Check out this month's list of recently released education reports.
- Comparability of State and Local Expenditures Among Schools Within Districts: A Report From The Study of School-Level Expenditures. U.S. Department of Education. (November 2011).A recent study of school funding found that "within districts that had both Title I and non–Title I schools, more than 40 percent of Title I schools had lower personnel expenditures per pupil than did non–Title I schools at the same school grade level." The report looked at nearly 13,000 school districts.
- Rethinking Teacher Evaluations in Chicago: Lessons Learned From Classroom Observations, Principal-Teacher Meetings, and District Implementation. Consortium on Chicago School Research (November 2011).With schools looking for Race to the Top funds, many are making teacher evaluation a focal point. This study focuses on Chicago schools, but can offer an example of how schools nationwide are developing new ways to evaluate educators. Looking at a value-added evaluation and observations from principals and outside observers, the pilot evaluation program is examined on whether it effectively works.
- Public Education Finance Systems in the United States and Funding for Policies for Populations with Special Educational Needs. Education Policy Analysis Archives (2011).This study looks at how all 50 states allocate funding to students with special needs. The study shows that more than 30 states are providing additional resources for dropout prevention, English-language learners, and other students with specific needs.
- Incentives for Early Graduation: How Can State Policies Encourage Students to Complete High School in Less than Four Years? Jobs for the Future (2011).This report looks at the factors of how and why states might start pushing for legislation to encourage high school students to graduate in less than four years. States with funding problems are more likely than others to try and launch programs that would allow for students to graduate earlier and, possibly, offer incentives if they do so. Financial incentives, such as scholarships or tuition programs, are already being offered in states that have early graduation policies in effect. The report raises several important concerns about early graduation programs, such as whether or not students who graduate from high school early are adequately prepared for college and beyond.
- The 'Parent Trigger' in California: Some Lessons from the Experience So Far. The Heartland Institute. (October 2011).In 2010, California elected officials passed a bill, dubbed the "Parent Trigger," which would allow parents of students at failing schools to petition for specific reforms in their district, including turning a neighborhood school into a charter school. According to this study, the bill has not been successfully implemented in a single school in the state, but the authors conclude that the idea could still be effective and can help struggling schools and students.
- Starting Out Right: Pre-K and Kindergarten: Full Report. The Center for Public Education. (November 2011).The research from this study concludes that school districts, even ones with tight budgets, should invest in preschool education and at least half-day kindergarten classes if possible. The study found that "students who attend pre-k and half-day kindergarten are more likely to have higher reading skills by the third grade than students who attend full-day kindergarten alone." The study followed 21,000 students from kindergarten through 8th grade and found that students were better served and more prepared to learn if they attended both preschool and kindergarten (even half-day) rather than just full-day kindergarten classes.