1. 1) SEA rules: site vs. central 2) Shared service centers
Tricky issues:
1) SEA rules: site vs. central
2) Shared service centers
3) Data capture methods
August 29, 2018
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2. How we spent the last couple of weeks trying to cover these tricky issues…
Love this!
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3. Agenda SEA rules: site vs. central
What to do with shared service centers across LEAs
Data capture
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

4. Question from New Jersey:
For states requiring some expenditures be recorded at a site level, what expenditures specifically are you requiring? (teacher salaries, administrators, counseling, etc.)
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

5. Prescribing costs to central vs. site level: Two ends of the spectrum
“Tightly controlled”
“Loosey Goosey”
SEA specifies which objects/functions assigned to schools, which to central
LEAs make their own choices about which objects/functions assigned to schools, which to central
Hybrid: SEA specifies minimum costs that must be assigned to school level. LEA chooses remaining.
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

6. ©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

7. Prescribing costs to central vs. site level: Two ends of the spectrum
“Tightly controlled”
“Loosey Goosey”
SEA specifies which objects/functions assigned to schools, which to central
LEAs make their own choices about which objects/functions assigned to schools, which to central
Hybrid: SEA specifies minimum costs that must be assigned to school level. LEA chooses remaining.
IA, IL, IN, MA, MI, MS, MT, NE, WV, WY
CA, DC, HI, LA, ME, ND, OH, TN, VT, WA RI
Which expenses must be recorded at the site level?
How will central costs be allocated?
Flat per-pupil
Subgroup enrollment
Square footage/usage
Typically:
Personnel >80% at site
Benefits?
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

8. How to account for services shared across LEAs?
Issue: Centralized agencies that provide services to multiple LEAs are difficult to account for at school level and types of services provided by these centers widely varies across the state Have you drafted any specifics related to these types of expenditures? (Y/N in chat box)
Call on Chris to share the issue
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

9. Example #1 – How to account for spending on a SpEd student served exclusively at an external service center?
Option 1: Count the student in a home district school, and include the money sent to the service center for that student in that same home district school (include transfers to the center in the per-pupil reporting). Option 2: Assign the center a school code and count students and all those funds as part of that service center-operated school. Other? Suggestions?
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10. Example #2: Student receives CTE courses two days per week at service center that serves multiple LEAs Example #3: LEAs share data processing from a collaborative service center serving multiple LEAs
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

11. How is your SEA planning to capture school level financial data
How is your SEA planning to capture school level financial data? We asked this back in Feb but most said “Not sure yet” so we took our best guess – let us know if we got it right!
A. Automated data transfer (or statewide financial system) (All LEAs use same state or vendor hosted system & SEA has direct access to LEA data) NC, RI B. SEA financial system loaded by manual or automated file submissions (LEA data uploaded to SEA system at various points in the year) LA, IL, FL, TX, CA, OK, NV, MD C. Manual file submission (LEA sends files to SEA – such as CSV, txt, or excel files) MA, VA, TN, ME, DE, IA, MT D. Other (vendor, online form, google sheets type submission, etc.). NE E. Other (specify). WA F. Hybrid (explain).
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12. Data capture: Tips to reduce LEA burden
Pilot submissions with LEAs and vendors
Build in automated validity checks (student counts, expend. sums)
Offer services from SEA to help low-capacity LEAs
Incorporate process for data review and district re-submission in instances of errors
For manual submissions:
Don’t ask for info SEA already has
Pre-populate forms when possible
Call on specific states to share their plan – IL, MA, etc.
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

13. If so: What topics are of greatest interest?
As SEAs get closer to meeting FT requirement, are you interested in continuing FiTWiG with expanded focus?
If so: What topics are of greatest interest?
Build agency to act collectively (to develop shared systems, issue feedback to DoEd, etc.)
Explore tools, trainings, opportunities to use data, to promote productivity or promote equity within a state
Build capacity nationwide to create a pipeline of future school finance expertise for SEAs… or for LEAs.
Others?
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University

14. FiTWiG Supporters Next virtual FiTWiG meeting: Wednesday, September 19
Potential future topics:
What to do when advocacy groups get the data?
State legislation impacting FT reporting
Financial transparency data for whom? Visualization audience & data usage
Other?
FiTWiG Supporters
©2018 Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University