So Slow to Change: The Limited Growth of Nontax Revenues in Public Education Finance, 1991–2010

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Downes ◽  
Kieran M. Killeen
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Education Finance ◽  
Education Spending ◽  
Limited Growth ◽  
Poverty Status ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Public Education Finance ◽  
Over Time

We examine changes in the use of nontax revenues for education finance from 1991 to 2010. Beyond the summary of usage over time, we ask whether nontraditional revenues like fees accentuate or mitigate the impact of downturns. More generally, we examine the extent to which school districts have responded to fiscal pressures by turning to nontax revenues. We also document the extent to which the use of nontax revenues varies across districts according to student poverty status. We show that alternative revenues continue to be a small source of local revenues and have increased quite little since the early 1990s. There was at most a minimal shift to nontax revenues in downturns, though there is evidence of greater use of these revenues among school districts facing more permanent fiscal pressures like tax limits. Differential access to fee revenues and other alternative revenues during downturns may slightly accentuate inequities in K–12 education spending.

Teaching students out of harm’s way

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-302
Author(s):  
Esther Charlotte Moon
Keyword(s):  
Technology Integration ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Digital Citizenship ◽  
Digital Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Instructional Content ◽  
Device Integration ◽  
The Usa ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how changes in K-12 educational delivery methods in the USA impacts students as 1:1 device programs become a required tool for learning. This change produces gaps in knowledge and understanding of the digital environment and exposes minors to risk. Mandatory technology integration by school districts places the ethical responsibility on school districts to prepare students to use the digital environment to mitigate risk. Design/methodology/approach The author’s literature review focused on the impact of personal device integration in education on students. The author surveyed teachers in the district on what they perceived as risk to students accessing the digital environment and what they believe creates value in digital citizenship instructional content. The author also gathered information while serving on the school district technology steering committee and digital citizenship working group. Findings Mandatory 1:1 device programs used for learning provide unlimited access to the digital environment. This technology integration creates digital knowledge gaps in understanding among students and exposes them to risk or dangers such as loss of privacy, psychological harms and engaging in or being a victim of illegal online activities. School districts are responsible for providing a remedy to close this gap and mitigate risk by developing learning content resources for teachers. Social implications As 1:1 device programs continue to grow in school districts in the USA, it is essential for students to learn to apply protocols and understand norms of the digital world. Providing a digital citizenship curriculum in a format such as a Google Site will offer educators access to instructional content that teaches students to apply protocols, understand norms of the internet and social media and foster critical thinking to analyze power structures, biases and recognize manipulation online. Student must learn how to apply rules that challenge assumptions behind the digital content they see, and they must be able to identify and resolve digital practices and behaviors that are problematic, so they are prepared to participate in a digital society. Originality/value This perspective may be relevant to school districts contemplating personal device integration, providing insight into how 1:1 device use impacts students and develops an ethical position for creating digital citizenship resources for teachers.

scholarly journals The Great Recession and Public Education

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 298-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
William N. Evans ◽  
Robert M. Schwab ◽  
Kathryn L. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Property Tax ◽  
State Governments ◽  
School Employees ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Public Education Finance ◽  
Work First ◽  
School Spending

We examine the impact of the Great Recession on public education finance and employment. Five major themes emerge from our work. First, nearly 300,000 school employees lost their jobs. Second, schools that were heavily dependent financially on state governments were particularly vulnerable to the recession. Third, local revenues from the property tax actually increased during the recession, primarily because millage rates rose in response to declining property values. Fourth, inequality in school spending rose sharply during the Great Recession. We argue, however, that we need to be very cautious about this result. School spending inequality has risen steadily since 2000; the trend in inequality we see in the 2008–13 period is very similar to the trend we see in the 2000–08 period. Fifth, the federal government's efforts to shield education from some of the worst effects of the recession achieved their major goal.

TEACHERS' EXPECTATIONS OF THE IMPACT OF E-LEARNING ON KUWAIT’S PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM

2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 711-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fayiz Aldhafeeri ◽  
Mohammed Almulla ◽  
Bandar Alraqas
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Education System ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Public Education System ◽  
The Public ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Access To Knowledge ◽  
K 12 ◽  
The Impact

E-learning has emerged as a necessity to meet the challenges posed by the development of information technology and its potential for greater access to knowledge. E-learning technology is becoming more visible in schools in many parts of the world. Kuwait, like many other countries, has started to study the adoption of an E-learning system in K-12. E-learning in schools must meet certain standards that make students competent in a number of areas. The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' opinions of the impact of E-learning on the public education system in Kuwait. Based on responses by 519 teachers, to a questionnaire survey consisting of 36 items, the study identifies the following six educational improvement areas: 1) basic operations and computer concepts; 2) ethical and human issues; 3) productivity tools; 4) research tools; 5) problem-solving and decision-making tools; and 6) communication tools.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of 3 Versus 6 ft of Physical Distancing for Controlling Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Among Primary and Secondary Students and Staff: A Retrospective, Statewide Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Polly van den Berg ◽  
Elissa M Schechter-Perkins ◽  
Rebecca S Jack ◽  
Isabella Epshtein ◽  
Richard Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
School Districts ◽  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
School Staff ◽  
School Settings ◽  
K 12 ◽  
Incident Cases ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background National and international guidelines differ about the optimal physical distancing between students for prevention of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission; studies directly comparing the impact of ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing policies in school settings are lacking. Thus, our objective was to compare incident cases of SARS-CoV-2 in students and staff in Massachusetts public schools among districts with different physical distancing requirements. State guidance mandates masking for all school staff and for students in grades 2 and higher; the majority of districts required universal masking. Methods Community incidence rates of SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 cases among students in grades K-12 and staff participating in-person learning, and district infection control plans were linked. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for students and staff members in traditional public school districts with ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing were estimated using log-binomial regression; models adjusted for community incidence are also reported. Results Among 251 eligible school districts, 537 336 students and 99 390 staff attended in-person instruction during the 16-week study period, representing 6 400 175 student learning weeks and 1 342 574 staff learning weeks. Student case rates were similar in the 242 districts with ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing between students (IRR, 0.891; 95% confidence interval, .594–1.335); results were similar after adjustment for community incidence (adjusted IRR, 0.904; .616–1.325). Cases among school staff in districts with ≥3 versus ≥6 ft of physical distancing were also similar (IRR, 1.015, 95% confidence interval, .754–1.365). Conclusions Lower physical distancing requirements can be adopted in school settings with masking mandates without negatively affecting student or staff safety.

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