Federal reform legislation declares, through its title, that no child                  should be left behind. Despite this, the sad truth is that many children are being                  left behind, particularly in large, poor, urban school districts. Because of this                  inequity, state supreme courts have thrown out the education finance systems in                  eighteen states, and many states have implemented major education finance reforms.                  These reforms have lessened disparities in educational spending but appear to have                  had little impact on disparities in educational performance. Helping Children Left                  Behind explores both the general issues in education finance reform and the                  experiences of five states to understand why these disparities persist and to design                  policies that address them. The book is a valuable resource for scholars, public                  officials, and others interested in education finance reform.The first part of the                  book addresses the general issues involved in reform of state aid to education.                  After a comprehensive introductory chapter that outlines such issues as selecting                  aid formulas, adjusting for disadvantaged students, district accountability, and                  school choice, the chapters in part I examine these issues in more depth, discussing                  court cases involving school finance reform, the relationship between funding and                  accountability, and the consequences and feedback effects of school aid reform                  policies, including the effect on residential patterns. The second part of the book                  consists of detailed case studies of recent ambitious school finance reform efforts                  in Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, and Vermont. Three appendixes offer valuable                  reference material, describing significant state court decisions on school finance                  systems (through June 2003), state operating aid programs, and state building aid                  formulas.

Helping Children Left Behind: State Aid and the Pursuit of Educational Equity PDF

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