An examination of resource allocation strategies and finance adequacy: Case studies of American Samoa Department of Education secondary schools.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to analyze American Samoa Department of Education (ASDE) and collect allocation of resources data and determine how the resources are used to increase student performance among a purposeful sample of three public high schools with similar demographics, challenges, fiscal constraints and funding sources located in the territory of American Samoa. Sample schools were non-charter, Title I, public schools with student populations of 95%–100% Samoan, 95%–100% English Language Learners, 100% eligible for Free and Reduced Lunch per USDA, 100% socioeconomically disadvantaged and produced similar assessment scores on the local SBA.;The case studies collected data from school and government documents, performance assessment data of ASDE Standards Based Assessments (SBA) scores for the sample schools, and information from interviews to analyze the practice of resource allocation and implemented strategies to increase student performance at the school site level as well as compare it with the frameworks of the Evidence-Based Models (EBM) of resource allocation (Odden & Picus, 2008) and Odden's (2010) 10 Strategies for Doubling Student Performance. .;The findings found ASDE: spent far below the national average for per-pupil expenditure; implemented strategies of the EBM resource allocation and Odden's (2010) strategies to double student performance at lower levels than ideal; and lacked adequate funding practices of resource allocation to improve student performance and double student achievement.