The dissertation examines the Texas Foundation School Program (FSP) empirically to determine its effectiveness in meeting state constitutional requirements and legislative policy goals. Three research questions guided this study, two of which focused on the relationship between campus-level expenditures and standardized test performance, while the third analyzed the influence of a district’s property wealth designation on its respective accountability rating. Longitudinal Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System data, consisting of selected academic performance indicators and funding components, was collected from the Texas Education Agency. Approximately 7,000 campuses and 1,050 districts per year of study comprised this data. Ordinary least squares multiple regressions and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify significant predictors of campus expenditures, campus standardized testing performance, and district academic accountability ratings. After examining the FSP and its funding components empirically, evidence suggests that while campus-level funding components positively predict the ability of a campus to spend, they do not predict campus academic performance. Key campus funding components, such as compensatory education and special education, do not appear to be funded at appropriate levels to contribute to positive performance outcomes. If vertical equity is important, then the FSP appears to have the conceptual structure, but not the funding levels, in place to contribute to positive academic outcomes at the campus level. Data also suggests that a district’s wealth designation is not a significant predictor of accountability ratings. Though property wealth plays a key role in determining district revenue and expenditures, it does not appear to influence Texas accountability ratings to the same extent.

This study examined different funding methods for financing public education in order to solve the problems associated with large numbers of school districts and great disparities in property wealth without abandonment of property tax as the major revenue source. Using enrollment and State Property Tax Board data for the 1,061 school districts in Texas in 1986-87, four alternative funding plans were studied to compare the equity and fiscal impact of each on public school finance in Texas. The state and local shares of the total cost of education were computed using a combination of three per-pupil expenditure levels and four funding formulas. The per-pupil expenditure levels used were $3,850, $4,200, and $4,580. The formulas used were representative of a full state funding plan, a percentage equalization plan, a power equalization plan, and a foundation school program plan. Since each of the four plans used significantly higher per-pupil expenditure values, all required a greater monetary investment on the part of the state. However, all plans were found to be equalizing in nature if set per-pupil expenditure values were maintained and no local enrichment was permitted. In addition, each of the four plans, as studied, met the fiscal neutrality standard of the 1987 Edqewood v. Kirbv case. The percentage and power equalization plans required less monetary investment on the part of the state than either full state funding or the foundation school program. As a result of the study, it is recommended that the state consider a combination of plans. For example, the state could employ a full state funding model up to the $3,850 per-pupil expenditure level with added permissible local millage being limited and power equalized. In addition, while each of the plans studied reduces inequity, the increased cost of an adequate public school education suggests that the state consider other sources of revenue to fund public education. These could include personal or corporate income taxes.

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.