The Use of Educational Resources in Wyoming: Updated Report to the Wyoming Legislatures Joint Interi

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The Use of Educational Resources in Wyoming
Updated Report to theWyoming Legislatures Joint
Interim Education Committee

• October 28, 2008
• by
• Allan Odden, Lawrence O. Picus,
• Michelle Turner Mangan, Mike Goetz Anabel
  Aportela

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Goal of Wyoming Funding Formula

• Provide adequate resources to all schools and
  districts
• Districts and schools use the resource to improve
  student achievement
• We call dramatic improvements in student learning
  a doubling of performance

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Ten Steps to Double Performance

• Analyze state testing data to determine
  performance status
• Set higher goals
• Adopt a new curriculum
• Engage in data-based decision making with
  formative and benchmark assessments
• Invest in on-going professional development

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Ten Steps to Double Performance

• Focus class time more efficiently
• Provide multiple interventions for struggling
  students
• Create professional learning communities
• Empower leaders to support instructional
  improvement
• Take advantage of external expertise

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Core Instructional Elements of the Wyoming
Funding Model

• Small class sizes
• 16 elementary (K-5)
• 21 secondary (6-12)
• High quality instruction
• Professional development
• School-based instructional facilitators

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Core Instructional Elements of the Wyoming
Funding Model

• Sequenced and integrated strategies continuum
  of services -- to help struggling children meet
  state standards
• Tutoring
• Extended days
• Summer school
• Special education with no budget cap

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Core Instructional Elements of the Wyoming
Funding Model

• Substantial resources for
• Instructional materials, at sufficient levels to
  buy any number of formative assessments NWEA,
  DIBELS, Wireless Generation
• Technology

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Research Questions

• How are actual resource patterns in Wyoming
  aligned with or different from the resource use
  strategies that are used in the Wyoming Funding
  Model?
• What are the current instructional improvement
  strategies at the school-level in Wyoming?

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Instructional Strategies and the Use of Resources
At the School Level

• Findings

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Methodology

• 334 Schools visited in Year 1 (n254) Year 2
  (n80)
• 189 Elementary
• 71 Middle
• 74 High Schools
• 15 are alternative learning environment (ALE)
  schools
• Results based on 319 non-ALE, elementary, middle,
  high schools.
• In-person interviews with principals
  superintendents to collect schools staffing and
  fiscal resources
• Quantitative analyses and case studies

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Updated Sample Characteristics
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Average Number of Students in Updated Sample
Schools

• Elementary Schools
• 49-96 72
• 96 275

Middle Schools 61 105 406
High Schools 80 105 449
Does not include alternative schools data
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Overall Findings in General

• About same level of school administration
• Somewhat fewer core class teachers
• More elective classes and teachers
• More instructional aides
• Much less tutoring
• Much less librarian resources
• Less pupil support
• About the same instructional facilitators

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Instructional Time

• Average Instructional Day 5 hrs, 57 min
• Average Class Length
• Math 1 hr, 5 minutes
• Reading (Elementary) 1hr, 45 minutes
• English/LA (Mid/High) 1 hr, 10 minutes
• Soc. Studies Science (each)
• (Elementary) 31 minutes
• (Mid/High) 55 minutes

Does not include alternative schools data
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Average Resources in Elementary Schools with
More than 96 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Average Resources in Elementary Schools with
49-96 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Average Resources in Elementary Schools with
Less than 49 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Key Findings on Resource Use in Elementary
Schools

• Compared to the Wyoming Funding Model, large
  elementary schools have
• Slightly less school site administration
• Fewer core and specialist teachers
• More aides
• Fewer certified tutors
• Less than half the certified library and media
  staff
• More pupil support

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Average School-Level Resources in Middle Schools
with More than 105 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Average School-Level Resources in Middle Schools
with 49-105 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Average School-Level Resources in Middle Schools
with Less than 49 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Key Findings on Resource Use in Middle Schools

• Compared to the Wyoming Funding Model, large
  middle schools have
• About the same level of school administration
• Fewer core teachers
• More specialist teachers
• More aides
• Fewer tutors
• Less certified library and media staff
• Less pupil support

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Average School-Level Resources in High Schools
with More than 105 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Average School-Level Resources in High Schools
with 49-105 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Average School-Level Resources in High Schools
with Less than 49 Students
Does not include alternative schools data
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Key Findings on Resource Use in High Schools

• Compared to the Wyoming Funding Model, large high
  schools have
• Similar amounts of administration (Principals
  assistant principals)
• Fewer core teachers
• More specialist teachers
• More aides
• 2/3 fewer certified tutors
• 2/3 fewer certified librarian and media staff
• Less pupil support
• Double the number of secretaries

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Students per Core Teacher (Excludes Small
Alternative Schools data)
Actual student to teacher ratios are slightly
larger than the model in elementary and middle
schools, and about the same as the model level
in high schools. But there are wide ranges in
actual practice.
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Core Teachers in Sample Schools (Excludes Small
Alternative Schools Data)
510.7 fewer core teachers than provided by the
funding model
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Number of Instructional Aides
Does not include small or alternative schools
data
Model does not fund instructional aides
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Students Per Core TeacherMedium and Large
Elementary
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Students Per Core TeacherMedium and Large Middle
School
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Students Per Core TeacherMedium and Large High
School
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Number of Tutors
We found substantially fewer certified tutors to
provide extra help to struggling students,
especially in middle and high schools
Does not include small or alternative schools
data
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Average Number of Instructional Facilitators in
Medium and Large Schools

• Actual instructional facilitators loosely
  mirrored the level funded through the categorical
  program (about two thirds of model level).

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Updated Findings Related to Instructional
Improvement (319 non-ALE schools)

• Fewer core teachers than model funds in large
  schools
• Specialist Teachers in large schools
• Elementary -- About 26 fewer than funded
• Middle schools -- About 30 more than funded
• High schools -- About 57 more than funded
• Large number of aides despite no funding
• Substantially fewer certified tutors than funded

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Updated Findings Related to Instructional
Improvement (319 non-ALE schools)

• Instructional facilitators
• Observed at less than even the estimated funding
  level in all three school levels
• This is a categorical not a block grant program
• School administrators employed at a slightly
  lower level than funded by the model

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Tentative Conclusions

• The observed resource use patterns
• Appear to represent a different theory about how
  to boost student achievement
• Less professional development
• More electives
• More classroom aides dealing with academic needs
• Are different from evidence-based resource use
  patterns to double student performance observed
  in Wyoming and other states

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State-Level Expenditure And Salary Analysis

• Summary of Findings

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Expenditure Analysis General Conclusions and
Implications

• Five year change in total expenditures is 44
• Five year change in expenditures per pupil is
  43.5
• Percent spent on instruction has remained about
  the same
• Compensation as a percent of instruction has
  increased by 1.42

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Findings on Salaries

• Dramatic increase in teacher salaries in last two
  years
• Model funds more positions than districts employ
  with block grant funds
• Difference may have led to higher salaries than
  anticipated in the model

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State-Level Expenditure Analysis

• Findings

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Total Expenditures 2002-03 to 2006-07
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Total Expenditures Per Pupil 2002-03 to 2006-07
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Expenditures by Function 2002-03 to 2006-07
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Percent of Expenditures By Function 2002-03 to
2006-07
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Total Compensation as a Percent of Instruction
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Salary Analysis

• Findings

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Changes in Student Enrollment 2002-03 to
2006-07
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State Total Teacher FTE 2002-03 to 2006-07
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Annual Percent Change in Enrollment Compared to
Change in Total FTE Teachers
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Composition of Teaching Staff 2002-03 to
2006-07
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Percent Change in Enrollment and FTE Teachers by
Type
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Model v. Actual FTE Teachers 2006-07 (W/O Special
Ed.)
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Average Teacher Salary 2002-03 to 2006-07
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Percent Change in Average Teacher Salary
2003-04 to 2006-07
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Beginning Teacher Salary Schedules (BA 0 Years
Exp.)
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Middle Salary Schedule Steps
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Top of Salary Schedule
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Discussion and Questions

• Lawrence O. Picus and Associates
• lpicus_at_lpicus.com
• arodden_at_lpicus.com
• mmangan_at_lpicus.com
• aportela_at_lpicus.com
• megoetz_at_lpicus.com