter, which served as the African National Congress-led alliance electoral platform for the 1994 elections, stated that the democratic Government must ensure that all children go to school for at least 10 years. The ten-year compulsory general education cycle should proceed from a pre-school reception year to the present grade nine. The Government must phase in compulsory education as soon as possible. To achieve this objective the Government must rebuild and expand our schools. Classes of 50-80 or more learners are unacceptable. “We must ensure that no class exceeds 40 learners by the end of the decade.” In many developing countries the levying of school fees prevents children access to school. Even in countries where primary education is meant to be free, the cost of buying books and uniforms means that many poor families simply cannot afford to educate their children. The World Bank recently called for the elimination of school fees. Immediate action to increase resources to countries which have education plans and a three to five fold increase of donor funding for primary education is needed (The Educators’ Voice, 2002b:3). A report on school funding and resourcing commissioned by former National Education Minister Professor Kader Asmal, found worrying indications of disregard by Education Department employees of the rights of the poor. The report found that while discrimination against impoverished learners was not widespread, it was common enough to merit intervention. As the “new” South Africa forges ahead with rebuilding and transforming its education system following the end of apartheid in 1994, the levying of school fees has emerged as a highly controversial issue – one that resonates in many developing countries around the world. Such fees are regarded by many South Africans as exacerbating a problem – a plagued national system of education funding that falls short of meeting even the most basic needs of the nation’s historically disadvantaged learners. Most of those learners are black children who make up roughly 90 percent of our learner population (The Educators’ Voice, 2002b:3). However, to many education officials and principals, school fees are a necessary financial tool as the government tries to address the severe education inequities such as crumbling classrooms and insufficient textbooks that are reminders of apartheid’s hateful legacy. The government does not have the money to bring all schools up to standard. A coalition of activist, researchers, educators, and lawyers are now using school fees as a rallying cry for an effort, they hope, will spur more substantive improvements to South Africa’s ailing schools. The goal of the Education Rights Projects is to ensure that all children, especially the nation’s indigent youth, have access to a free basic education (http://www.epnet.com). In addition to school fees, the group plans to address the dearth of proper school buildings and teaching resources, the hardships experienced by rural students, and the sexual harassment of and violence to female students. Katarina Tomanevski, the special rapporteur on the right to education in the United Nations office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that it is possible to eliminate school fees, noting that Uganda and Tanzania abolished them in recent years. The World Bank is strengthening its opposition to school fees because countries that charge fees cannot ensure that poor children still have access to school, said Robert S. Prouty, the bank’s leading education specialist. Daria Roithmayr, an associate professor of law at the University of Illinois, who wrote a paper on school fees, contends that school fees violate the South African Constitution which guarantees the children’s basic right to education. School fees also contradict international law, including the Convention On The Rights Of The Child, an international human rights treaty that requires governments, including South Africa, to make primary education “free” for all (http://www.epnet.com).
Prof. T.C. Bisschoff

This quantitative study examined state and local funding and district spending patterns for English language learning (ELL) students in Texas. The purpose of this study was to examine the vertical equity of the state public school funding system from 1997-2007 for purchasing educational resources for ELL students. Vertical equity was operationalized through a research-based framework that places ELL students at risk of academic failure. Regression analysis examined vertical equity through (a) the extent to which the quantity of ELL students within districts predicted the TPSFM funding output for ELL students in districts over 10 years and (b) the extent to which, when districts are grouped by like-sized populations of ELL students within each of the 10 years, the quantity of ELL students within districts with like-sized populations of ELL students predicted the TPSFM funding output for ELL students. The findings revealed that from 1997-2007, the ELL student funding component was not found to be a statistically significant predictor for district spending on ELL students in any given Texas district. The present study therefore concludes with a discussion of policy implications and recommendations for further study. Within the current punitive culture for student assessment results and annual yearly progress measures, these findings indicate that programs serving ELL students may be constrained to produce results in areas where they are not equitably funded to be able to do so. In the daily life of school operations, teachers and administrators may be well aware that the state's mechanism does not supply adequate funding for the education of ELL students, therefore the results of this study may serve policy makers to clearly see the elephant of inequitable funding standing in the classroom.

My dissertation is a quantitative study that focuses on the perspectives of 74 New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) school principals regarding educational opportunities for emergent bilingual (EB) students. While this population continues to increase, EB students consistently demonstrate lower academic achievement than their monolingual peers throughout the United States (Heineke, 2015; NAEP, 2017a; NAEP, 2017b). I purposefully selected the NYC DOE for my study for three reasons: 1) New York State’s language policy embraces bilingual education; 2) the NYC DOE has implemented a differentiated weighted funding formula for EB students; and 3) the EB student composition mirrors that of other United States’ cities. My study utilized New York State’s Blueprint for English Language Learner/Multilingual Learner (ELL/MLL) Success to design a survey to collect data from my target population of 1,136 NYC DOE school principals since it aligned with the literature on providing an effective education for EB students. I found: 1) NYC DOE school principals highly agree that the elements put forth in NYSED’s Blueprint for ELL/MLL Success are present in their schools; 2) funding and professional development are challenges, as well as recommended structures and supports; differences in schools principals’ responses by: 3) program type in which they serve EB students; 4) percentage of EB students; and 5) number of EB students. The Likert-scale responses demonstrated a high level of agreement with the statements associated with effective education for EB students, while the data collected from the open-ended responses provided more insight into the challenges that respondents experience. Notwithstanding, I concluded that these school principals' perspectives varied based on school factors. My findings have implications for policy and practice for school districts serving EB students throughout the nation and may serve as a pathway to improving educational opportunities for EB students. I recommend regular cost studies for funding for EB students; monitoring of those funds; a systemic approach to professional development specific to EB students; and a system for data collection from school principals to inform professional development and systems of support and ensure they are meeting their identified needs.

Doctor of Education
Department of Educational Leadership
David Thompson
This present study extended the longitudinal perspective begun by DeBacker (2002) and Jordan (2012) and, when considered wholly, provides insights into the educational experiences offered by districts in the state of Kansas from the years 1992 through 2017, as well as the impacts that changes to school funding had on those experiences. This study assessed selected fiscal and pupil performance variables and examined the impacts that changes to school funding had on those variables, paying close attention to the shift from per pupil funding under the School District Finance and Quality Performance Act (SDFQPA) of 1992 to block grant funding under the Classroom Learning Assuring Student Success (CLASS) Act from 2015 to 2017. In the first phase of this study, Kansas school districts were ordered from wealthiest to poorest based on their assessed valuation per pupil for 2001. To narrow the study population and to ensure that longitudinal analysis could occur, districts that had closed or consolidated by 2016 were removed. For the remaining districts, decile analysis was applied to the population by ranking all 289 school districts from wealthiest to poorest based on 2001 assessed valuation per pupil (AVPP) and by further dividing the population in to ten equal parts (i.e. each decile representing 10% of the population). The population was again narrowed to the representative sample of 112 school districts, with Decile 10 representing the wealthiest 10% of districts, Decile 1 representing the poorest 10%, and Deciles 5 and 6 representing the average wealth districts found in the middle (each representing 10% of the population respectively). This process was repeated for 2011, 2014, and 2016. For this study, 2001 and 2016 served as the bookend years, as DeBacker (2002) had done (1992 – 2001) and Jordan (2012) had repeated (2002 – 2012). Establishing the beginning year as 2001 ensured overlap of years examined by both previous studies and extending through the most recent year of audited data, i.e., 2016. Once the study population was established, data analysis was conducted in two phases. First, fiscal and pupil performance data were analyzed to provide insight into overall health of each district during the years 2001- 2016. Second, survey and interview data were collected and analyzed to glean insights from district leaders for contextual perspective of the impacts that changes to school funding had on districts and their leaders, paying close attention to the years of block grant funding under CLASS. The present study resulted in a critical examination of fiscal and pupil performance variables and the impact that changes to school finance in Kansas had on the educational experience of Kansas pupils.

The aim of this study was to investigate the implementation and sustainability of Free Primary Education (FPE) in Swaziland in terms of the interplay between policy and practice. The study was undertaken in four schools in the Manzini region of Swaziland. The schools were purposively sampled on the basis of their location. The participants consisted of the head teacher, a teacher and a parent, and six learners from each of the schools. Two Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) officials were also included; a regional inspector for primary schools stationed at the Manzini Regional Education Offices (REOs) and a senior official stationed at MoET headquarters. A qualitative approach and a case study design were used. The participants were interviewed using semi-structured interview schedules, while the learners were engaged in focus group interviews at each school which were conducted according to a focus group interview schedule. Documents were also used as data sources. Data was analysed using a thematic and document analysis approach. The findings revealed a disconnection between policy and practice. FPE implementers are not well versed on the policies they are supposed to implement as they were not included in the policy-making process. Moreover, no consideration had been given to the legal framework underpinning FPE. It was found that the sustainability of FPE is threatened by certain indirect costs of schooling as well as the top-up fees that are being charged illegally by some schools, resulting in some learners dropping out of school – defeating the purpose of FPE and violating their right to access education. It would appear that the most contentious issue for FPE in Swaziland is the top-fee, although the head teachers were of the view that the FPE grant paid by government is inadequate for running schools and therefore top-up fees are necessary. Problems were also identified with the embezzling of school funds by head teachers. These issues have led to tension between schools and the MoET
Educational Leadership and Management
D. Ed. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to investigate those aspects of resilient schools which are particularly beneficial for schools within rural communities in Mpumalanga. The study was done in two phases: a literature review focussing on the culture of learning of resilient schools and an empirical investigation focussing on the culture of learning of resilient schools within rural communities in Mpumalanga. Two secondary schools were selected according to criteria of resiliency. The study involved qualitative approaches, in-depth observations and interviews with key informants: principals, teachers, learners and members of the school governing bodies. The data demonstrate that there is no distinctive aspect of the culture of learning of resilient schools because all aspects are interrelated and interdependent. This study discovered that the most effective aspect, which benefits the culture of teaching and learning in resilient schools, was the involvement of all stakeholders.
Educational Management
M.Ed.