Budget Brief

Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) Program

Background

The Legislature and governor enacted the Student Achievement Guarantee in Education (SAGE) program in 1995. It is based on recommendations from the 1994 State Superintendent’s Urban Initiative Task Force, which believed that improved student achievement would result from smaller class sizes.

The SAGE program, modeled after Tennessee's STAR class size reduction program, was created as a pilot project. Initial SAGE schools signed five-year contracts with the state. These contracts will end in the year 2001.

SAGE provides state funding to help reduce class sizes in schools with a significant concentration of low-income students. SAGE schools receive up to $2,000 in aid in grades K-3 for each low-income student. In its first year, SAGE helped 30 schools in 21 school districts reduce the student-teacher ratio to 15:1 in kindergarten and first grade. This year, 80 schools in 46 school districts receive SAGE funding; for some schools, the program has moved into the second and third grades. The Department of Public Instruction estimates that 108 additional schools could participate in the SAGE program if funding is provided.

Governor's Proposed 1999-2001 Budget (AB 133):

• Increases funding for SAGE by $3.5 million in fiscal year 2000 and $13.5 million in fiscal year 2001.

• Estimates that between 30-40 new schools could be added (the rest of the allocation is to pay for grade expansion in existing SAGE schools).

• Changes funding eligibility criteria. In Milwaukee, only schools with a population of at least 80% low- income students would be eligible for SAGE funding during the biennium; and statewide, schools with at least a 62% low-income student population would be eligible.

Joint Finance Committee Action:

• Fund the SAGE class size reduction program to include all schools in which 65% or more of the students come from low-income families. This will boost the SAGE program funding to $18.5 million in 1999-2000 and $34.6 million in 2000-'01. The SAGE program will grow from 80 to 146 schools statewide. This expansion will add 53 schools in Milwaukee and 13 out-state schools to the program. Currently there are 66 schools out-state and 14 in Milwaukee. WEAC supported the JFC action as a significant move toward providing SAGE to all schools with a 50% low-income rate.

WEAC Position:

The Wisconsin Education Association Council supports expanding SAGE to fund ALL schools in Wisconsin with more than 50% low-income student enrollment. WEAC also believes the SAGE program should be made permanent and that the state should fully fund SAGE contracts beyond the year 2001.

Talking Points:

• The first two SAGE evaluations (1997/1998) indicate positive results in reading, math and language arts. SAGE students significantly out-performed their peers in comparison schools (schools with similar student populations, but without classes of 15 or fewer students).

• The 1998 evaluation showed that during the course of the school year, African-American SAGE students achieved greater gains on evaluation tests than did white SAGE students - in comparison schools, the achievement gap widened between African-American and white students.

• The SAGE program improves academic accountability and involves the entire community in school activities. SAGE schools are required to sign contracts with the state agreeing to: require high academic standards with a demanding curriculum, increase parental involvement, embrace the “lighted school house” concept – where schools are open early and late in the day for family and community events, provide staff development opportunities, and develop accountability plans.

• Florida has spent more than $100 million annually for class size reduction for the last three years; California spends over $1.5 billion annually and Minnesota’s proposed budget recommends $237 million for class size reduction.

For Additional Information:

If you have any comments or questions, please contact Bob Burke in the WEAC Government Relations Division at 800-362-8034 ext. 254 or by e-mail at burkeb@weac.org.

Posted April 13, 1999; Updated May 25, 1999.