Education Economics Commons^™

Connecting School Finance Policy With Practice: A Site-Based Expenditure Report Study, Julia Chapdelaine Pontarelli

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the policy requirement of site-based expenditure reporting which is a requirement of the newest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Every Student Succeeds Act. For the first time, the federal government has required school districts to report site-level expenditure data publicly. In Illinois, the tool used to meet this federal reporting requirement is Site-Based Expenditure Reporting. In this study, I focus on how school finance leaders understand, process, and implement the site-based expenditure reporting requirement while considering concepts of equity and adequacy. Sensemaking theory offers a helpful conceptual lens for understanding how …

From Mcinnis To Adequacy: The Relationship Between School Funding Litigation And Illinois K-12 Public Education Funding Policy, Joel Filas

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Illinois K-12 public school funding has long been characterized by large inter-district disparities in per-pupil expenditures. A primary reason for this characterization was the Illinois legislature’s heavy reliance on local property tax within the various school funding formulas historically used to determine school revenues. The heavy reliance on local property taxes as the primary source of funding for Illinois schools has contributed to one of the largest funding gaps between the state’s highest and lowest property wealth school districts in the United States. The heavy reliance on local property taxes has led to low property wealth school districts receiving a …

Funding And High School Student Achievement In The State Of Illinois, Michael Edwin Tresnak

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among selected school funding variables, percentage of low socioeconomic status students, and student achievement. Funding variables included percentage of funds a school district received from the three primary sources: local, state, and federal. Additional funding variables included per pupil expenditures, as well as teacher salaries and administrative salaries. Student achievement variables included ACT composite, ACT math, ACT reading, and the percentage of students that met or exceeded state standards. The population studied consisted of Illinois school districts containing high schools. The data used was the data the Illinois State Board …

Student Financial Aid Processes And Borrowing Perspectives, Carol Pierson Milhous

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

There is a rising level of debt associated with attending college. Educational investment decisions, knowledge of financial management, attitudes and practices of student borrowing can have a significant impact on students’ futures. Student loan debt has been linked to adverse effects post-graduation in terms of employment, savings and making major purchases. Financial aid and money management skills of federal student loans are needed to help students achieve a quality life as working adults (Wolber, 2012). Approaches toward basic financial aid literacy and managing student debt should be addressed on college campuses.

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to …