T he Cost
Additional funding alone is not the answer to Tennessee’s
educational challenges. As discussed in SCORE’s interim
report, there is no conclusive evidence demonstrating that
district per pupil spending is correlated with either student
achievement levels or student achievement gains. Many of
the recommendations presented in the previous sections
do not require any additional funding in either the short or long term.
Several others could certainly be funded by more closely examining
ways in which existing funds are being used and reallocating those
funds to more effectively improve student achievement. However,
there are a small number of recommendations for which new funds
will certainly be required in the long term. We discuss both the short
term and long term funding needs below.
Short Term
Tennessee is facing one of its most severe budget crises of the past
twenty years. When federal stimulus funds run out in 2011, the
state’s budget situation will likely only be more severe. While this
is not the time to expect new state funding, it is important to lock
existing funding in place and ensure it is used more effectively.
Specifically, the current extended contract, career ladder and
professional development funding should be maintained at their
present levels. The extended contract money should be redirected
into evidence-based interventions (e.g., expanded learning time)
for students scoring below basic on the TCAP as well as for gifted
students, while the career ladder money should be used to fund
district’s differentiated pay plans, especially differentiated pay
plans that support teacher mentoring programs and the creation of
professional learning communities within individual schools.
The state should also aggressively apply for all available competitive
federal grants and align these grants with the priorities outlined in
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A ROADMAP TO SUCCESS
this report. Specifically, Tennessee’s Race to the Top application
should include the Race to the Top priorities outlined on page 20.
The state’s Teacher Incentive Fund application should help pilot
district mentoring programs, fund the implementation of district’s
existing differentiated pay plans, and provide performance bonuses
to high-performing principals. The state should also utilize funds
from the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems Grant program to
develop and sustain the Pre-K through postsecondary data warehouse
recommended on page 16.
Finally, the philanthropic and business community should make
a one-time investment to fund a SCORE five-year implementation
effort and to scale up successful programs across the state. Although
this private and philanthropic funding cannot sustain recurring costs,
it can be critical to initiating and replicating innovative programs
and providing start-up funding for new initiatives in this challenging
economic time.
Long Term
Education funding should be the most important priority in the state
budget. Although the current economic climate makes it impossible
to allocate funds to new programs in the short term, there are four
areas in which the state should make strategic investments as funding
becomes available. We believe it would be more strategic for the state
to invest in these four areas rather than to provide across-the-board
education funding increases. The four areas are:
1. Strategies for improving teacher instruction including teacher
mentor programs, instructional coaches, and the development of
professional learning communities.
2. Evidence-based interventions (e.g., expanded learning time) for atrisk students who are performing below grade level.