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Achievement Investment Prowess: Identifying Cost Efficient Higher Performing Maine Public Schools, Ida A. Batista

Maine Education Policy Research Institute

Throughout the United States the debate has been frequent, intense, and at times adversarial over how to fund education adequately. Maine has been trying to identify higher performing schools in the hope that practices that contribute to success at higher performing schools can be adapted at similar schools throughout the state. The 1997 establishment of Essential Programs and Services, an adequacy based funding model, has a primary goal to ensure success for all of Maine's children based on generating and distributing funds more equitably throughout the state. However, identifying higher performing schools based on achievement misses inclusion of fiscal responsibility …