School Financial Management based on Accountability and Transparency

This study was conducted with the aim of analyzing school financial management based on accountability and transparency in educational organizations, especially State Vocational Schools in Pekanbaru City. Data collection was carried out on 9 State Vocational Schools in Pekanbaru City, with the number of respondents consisting of principals, treasurers, teachers and members of school committees. The approach used in this study is an exploratory research approach. For the analysis of data and information obtained in research activities used quantitative descriptive techniques. Based on the level of technology readiness as an indicator that shows how ready or mature a technology can be applied and adopted by users/prospective users, it can be on a scale of 3. So that the results of this study can explore financial management in education units with an in-depth analysis of the principles of accountability and transparency in management. finance at the State Vocational School of Pekanbaru City, Riau Province, Indonesia. In general, the results of this study found that financial management at SMK Negeri in Pekanbaru City from the analysis of accountability and transparency has been carried out well, but has not been maximized so that it needs to be improved. This is because some schools are still based on rules and technical guidelines and do not yet have their own innovation/creativity that can support transparency and accountability in financial management. The main contribution of this research is recommendations to improve accountability and transparency of school financial management. The recommendation is the need for innovation and creativity in school financial management so that school financial management becomes flexible. In addition, there is a need for regulations governing the management of school finances, especially funds sourced from school committees.

Financial Problems Met by Schools in the Onslaught of COVID 19: Implications to Fiscal Management of Learning Institutions

The covid-19 infection has reduced educational institutions' economic aspects and made it possible for the researchers to assess the financial issues associated with funding and efficiency of operations among schools in South East Asian universities. In the realm of education, economic concerns are not the central role of the holder, but actors who properly define educational achievement to conduct all training establishments and activities. The essential components are lifelong training and dedication, competency, managerial skills, and instructors in all educational facilities. The study employed descriptive qualitative and literature review to secondary sources. The primary findings were that, because of the COVID 19 issue, school finances are often challenging to manage on a macro and micro level. Consequently, schools are forced to seek the most efficient allocation of money in the COVID 19 era. This study presents implications for the Fiscal Management of Learning Institutions.

The survival of school financing management in COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed to explore the survival of school financing management during the COVID-19 pandemic, to assure the quality of teaching and learning continuously. This study used a qualitative design, and data collection is carried out by observing resource persons and in-depth interviews, analysis or analysis of documentation and a combination of the three as triangulation method. The collected data were analyzed using an interactive model. The results showed that financial management strategies in managing school finances effectively and efficiently, through transparency, accountability and responsibility, are considered to have contributed to the prospects, quality, progress and sustainability of education in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is based on the fact that many quality and good schools eventually experience setbacks due to the lack of transparency, accountability and responsibility in the management of education funds. Openness in schools can promote accountability and fight corruption in education, if it is implemented effectively and any malpractice is dealt with clear consequences. The implication is the strategies of education financing management in terms of transparency, accountability and accountability need to be carry out consistently to ensure the improvement of school quality runs in a sustainable manner.

Implementation of the Roles and Functions of the School Committee in Improving the Quality of Education Services in the City of Cirebon

Parental support in improving the quality of education services in schools is needed. Awareness of the importance of quality education will help schools as education providers to realize quality education. There is a need for the support of the school committee as a forum for the participation of parents in education. This study wants to describe the implementation of the role and function of the school committee in supporting the improvement of education quality services at SMAN 9 Cirebon City. The data was collected through in-depth interviews, questionnaires, and documentation studies. The results showed that in general, the school committee of has school carried out all its roles and functions, although not yet optimal. School committees consider more related to school programs that need to be implemented but are not covered by school finances. Communication with alumni is well established and has even been able to contribute to the renovation of the school mosque. Efforts to provide non-financial support are carried out by establishing communication and comparative studies with other schools deemed to have a better quality infrastructure. The results of the comparative study are arranged in a priority program to support the progress of the quality of education services.

Under the Law: Do students have a right to “equal extracurricular opportunity”?

Robert Kim tackles the question of whether denying students access to extracurricular programs is lawful. Historically, courts have considered the presence or absence of extracurricular activities as a factor in determining whether a district has eliminated vestiges of segregation. Outside the desegregation context, however, courts have been reluctant to recognize a legal right to participate in extracurricular activities. Today, those hoping to define extracurriclar opportutines as a right may find avenues to puruse in case involving school finances and federal enforcement of civil rights statutes.

Effectiveness of School Heads’ Financial Management Skills in Provision of Quality Education in Secondary School

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of school heads’ financial management skills in the provision of quality education in secondary schools. This study explored secondary data by reviewing documents and literature materials from online publications and libraries to attain the intended purpose of the study. The study found out that financial management skills such as mobilizing school funds, monitoring, evaluation of budget, and auditing skills were essential for school financial management. The study also found that most of the school heads possess insufficient skills in financial management as school managers. Other financial management challenges were a shortage of school funds, poor monitoring, evaluation, and auditing of school finances. The study suggests strategies such as capacity building among the school heads. Also, decentralization of financial decision making, relevant school mission, and vision, enhance effective monitoring, evaluation, and auditing of financial report as strategies for improving school heads’ financial management skills. The study recommended the necessity of having school heads who are skilled in school-based financial management strategies. The study requested responsible departments or ministries concerns with education to make financial management skills be one of the pre-condition for hiring or promoting a teacher to the top post of school administration.

Universal School Meals and Associations with Student Participation, Attendance, Academic Performance, Diet Quality, Food Security, and Body Mass Index: A Systematic Review

The school environment plays an important role in children’s diets and overall health, and policies for universal free school meals have the potential to contribute to positive child health outcomes. This systematic review evaluates studies examining the association between universal free school meals and students’ school meal participation rates, diets, attendance, academic performance, and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as school finances. The search was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). A search for studies published in economically developed countries published through December 2020 was performed in PubMed, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science, and Academic Search Ultimate, followed by examining the references in the resultant literature. A total of 47 studies were identified and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was applied to assess bias. Nearly all studies examining universal free school meals found positive associations with school meal participation. Most studies examining universal free school meals that included free lunch found positive associations with diet quality, food security, and academic performance; however, the findings of studies examining only universal free breakfast were mixed. Research findings were similarly mixed when examining attendance as an outcome. Concerns about adverse outcomes on student BMI were not supported by the literature; in fact, several studies detected a potentially protective effect of universal free school meals on BMI. Research examining the impact of universal free meals on school finances was limited, but suggest that lower-income school districts in the U.S. may have positive financial outcomes from participation in universal free school meal provisions. Additionally, providing free meals to students may be associated with improved household incomes, particularly among lower-income families with children. Further research is needed to examine the financial implications of universal free meals for both school districts and families. Overall, universal free school meals may have multiple benefits for students and countries should consider universal free school meal provisions with strong nutrition guidelines. (PROSPERO registration: CRD42020221782).

Locked Out of College: When Admissions Bureaucrats Do and Do Not Discriminate

How does an individual's criminal record shape interactions with the state and society? This article presents evidence from a nationwide field experiment in the United States, which shows that prospective applicants with criminal records are about 5 percentage points less likely to receive information from college admission offices. However, this bias does not extend to race: there is no difference in response rates to Black and White applicants. The authors further show that bias is all but absent in public bureaucracies, as discrimination against formerly incarcerated applicants is driven by private schools. Examining why bias is stronger for private colleges, the study demonstrates that the private–public difference persists even after accounting for college selectivity, socio-economic composition and school finances. Moving beyond the measurement of bias, an intervention designed to reduce discrimination is evaluated: whether an email from an advocate mitigates bias associated with a criminal record. No evidence is found that advocate endorsements decrease bureaucratic bias.

Which Principal is the Right Principal? Student Achievement, School Finances, and Community Stakeholders

When a struggling high school may be placed on turnaround status during a bid for a school bond, the district considers replacing a beloved principal with a record of low test scores with an unpopular principal whose record shows increased student achievement. The school board must decide whether to prioritize finances, community support, student achievement, or state-level demands. This case presents many difficult decisions schools and districts are required to make. Key factors discussed in the case include principal turnover, student academic achievement, teacher retention, school culture, and power.

Implementation of Sistem Administrasi Keuangan Sekolah for Junior High Schools, Senior High Schools and Vocational Schools in Bogor PESAT Schools (Si-AKSES)

In educational institutions, one of the resources that need to be managed properly is school financial resources. However, there are still many schools that have not managed their financial resources optimally, one of which is in the student financial administration process which is still done manually, namely by recording with books or recording with spreadsheet software. This has the risk of data being damaged, data lost, difficult to evaluate and monitoring, and less effective in student financial administration services. The same is the case with PESAT Bogor school, where schools still use spreadsheet software in financial administration. So in this study, the implementation of an integrated financial administration system at SMP, SMA, and SMK PESAT is integrated (Si-AKSES) in order to create optimal school governance, especially in the financial administration process. The software development uses the waterfall method which is implemented with the MySQL database, the PHP programming language and the CodeIgniter framework. With the existence of Si-AKSES, it can facilitate PESAT schools in providing services to students who want to make school financial payments, recording student transactions from the start of entry to graduation, controlling student arrears, reporting processes, and so that school finances are more controllable and transparent.