STUDY
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homeless and foster students than did charter schools on average .
• Variation among schools of both types : Notably , there was wide variation in all types of student needs within each sector – that is , comparing individual charter schools to each other and district-run schools to each other .
• Resource levels : In 2014-15 , OUSD spent $ 1,400 more per pupil than the average charter school on operating expenses , adjusted for student need differences in special education , English learner status and eligibility for free and reduced-price meals . This adjustment does not capture other potential differences in student need , such high mobility rates and or the number of students entering school significantly behind academically .
• Cap on charter funding : The Local Control Funding Formula caps the amount of “ concentration ” funding that charter schools can receive . In 2014-15 this meant that 23 charter schools received fewer dollars from LCFF than their actual student need would suggest . This is a driver of lower per-pupil spending for charter schools .
• Resource use : OUSD district-run and charter schools used their resources differently in several important ways . In 2014-15 , Oakland charter schools had 14 percent more contractually required teacher time per day , on average , than did district-run schools . District-run schools spent 18 percent more per teacher on compensation than the average charter school – mostly due to higher average teacher benefit costs . District-run schools had a slightly lower student-teacher ratio at 18:1 than the charter school average of 19:1 , due to districtrun schools ’ much larger investment in special education teachers .
• Spending on administration and business services : Charter schools , on average , spent a larger share of resources on administration and business services as compared to district-run schools . This was likely due to differences in system size , as OUSD has greater economies of scale when it comes to administration and business services .
• Small schools : Oakland operated a high number of small schools – both district-run and charter – compared to other cities in California . OUSD spent disproportionately more on its small schools relative to small charters .
• Rent for space : Across charters , spending on rent varied from $ 190 to $ 2,250 per pupil , with those renting from OUSD generally spending less per pupil than others .
• Spending gap on special education : Both charter schools and district-run schools spent more on special education than they received in special education revenues ; though they received and spent substantially different amounts of dollars .
Based on steering committee member discussions , some of the following next steps emerged :
• To ensure that school spending matches student need , explore opportunities for
Summer programs recognized for innovation
Two innovative , diverse and experiential learning opportunities for students in California have been named finalists for the 2017 New York Life Foundation Excellence in Summer Learning and Founder ’ s awards .
Oakland Springboard Summer and SummerBoost Camp in Yucca Valley were recognized for programs to curb learning losses , particularly affecting low-income students who are disproportionately at risk for academically falling behind their higher-income peers during the summer .
Springboard Summer is an intensive , five-week summer literacy program for PreK-3 students and their families .
SummerBoost , a Save the Children National Model implemented across eight states , was among the Founder ’ s Award recipients for focusing on unforgettable summer experiences for children living in rural and impoverished communities .
Awards are presented annually by the National Summer Learning Association , the only national nonprofit exclusively focused on closing the achievement gap by increasing access to high-quality summer learning opportunities .
“ Thanks to innovative programs like our award winners and finalists , kids are able to stay engaged over the summer months through fun and unique learning experiences designed to help students thrive in the school year ahead ,” said Matthew Boulay , CEO of the NSLA .
Marlyn Torres , senior program officer for New York Life Foundation , said , “ Every child deserves the opportunity to learn while staying safe and healthy during the summer months , and these programs have demonstrated how important summers can make life-changing difference in the lives of young students .”
both the district and charter sectors to serve a more equitable percentage of students with higher needs , including needs related to special education , incoming proficiency and late-entry students . This includes increasing parent and student agency in choosing schools by increasing awareness of school options across Oakland , with a focus on families of students with greater needs .
• As part of a broader rethinking of revenue policies , explore using a more nuanced assessment of student need to differentiate resources across schools .
• Explore advocating for a state legislative change to address the current LCFF cap , in order to provide additional resources to charters serving high need student populations .
• Explore opportunities to optimize special education resources within the city by aligning financial incentives with the authentic needs of students to ensure that all schools both invest appropriately in all students and serve students in the least restrictive environment . This may include creating a special education funding system that incentivizes charters to remain in their local / regional Special Education Local Plan Area , which are the organizations that receive revenue from the state earmarked for special education and that provide special education programs , services and / or revenues for identified students within a defined region . This would increase overall
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local special education revenue and more equitably share cost .
• Articulate a citywide strategy on the number and mix of district-run and charter schools that maximizes the number of high-quality seats for all types of students and allows schools to operate at a size that ’ s financially sustainable over time – including sharing facilities across schools , as appropriate .
There was strong agreement that these steps can only lead to meaningful change if OUSD leaders , charter leaders , Oakland education advocates , and other city stakeholders truly collaborate to create specific solutions and act on them .
According to a statement from the Oakland Achieves Partnership , “ With a better understanding of these issues , education leaders and the community can work together to create policies and practices that drive greater educational equity and quality for all Oakland students . These are deeply complicated problems and we don ’ t expect easy answers , but this study provides an empirical foundation for change , one that is unique in its breadth and scope anywhere in the country . We must seize this opportunity to take an honest look at our situation and begin the difficult work of collaborating across sectors and schools to find the solutions our students need .”
Find the full study at www . erstrategies . org / library / informing _ equity .
professional development calendar www . acsa . org | 800.608 . ACSA FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ACSA ’ S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS , CALL 800.608.2272 . ACSA ’ S PD CALENDAR IS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW . ACSA . ORG / CALENDAR