State Budget brief: Placing kids in classrooms that work


State Budget brief Placing kids in classrooms that work Background A working classroom is one where students have the opportunity to learn and grow. It is one where kids arrive at school nourished and ready to learn. It is one in which students are challenged and their educational needs are met. There is no better example of a program that makes classrooms work than the successful Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) small class size program for kindergarten through 3rd grade which has increased student achievement, upheld gains through 3rd grade and narrowed the achievement gap between children of color and their peers. As costs have been rising, the per-pupil support for the program has been held constant over the years, forcing some school districts to choose between eliminating the program or cutting back on other critical educational offerings. Increasing the current reimbursement rate and allowing other schools to participate will build upon the successes of SAGE. Another promising way to improve student achievement is by investing in 4-year-old kindergarten so it can become a reality for more communities. Today, 208 school districts in Wisconsin participate in 4-year-old kindergarten, serving more than 18,000 children. State aid for the program is based on average attendance over the past three years. This means that a school that adds 4-year-old kindergarten won’t get its fair share of state funding until the fourth year of the program. Instead of discouraging participation in the program, the state should be encouraging it so young children can reap the benefits of quality early learning opportunities and school-based services. Working classrooms not only improve student achievement, they also meet the diverse educational needs of our kids. This means enhancing readiness to learn by offering a nutritious meal to start the day through the school breakfast program, overcoming language and cultural barriers by providing bilingual-bicultural aid, and challenging gifted and talented students by expanding the number of advanced placement courses offered. Special education is an area where our schools are particularly struggling to meet the needs of their students. With rising special education costs and declining state support for special education services, school districts have been forced to allocate dollars from general education programs to fund mandated special education programs. By increasing its investment in special education, the state can better meet the exceptional education needs of its children. Placing kids in classrooms that work also means recognizing the needs and unique characteristics of rural education. School districts all over the state, but particularly those in rural areas, face the challenge of declining enrollment and paying for student transportation. School funding decisions should take into account the reality that costs do not necessarily decrease as student numbers decrease. Investments to Create Classrooms that Work Contained in 2005-2007 Budget The governor’s budget proposal for 2005-2007 will place kids in classrooms that work by: Increasing the per-pupil reimbursement level for the SAGE program, which lowers class size in kindergarten through 3rd grade, to $2,250 in the 2005-06 school year and $2,500 in 2006-07 and provide additional funding for 10 new schools to participate in SAGE. Providing $3 million in fiscal year 2006-07 to assist school districts with the initial cost of starting up 4-year-old kindergarten programs. Encouraging more school districts to implement school breakfast programs by providing a 50-cent increase in the state’s reimbursement rate for school breakfasts. Providing additional funding for the state to maintain its current share of funding for bilingual-bicultural education aid. Providing funding to expand the number of advanced placement courses offered in the state and to enhance gifted and talented student programs in middle schools. Increasing funding for special education aid and creating a new program to provide higher levels of aid to school districts with high-cost, low-incidence special education students. Addressing the concerns of declining enrollment districts by modifying the revenue limit calculation to provide these districts greater revenue limit authority by using either a three- or five-year rolling enrollment average. Providing a $16 million increase in pupil transportation aid over the biennium while directing greater increases to school districts with larger geographic service areas and longer travel distances. Increasing the per-student low revenue ceiling, below which school districts are exempt from revenue limits, from $7,800 per student to $8,100 in fiscal year 2005-06 and to $8,400 in fiscal year 2006-07. WEAC position The Wisconsin Education Association Council supports investing in the SAGE program and 4-year-old kindergarten - combined with other measures - to put kids in classrooms that work. WEAC supports these items in the governor’s 2005-2007 biennial budget bill. Talking points Investing in classrooms that work will boost student achievement: Reducing class sizes by increasing funding for SAGE and expanding the program will enhance learning. Overall, analysis of SAGE student test results suggest that students in smaller classrooms tend to score significantly higher in language arts, mathematics and reading as well as total score after adjusting for individual pre-test results, socioeconomic status and attendance. Classrooms with fewer students are more likely to have higher class average achievement scores and are more likely to contribute to closing the achievement gap between children of color and their peers. Providing grants to communities to start 4-year-old kindergarten will give kids an equal chance to succeed by providing early educational opportunities. The value of 4-year-old kindergarten is supported by research on early brain development demonstrating the cost benefits of early learning opportunities. Children in 4-year-old kindergarten benefit from the availability of school support services to address special needs: e.g. school nurse, psychologists, specialty teachers and special education services. 4-year-old kindergarten grants kids access to special resources and quality learning materials which enhance curriculum: e.g. libraries, art, music, and technology. Children who participate in early education programs are less likely to need special education services, and are less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system. Research shows that early childhood education programs reduce the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged children, children of color and their peers. Teachers with BA or higher degrees in 4-year-old kindergarten childhood education have the experience and training to provide quality learning opportunities for young learners. Investing in classrooms that work will help children learn better by meeting their educational needs: Spurring participation in the school breakfast program which offers kids a nutritious breakfast in a safe environment will improve the ability of children-in-need to learn. Maintaining the state’s share of bilingual-bicultural aid will assist children with diverse cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds overcome barriers to learning. Enhancing programs for gifted and talented students will allow schools to offer an educational setting that is challenging and will make it possible for these kids to reach their full potential. Increasing special education aid will help schools provide services to children with exceptional needs. It will also alleviate pressure on school districts forced to choose between special education and regular education programs because of the state’s failure to keep its commitment to fund special education. Investing in classrooms that work by lending a helping hand to school districts with declining enrollment and high transportation costs will equalize educational opportunity for students: Cushions the impact of declining enrollment on small schools that receive less per-pupil equalized aid each year from the state. Alleviates the heavy burden on school districts shouldering the increasing cost of transporting kids to school, especially those rural districts with larger geographic service areas, some of which spend more than $1,000 per year on each student’s transportation. This will lessen the financial pressure on school districts to cut necessary educational programs just to pay for transporting the kids to school. Reflects an understanding that costs do not necessarily decrease when the number of students decreases. Additional information If you have comments or questions, please contact Deb Sybell, WEAC Legislative Program Coordinator, at sybelld@weac.org or by phone at 800-362-8034 ext. 227.

State Budget brief
Placing kids in classrooms that work

Background
A working classroom is one where students have the opportunity to learn and grow. It is one where kids arrive at school nourished and ready to learn. It is one in which students are challenged and their educational needs are met.

There is no better example of a program that makes classrooms work than the successful Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) small class size program for kindergarten through 3rd grade which has increased student achievement, upheld gains through 3rd grade and narrowed the achievement gap between children of color and their peers. As costs have been rising, the per-pupil support for the program has been held constant over the years, forcing some school districts to choose between eliminating the program or cutting back on other critical educational offerings. Increasing the current reimbursement rate and allowing other schools to participate will build upon the successes of SAGE.

Another promising way to improve student achievement is by investing in 4-year-old kindergarten so it can become a reality for more communities. Today, 208 school districts in Wisconsin participate in 4-year-old kindergarten, serving more than 18,000 children. State aid for the program is based on average attendance over the past three years. This means that a school that adds 4-year-old kindergarten won’t get its fair share of state funding until the fourth year of the program. Instead of discouraging participation in the program, the state should be encouraging it so young children can reap the benefits of quality early learning opportunities and school-based services.

Working classrooms not only improve student achievement, they also meet the diverse educational needs of our kids. This means enhancing readiness to learn by offering a nutritious meal to start the day through the school breakfast program, overcoming language and cultural barriers by providing bilingual-bicultural aid, and challenging gifted and talented students by expanding the number of advanced placement courses offered.

Special education is an area where our schools are particularly struggling to meet the needs of their students. With rising special education costs and declining state support for special education services, school districts have been forced to allocate dollars from general education programs to fund mandated special education programs. By increasing its investment in special education, the state can better meet the exceptional education needs of its children.

Placing kids in classrooms that work also means recognizing the needs and unique characteristics of rural education. School districts all over the state, but particularly those in rural areas, face the challenge of declining enrollment and paying for student transportation. School funding decisions should take into account the reality that costs do not necessarily decrease as student numbers decrease.
Investments to Create Classrooms that Work Contained in 2005-2007 Budget

The governor’s budget proposal for 2005-2007 will place kids in classrooms that work by:

Increasing the per-pupil reimbursement level for the SAGE program, which lowers class size in kindergarten through 3rd grade, to $2,250 in the 2005-06 school year and $2,500 in 2006-07 and provide additional funding for 10 new schools to participate in SAGE.
Providing $3 million in fiscal year 2006-07 to assist school districts with the initial cost of starting up 4-year-old kindergarten programs.
Encouraging more school districts to implement school breakfast programs by providing a 50-cent increase in the state’s reimbursement rate for school breakfasts.
Providing additional funding for the state to maintain its current share of funding for bilingual-bicultural education aid.
Providing funding to expand the number of advanced placement courses offered in the state and to enhance gifted and talented student programs in middle schools.
Increasing funding for special education aid and creating a new program to provide higher levels of aid to school districts with high-cost, low-incidence special education students.
Addressing the concerns of declining enrollment districts by modifying the revenue limit calculation to provide these districts greater revenue limit authority by using either a three- or five-year rolling enrollment average.
Providing a $16 million increase in pupil transportation aid over the biennium while directing greater increases to school districts with larger geographic service areas and longer travel distances.
Increasing the per-student low revenue ceiling, below which school districts are exempt from revenue limits, from $7,800 per student to $8,100 in fiscal year 2005-06 and to $8,400 in fiscal year 2006-07.

WEAC position
The Wisconsin Education Association Council supports investing in the SAGE program and 4-year-old kindergarten - combined with other measures - to put kids in classrooms that work. WEAC supports these items in the governor’s 2005-2007 biennial budget bill.

Talking points
Investing in classrooms that work will boost student achievement:

Reducing class sizes by increasing funding for SAGE and expanding the program will enhance learning.
- Overall, analysis of SAGE student test results suggest that students in smaller classrooms tend to score significantly higher in language arts, mathematics and reading as well as total score after adjusting for individual pre-test results, socioeconomic status and attendance.
- Classrooms with fewer students are more likely to have higher class average achievement scores and are more likely to contribute to closing the achievement gap between children of color and their peers.
Providing grants to communities to start 4-year-old kindergarten will give kids an equal chance to succeed by providing early educational opportunities.
- The value of 4-year-old kindergarten is supported by research on early brain development demonstrating the cost benefits of early learning opportunities.
- Children in 4-year-old kindergarten benefit from the availability of school support services to address special needs: e.g. school nurse, psychologists, specialty teachers and special education services.
- 4-year-old kindergarten grants kids access to special resources and quality learning materials which enhance curriculum: e.g. libraries, art, music, and technology.
- Children who participate in early education programs are less likely to need special education services, and are less likely to become involved with the criminal justice system.
- Research shows that early childhood education programs reduce the achievement gap between economically disadvantaged children, children of color and their peers.
- Teachers with BA or higher degrees in 4-year-old kindergarten childhood education have the experience and training to provide quality learning opportunities for young learners.

Investing in classrooms that work will help children learn better by meeting their educational needs:

Spurring participation in the school breakfast program which offers kids a nutritious breakfast in a safe environment will improve the ability of children-in-need to learn.
Maintaining the state’s share of bilingual-bicultural aid will assist children with diverse cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds overcome barriers to learning.
Enhancing programs for gifted and talented students will allow schools to offer an educational setting that is challenging and will make it possible for these kids to reach their full potential.
Increasing special education aid will help schools provide services to children with exceptional needs. It will also alleviate pressure on school districts forced to choose between special education and regular education programs because of the state’s failure to keep its commitment to fund special education.

Investing in classrooms that work by lending a helping hand to school districts with declining enrollment and high transportation costs will equalize educational opportunity for students:

Cushions the impact of declining enrollment on small schools that receive less per-pupil equalized aid each year from the state.
Alleviates the heavy burden on school districts shouldering the increasing cost of transporting kids to school, especially those rural districts with larger geographic service areas, some of which spend more than $1,000 per year on each student’s transportation. This will lessen the financial pressure on school districts to cut necessary educational programs just to pay for transporting the kids to school.
Reflects an understanding that costs do not necessarily decrease when the number of students decreases.

Additional information
If you have comments or questions, please contact Deb Sybell, WEAC Legislative Program Coordinator, at sybelld@weac.org or by phone at 800-362-8034 ext. 227.