Critics claim that America's public schools remain feckless and hamstrung institutions, unable to improve even when nudged by accountability-minded politicians, market competition, or global pandemic. But if schools are so hopeless, then why did student learning climb in Los Angeles across the initial decades of the twenty-first century? In…

Milwaukee's system of K-12 public education is distinct from many other urban school systems in the degree of educational choices offered to students and their families. This range of options has fostered intense competition among Milwaukee's K-12 schools over the past decade. While enrollment in traditional Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) has…

In recent years, competition for K-12 enrollment in Wisconsin among traditional public schools, charter schools, and private schools using the state's voucher programs has intensified. Because elementary and secondary education finance in the state primarily is driven by enrollment, this has presented increasingly difficult fiscal conditions for…

The reauthorization of the U.S. Elementary and Secondary Education Act, referred to as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), emphasizes evidence-based interventions while giving states and districts new flexibility on the use of federal funds, including funds that could be used to support social and emotional learning (SEL). The authors review…

Social and emotional competencies are proving critical to students' success in the classroom and in life. Although the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) does not explicitly reference social and emotional learning (SEL), this legislation in fact offers opportunities to support school-based SEL interventions. How is SEL supported by ESSA? Which SEL…

"Ohio Education by the Numbers" offers busy policy makers, journalists, and civic and business leaders simple and easy-to-use vital statistics about Ohio's schools and the students they serve. The facts and figures contained within offer an overview of Ohio's students; where they go to school; their achievement on national and state…

Arguments for consolidation, which merges schools or districts and centralizes their management, rest primarily on two presumed benefits: (1) fiscal efficiency and (2) higher educational quality. The extent of consolidation varies across states due to their considerable differences in history, geography, population density, and politics. Because…

This report is the executive summary of a research study that identifies the actions that great principals take to ensure and amplify great teaching. The findings are based on an in-depth analysis of the leadership practices in more than 200 district (134) and charter (77) schools that saw substantial gains in student achievement in seven urban…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Waiting Game Continues for FY 2011 Appropriations: Short-Term Spending Measure Averts Government Shutdown, Postpones…

The Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is one of the largest local taxpayer-funded entities in southeastern Wisconsin, ranking fourth in assets and budget behind Milwaukee County, the Milwaukee Public Schools, and the City of Milwaukee. The college's fiscal operations are complex and draw on multiple revenue sources, including nearly $150…

This article explores the roles of racism and Whiteness in the decentralized governance structure and practice of a weighted student formula funding policy in an urban, West Coast school district. Specifically, it examines the ways in which a racialized struggle for fiscal authority played out at one urban high school where the immense racial…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Veto Override Fails in the House of Representatives: Moving Forward, Democrats Announce Compromise Plan to Slash…

Reports on a conference on school choice at Hillsdale College attended by many Black educators. Describes the popular system implemented in Detroit Public Schools. Discusses problems of racial discrimination and school finance. (FMW)

The Chancellor of the New York (New York) public schools proposes a 1989/90 budget of $6.405 billion, including a base budget of $5.734 billion and an increase of $671.3 million (11.7 percent) for discretionary programs, school facilities improvement, and mandatory increases. These funds are needed to continue initiatives begun in prior years and…

To help educators understand the Hawaiian system of school finance, this article reviews previous studies, describes the state government's role in the budgetary process, and discusses statewide funding impacts in comparison with other urban school districts and states having similar per capita income and student achievement ratings. Includes two…