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Resource allocation decisions made by school boards, principals, and teachers are critical for they determine the adequacy and equity of resources actually made available for specific schools, educational programs and individual students. The most important resources are often concealed by aggregate state or district measures such as dollars per student. For these decisions, the most important resources are elements such as basic and supplemental staffing levels, staff time, funding amounts for textbooks and supplies, selection of new equipment (particularly technology), and support for new or renovated facilities.
The authors review current practices at each important decision-making level in school districts, from the school board to the classroom. At each juncture, the findings are interpreted to reveal both the causes of the practices and their implications for improving school effectiveness. This book provides new research in helping to inform and improve resource allocation practices in schools. The general conclusion is that improvement in the resource allocation practices in education requires a shift in focus to
results instead of
inputs, a strong emphasis on student learning as the primary focus of decisions, and systematic evaluation of results.
List of contents
Introduction and Overview by William Lowe Boyd and William T. Hartman
Productive Schools from a Policy Perspective: Desiderata, Designs, and Dilemmas by William Lowe Boyd
The Politics of Educational Productivity by William Lowe Boyd and William Hartman
The New Politics of Information in Education: Five Dimensions of the Change from District-Level to School-Site Financial Analysis by E. Vance Randall, Bruce S. Cooper, Sheree T. Speakman, and Deborah Rosenfield
The Role of the School Board in Resource Allocation by Elaine M. Chichura and William T. Hartman
Reconciling Equity and Excellence: Resource Distribution in School Districts by Peter Coleman, Stephan Easton, and Linda LaRocque
Understanding Resource Allocation in High Schools by William T. Hartman
Allocation and Distribution of Resources in High Schools by M. Barbara Sartori
Transcending the Effects of School Size on the High School Curriculum by David H. Monk
Resource Use and Student Achievement in Elementary Schools by Richard A Rossmiller
A Policy Framework for School Resource Allocation by Douglas E. Mitchell
About the author
WILLIAM HARTMAN is Professor of Education in the Educational Adminstration Program at Pennsylvania State University and Director of Research for the Center for Total Quality Schools in the College of Education.
WILLIAM LOWE BOYD is Distinguished Professor of Education at Pennsylvania State University, where he specializes in research and teaching on educational policy and politics.
