Central to any discussion about improving Ohio's school funding system is the issue of how much money schools need. How much does it cost to provide an adequate education for Ohio children? What are the components of an adequate education? And how do we ensure that money for schools funds those components?
To create an effective school funding system - one that helps create safe, nurturing learning environments that challenge children to achieve - Ohio's citizens and leaders need a systematic approach that ties dollar amounts to proven teaching methods. One such approach is the evidence-based model for costing out.
An evidence-based model is at the center of Gov. Ted Strickland's proposals for creating an education system that provides all Ohio children with a high quality education. To help education leaders, policy makers and citizens seeking to learn more about this approach, School Funding Matters is providing resources about how the evidence-based model has been used in other states, how it could be used in Ohio and other relevant information.
Resources: The Evidence-Based Model
Strickland's plan
An excerpt from Strickland's budget analysis outlines how he plans to use an Ohio evidence-based model (OEBM) to create a system that is "both effective and equitable." (February 2009) Other materials from the governor's office:
Complete information about the budget proposal is available at the Office of Budget and Management.
Evidence-based model
KnowledgeWorks Foundation Policy Report: A policy report released in advance of the State of the State address, titled "The Importance of Costing out a Quality Education in Ohio: Why Evidence-based should be Ohio's Choice," identifies an evidence-based model as the best fit for Ohio, calling it "an objective, research-based approach." (January 2009)
Information from the developers of the evidence-based approach: An essay by Lawrence O. Picus and Allan Odden describes their model and how it could meet Ohio's needs. (March 2008).
Other models and overviews
Overview of costing-out: A general discussion of costing-out models focuses on the evidence-based approach.
Consortium for Policy Research in Education: CPRE's School Finance Research: Fifteen Years of Findings by Allan Odden. This document provides a summary and synthesis of the last 15 years of CPRE research, policy analysis, and policy suggestions in school finance.
Center for Reinventing Public Education: The School Finance Redesign Project report on the "Difficulties of Estimating the Cost of Achieving Education Standards" includes an overview of costing-out methods. (August 2007)
National Access Network: Website offers information on costing-out studies done in various states, including the evidence-based approach.
Education Commission of the States: Documents on finance adequacy.