Combating Educational Inequity Presented by: Jon Bernstein President Bernstein Strategy Group GARY MAYNARD PRESIDENT CONNECTICUT FEDERATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Detroit city school stairwell https://twitter.com/teachDetroit/status/688060400840142850/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mushrooms growing in classrooms https://twitter.com/teachDetroit/status/686715639789170689/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mold, dirt, and crumbling structures https://twitter.com/metrotimes/status/687726018572845056/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Equity in general All 50 state constitutions require public education In 45 states, lawsuits filed to enforce educational rights guaranteed by the constitution, most focusing on state funding Many facets of equity, but lack of funding is the driver Webinar’s Focus: What are the results of inequity? Where do the greatest inequities occur? What is being done rectify inequities?

What are the results of inequity? Inequitable funding leads to … Infrastructure problems Academic limitations Extracurricular limitations Course material deficiencies LESS LEARNING

WHAT are the results of inequity? Students in adequately funded schools: Increased high school completion rates Higher adult earnings Higher family income Lower incidence of poverty in adulthood Students in schools that cannot afford proper ventilation: 50-370% increase in respiratory illness Lower average attendance Slower completion of tasks Higher truancy and more suspensions

Where do the greatest inequities occur? Education Law Center National Report Card (March 2016) Four Ways to Look at Data to Measure Fairness Resource: Sciarra, D. G., & Hunter, M. A. (2015). Resource accountability: Enforcing state responsibilities for sufficient and equitable resources used effectively to provide all students a quality education. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23(21).

1) Per pupil funding levels Highest: Alaska ($17,331), New York ($16,726), New Jersey ($15,394), Connecticut ($14,856), Wyoming ($14, 355) Lowest: Oklahoma ($6,700), North Carolina ($6,547), Arizona ($6,405), Utah ($6, 295), Idaho ($5,746)

2) State Funding Distributions DE = Green Green: Earned an A Red: Earned an F

3) State fiscal effort DE = Red Green: Earned an A Red: Earned an F

4) Coverage Map DC = Red DE = Red Green: Greatest Coverage Red: Lowest Coverage

Where DO the greatest inequities occur? Final Grades Who is the most/least fair? Most: New Jersey Least: Texas Overall: Most progressive : Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey and Ohio Most regressive: Nevada, North Dakota and Illinois

How Do you Combat inequity? States – legislation and lawsuits Federal government – poverty-weighted programs

How do you combat inequity? Lawsuits: New Jersey, Abbot v. Burke Cases (1981-2011) Court Finds: “These deplorable conditions have a direct and deleterious impact on the education available to the at-risk children.” Court Holds: The state’s school funding system unconstitutional because it caused “tragically inadequate” education for children in the state’s low- wealth, high-need school districts Money can make a difference. If effectively used, it can provide the students with an equal educational opportunity, a chance to succeed. They are constitutionally entitled to those opportunities, and have the right to the same educational opportunity that money buys for others. Resource: Sciarra, D. G., & Hunter, M. A. (2015). Resource accountability: Enforcing state responsibilities for sufficient and equitable resources used effectively to provide all students a quality education. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23(21).

HOW do you combat inequity? Directed implementation of a comprehensive set of remedial measures, including high quality early education, supplemental programs and reforms, and school facilities improvements, to ensure an adequate and equal education for low-income schoolchildren. Specifically, directed the Legislature to amend or enact a new law to  “assure” funding for the urban districts: 1) at the foundation level “substantially equivalent” to that in the successful suburban districts; and 2) “adequate” to provide for the supplemental programs necessary to address the extreme disadvantages of urban schoolchildren

HOW do you combat inequity? The Connecticut Story CT has one of the largest achievement gaps in the country Connecticut Coalition of Justice in Education 2005: CCJEF files suit in state court arguing school funding system is illegal Suit cites several failures to provide equal educational opportunities: Class size Appropriate textbooks Student services Test scores Graduation rates Fair educational cost sharing across all towns

How do you combat inequity? CFSA’s Role Mission: Ensure equal and quality education for all Joined the CCJEF lawsuit CFSA members provided details on school conditions and resource issues Some provided actual testimony, many provided data CFSA kept its members informed in case developments Lawsuit proved a good way to engage membership Allowed CFSA to work together with state and national organizations in pursuit of important goal What we learned: no one group can run a suit of this magnitude alone

How do you combat inequity? The Decision State has constitutional duty to educate students, even with local control Legislature cannot allocate educational aid capriciously State must adhere to a reasonable and discernible formula for distributing state aid Current formula does not meet this standard Other holdings: High school graduation standards inadequate Teacher evaluation system does not provide meaningful information Teacher compensation system makes no sense and doesn’t encourage work in low-income schools Staggering special education costs and services may need to be rethought

How Do you combat inequity Federal Level Title I E-Rate

E-Rate The Basics Provides schools/libraries discounts on broadband and Wi-Fi services Discounts based on free lunch program, with lowest income getting deepest discounts $3.9 billion available annually Paid for via fees on phone bills Successfully equalized school and library Internet access for all districts regardless of socio-economic status or geography

Questions & Contacts Jon Bernstein jbernstein@jbernsteinstrategy.com Gary Maynard gmaynard@ctfedschooladmin.org Nick Spina nspina@afsaadmin.org