Here is our Education Brief, created with the assistance of the Education Law Center:
WHAT IS THE COSTING OUT STUDY?
--The Education Law Center, Good Schools PA, and many other education advocacy organizations, pressured the General Assembly to finally answer the question, "How much does it actually cost to educate students adequately?" In response, the General Assembly financed a comprehensive study, conducted by an independent consulting firm, that answered the adovacy groups' question by: "Costing Out the Resources Needed to Meet PA's Public Education Goals"
--The study was designed to evaluate what it costs for all students in PA public schools to receive an education that will enable them to meet state standards for academic achievement. To do this, the study examined the way in which several variables affect the cost of education. The study also explored the impact of these variables on several different methodologies for assessing the cost of education. After cross-referencing all of the data, the study recommended for each of Pennsylvania's 501 school districts an amount that each district needed to spend in order to meet the state standards.
IMPORTANT FACTS FROM THE STUDY:
--The average total funding needed per student in PA is $11,926. The average per student amount actually spent in 2005-2006 was $9,512. Thus, the study found that an average increase of $2,414 per student per year, is needed for all studnets to reach PA's academic proficiency and performance expectations.
--471 of PA's 501 school districts are currently spending below the levels recommended by the Costing-Out Study. 1.67 million students attend these underfunded schools. In addition, money is not distributed equally among school districts across the state. The Costing-Out Study reports that some districts are underspending by as much as $6,000 per student.
--Becuase of its heavy reliance on local wealth and local taxes, PA's current state funding system is inequitable. Some school districts in PA spend $17,000 per student, while others can only afford to spend $7,000 per student.
HOW DOES THIS AFFECT PHILADELPHIA, AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT LATINOS?
--According to the study, the Philadelphia school district is under-funded by an average of $4,187 per student. Across the district this adds up to almost $1 billion.
--Many Latino students live in areas of lower economic wealth. As a result, based ont he current funding formula, these communities receive even less funding per student.
--Many Latino students have higher needs; they are English Language Learners (ELL), or come from families that need supportive services; this costs more money and adds to the average cost per student.
HOW DO WE KNOW THE LACK OF FUNDING IS IMPACTING OUR YOUTH?
--Latino males in Philadelphia drop out at a rate of 60%
--For both males and females, the drop out rate is 55%
--Latinos are only half as likely as their white peers on campus to finish a bachelor's degree
THE ADOVCATES FROM STATEWIDE LATINO ADVOCACY DAY RECOMMEND:
--Create a new and more equitable funding formula. A good first step to this is voting YES to SR210 and HR460. SR210 and HR460 are resoluations that will provide for commissions that will evaluate education conducting hearings about education across the state. Ultimately, the commissions will make recommendations to the General Assembly about how to more eqitably fund education
--Protecting supplements for ELL, poverty, and foundations money that are already in place. Also, begin to immediately devote more funding to education.
--Support the Governor's down payment on education and the results of the Costing-Out Study.
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LA EDUCACIÓN: HAY MUCHO DE QUÉ HABLAR
Legislación pendiente: Ya se aprobó la resolución HR 460 (en la Cámara estatal) y queda por aprobarse la resolución SR 210 (en el Sanado estatal)
Queremos animar a los senadores a APROBAR la resolución SR210.
Estas resoluciones toman como punto de partida el estudio de la manera en que se costea la educación pública en el estado de Pennsylvania. Este estudio revela importantes inequidades entre los distritos: en algunos distritos se gasta un total de $17,000/estudiante cada año mientras en otros se gasta tan sólo $7,000/estudiante. En 2005-2006 Allentown gastó $8,291/alumno y Bethlehem dedicó $8,503/alumno. ¿Qué importan estos datos? En Allentown, casi el 50% de los alumnos se califican como no eficientes en los exámenes de matemáticas y más de la mitad se califican como no eficientes en los exámenes de lectura. En Bethlehem estas cifras son alguito mejor, con casi 2/3 de los alumnos calificados como eficientes en ambos exámenes. Aunque hay otros factores que afectan los resultados, queda claro que nuestras escuelas – nuestros alumnos – se merecen mejor manera de financiamiento.
Según el estudio, el estado de Pennsylvania debe invertir $4.6 mil millones en la educación pública; el presente sistema de dejar que los distritos locales paguen sus escuelas con los impuestos locales deja una situación precaria e insostenible a los distritos menos acomodados.
HR 460 y SR 210 mandan establecer unas comisiones para estudiar a fondo la cuestión de financiamiento de las escuelas públicas a través de estado, viajando y organizando reuniones públicas para compartir los resultados del estudio y escuchar los comentarios de los estudiantes, padres, maestros y administradores de cada comunidad.
El propósito de estas reuniones es educar y movilizar a todos a animar los legisladores y cambiar el sistema estatal de proveer fondos para la educación pública.
