Preschool kids having a snack

Studies

Quality Education Council Reports

Funding Formula Technical Working Group

2009 Funding Formula Technical Working Group

Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance

2009 Joint Task Force on Basic Education Finance

Full Funding Coalition Report

The Full Funding Coalition issued a report in June 2008 outlining its proposals for improving K-12 funding, accountability and student performance. Coalition members include the Association of Washington Principals, Public School Employees, Washington Association of School Administrators, Washington Education Association and Washington State School Directors Association. The Coalition’s report concluded:

  • The State defines basic education through its performance expectations of students and schools.
  • The school finance system needs to be realigned to these performance expectations.
  • Accountability is a two-way street: A Quality Education Model can predict funding needs by desired performance outcomes.
  • The state can implement a systematic approach towards reaching funding leves required so that ALL students may have the opportunity to meet the state’s high expectations for their academic and personal success.

Washington Adequacy Funding Study

In 2007, Dr. David Conley of the Educational Policy Improvement Center released the Washington Adequacy Funding Study. The study determined that the state would need to provide $12,578 per student (on average) to comply with the “ample provision” called for in our State Constitution.

Washington Learns

2006 Washington Learns

Other states’ efforts

Washington is not the only state where advocates of quality public schools have had to resort to litigation to force their State to fully fund the education mandate by their state’s constitution. In fact, lawsuits have been brought in 45 of the 50 States. For example, such litigation is currently underway in Alaska, Colorado, Indiana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Dakota. To learn more about school funding lawsuits in other states, visit National Education Access Network.