Researchers call Ohio's plan a ‘major step forward' and outline changes that could modify funding levels
Report highlights proposed link between research and education spending
Download the full report.
The school funding experts who created the evidence-based school funding model that served as the basis of Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland's proposed education plan say the governor's proposal "represents a major step forward in Ohio school finance and educational accountability."
In a review of the Ohio Evidence-Based Model released today by KnowledgeWorks Foundation and the Education Tax Policy Institute, researchers Lawrence O. Picus and Allan Odden praise Ohio's model as a strong adaptation of the evidence-based model they have used in seven other states to improve school funding systems.
"While we suggest some areas for improvement, our major finding is that OEBM is quite good," Odden said. He noted that the researchers expect states to adapt the model to fit their particular needs and that minor divergences from the original do not affect its viability.
"What's important for Ohio is this plan's commitment to allocating resources to educational programs on the basis of the best available educational research," Odden said. "The OEBM is designed to fund the strategies that research evidence and best practices suggest can improve student achievement for all children, including students in urban and rural districts and from low-income and minority backgrounds."
The review by Odden and Picus, which was funded by KnowledgeWorks Foundation, the Education Tax Policy Institute and the Cleveland Foundation, comes as a subcommittee of the House Finance Committee prepares to introduce a revised version of the budget bill that addresses some shortcomings in the original proposal.
"We believe this information could be helpful as lawmakers work to improve the model presented by the governor," said Andrew Benson, director of policy for KnowledgeWorks Foundation. "We applaud Gov. Strickland on his bold vision for Ohio schools and are confident that the collaborative process with the General Assembly will result in legislation that creates a public education system with the resources and direction to substantially improve the quality of our children's education."
In the report, Odden and Picus point out both places where the Ohio model exceeds their recommended funding levels and instances where it provides fewer resources. The review does not address aspects of the education plan outside the evidence-based model, such as a proposed reduction in districts' contribution (the chargeoff) or the introduction of conversion levies as a way to provide stable local sources of revenue.
The researchers note that some of the estimates in the OEBM used to set funding levels may need to be refigured because they do not appear to be able to provide enough revenue to schools.
The report says the governor's plan does not provide recommended levels of resources in a few key areas, such as personnel, professional development and central administration.
In addition the authors urge Ohio policy makers to consider changing the way the plan holds districts accountable for student progress, focusing first on low-performing schools and districts.
They conclude, "By using the power of all the money available to schools, combined with a growing research base on what kinds of programs work to improve student learning, Ohio has the potential to shift the debate on education away from how much money is needed to how it can most effectively be used to improve student learning."