<p> The gaps of school funding and student achievement are particularly pronounced in Illinois, raising statewide concerns about the inequity of school funding and the injustice of the achievement gap. While Illinois educators generally recognize the differences in funding levels and achievement levels in Illinois schools, studies to determine the relationships between the two are lacking. This study examines the relationship between per pupil spending and student achievement in Illinois elementary schools. This study also examines the relationship between student achievement and racial composition of the school and between student achievement and poverty level of the school. Additionally, relationships between per pupil spending and racial composition of the school and per pupil spending and poverty level of the school are examined. Finally, this study investigates the perceptions of principals on how funding inequity in their school affects student achievement.</p>

<p> In this autoethnography, I examine the challenges I faced as a private-to-public-sector novice CFO entering a resource-constrained 41-thousand-student K-12 urban school district in Colorado. This study chronicles how I deliberately slowed down my interactions within a complex adaptive system (CAS) through ethnographic interviewing to identify the relationships, processes, and tools; and create the conditions necessary to align and optimize resources at the district level to improve student outcomes. There is scant research on how a new K-12 education CFO transitions from a traditional budget-manager approach toward one that promotes inquiry and cost-effectiveness. </p><p> Unlike CFOs in the private sector, oftentimes I was estranged from strategic and capital-allocation decisions, particularly around instruction. I lacked the time, skilled staff, and resources to perform fundamental cost-benefit analyses. </p><p> I had come to work in a school system after obtaining an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and working in Wall Street for 20 years. Having no experience working in the public sector more generally or education more specifically, I came with a particular mindset and approach not altogether suited for this environment. Consequently, my transition to this new milieu was quite chaotic. I intentionally embraced entry planning as a way to make sense of a CAS that oftentimes defied comprehensive analysis. </p><p> I learned, slowly, that successful entry required intellectual rigor and emotional sensitivity. I repeatedly found that interventions based on adaptive change that fundamentally shifts how works gets done increased employees&rsquo; anxiety. I assumed the roles of researcher, learner, and knower in evolving an induction approach that recognized entry never stopped because the CAS never rested. </p><p> I explore entry through three case studies. The first of these pertains to my participation in Teachers&rsquo; Master Agreement Negotiations; the second centers on my engagement with Nutrition Services, a low-status but high-value allocator of resources; and the third analyzes how I merged the roles of CFO and educator to increase my district&rsquo;s understanding of municipal-bond finance in preparation for a general-obligation bond offering. </p><p> Keywords: CFO entry; entry planning; complex adaptive systems; teachers&rsquo; negotiations; nutrition services; school finance</p>

<p> The Davis Teachers Association has asserted that the Davis Joint Unified School District&rsquo;s (DJUSD&rsquo;s) beginning salary steps are lower than the starting salary steps of districts that the district competes against for the same pool of qualified teachers, and that, as a result, the DJUSD is unable to recruit high-quality teachers. Complicating this matter, the 2007&ndash;2012 recession significantly decreased the number of college graduates entering the teaching profession in California; the resulting teacher shortage makes the recruitment and retention of teachers very competitive among school districts. Viewing this issue within the context of starting salary and career earnings magnifies the need for districts to be creative in the way they advertise their salary schedules. </p><p> To assist school districts with the creative presentation of their salary schedules, this study develops the cumulative salary index (CSI). Simply defined, CSIs calculate total salary earnings for a specific block of time. Within that context, the aim of this study is to understand how beginning and ending salary differences between DJUSD and 12 other Sacramento-region school districts influence long-term earnings for teachers. From that standpoint, I ask two research questions. First, how do specific steps on the Davis teacher salary schedule compare to similar salary steps of 12 other Sacramento-region school districts that compete for the same beginning and veteran teachers, before and after integrating health benefits? Second, do districts that offer higher first and final salary steps have greater CSIs than those that offer lower first and final salary steps? I also examine the influence(s) that school site and district environmental conditions may have on teacher recruitment and retention. </p><p> I use a straightforward methodology to answer the research questions. To address the first research question, I compare specific salary steps for each of the 13 study districts, before and after the integration of health benefits. To answer the second research question, I develop educational pathway scenarios and five-year block scenarios to measure and compare the 13 districts&rsquo; various CSIs. The findings show that DJUSD&rsquo;s overall salary ranks pretty low across a variety of cells and CSIs in comparison to the other study districts. The findings also reveal that the integration of health benefits into the teacher salary schedule either positively or negatively influences how a district&rsquo;s salary ranks. Additionally, CSI comparisons between the 13 study districts reveal that just because a district has the lowest starting salary does not mean that its teachers will have the lowest career earnings. Finally, findings from this study provide additional evidence to the body of literature demonstrating that teachers are willing to compromise wages in exchange for favorable environmental conditions at school. </p><p> Based upon the observations made from this study, I recommend that school districts implement policies and practices that improve environmental conditions for teachers. As a way to provide a more comprehensive view of teacher salary, I also recommend that school districts create, promote, and utilize various CSIs when recruiting teachers.</p><p>

<p> 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. </p>

<p> The California Community Colleges funding model has rich historical, political, and cultural ties embedded in the model foundation. The general funding of the California Community Colleges is enrollment-based and shaped by a long history of legislation based on the K-12 education model. The funding is not tied to performance or outcomes and is driven by how many students are enrolled. Although there has been increased categorical funding in the California Community Colleges over the past 3 years to improve student success and equity, the overall persistence or completion rates of students remains low. Research has demonstrated that many other states are implementing an outcome-based or performance-based funding model to reduce the gaps and improve student success and fiscal sustainability. The purpose of the study was to explore the gaps in the current California Community Colleges funding model and the effect of these gaps on student success and fiscal sustainability for the California Community Colleges. The study additionally investigates effective models in order to design and develop a funding model that will support the mission and outcomes of the California Community Colleges system while planning for fiscal strength.</p><p>

<p> 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&rsquo; 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. </p><p> 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.</p><p>

<p>The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover how school superintendents were using general fund referenda to meet their school district&rsquo;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&rsquo; 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. </p>