Beyond equality, equity and adequacy: Intra-district resource allocation's impact on school achievement.

摘要

There exists a large and predictable K-12 racial, socio-economic and linguistic achievement gap both at a national and state level (California Basic Educational Data System, 2006; Lee, 2006). Deficit theories focus on how biological, cultural or environmental factors are used as explanations for school failure, particularly for bicultural and low-income students (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994; Lewis, 1965). With this said, the policies and interventions most supported continue to focus on the perceived deficits of students and communities that aim to "remedy the problem" by changing behavior or culture (Olivos, 2006; Valencia, 1997). Other researchers have unveiled many gross inequities in our educational system not explored by deficit theories (Espinosa & Ochoa, 1992; Kozol, 2006; Oakes, 2002).;School finance arguments that primarily focused on issues of state or inter-district equality or equity have now shifted towards issues of adequacy. Currently, the primary question is: What resources are needed to achieve high academic standards? However, no definitive answers are available. Limited intra-district and school based resource allocation studies have begun to make an impact in the literature, revealing that intra-district inequity might be compounding state inequity (Espinosa, 1985; Roza & Hill, 2004). However, no intra-district resource allocation study has applied an interdisciplinary, mixed method approach with a social justice perspective.;This study offers a transformative intra-district, inter-disciplinary mixed method resource allocation approach to examine the complex relationship between intra-district resource allocation (fiscal, personnel, structural) and school achievement. The study analysis focuses on inputs (equity), process (structures) and outputs (adequacy) with an anti-deficit, social justice perspective. The two major research questions explored were: (1) How are educational resources allocated among schools within a school district based on demographics and achievement? (2) How do resources impact school achievement?;A transformative sequential mixed method research design (Mertons, 2005) was applied using the following methodology: (a) an intra-district quantitative analysis, (b) district interviews, (c) district focus group, and (d) a comparative case study (Yin, 2002). The district selected for this study was a large, majority Latino, 64%, elementary school district in California with approximately 40% low-income students and 33% English Language Learners (ELLs). The intra-district quantitative study was filtered for traditional schools during the year 2005--2006 (N=36) and provides both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. After data collection and analysis, triangulation of all data sources revealed the following major conceptual findings: (1) Educational resource allocation between affluent schools and schools with more low-income, Latino, and ELL students are inequitable and inadequate. (2) Intra-district resource allocation inequities are caused by various factors some within grasp of the district and others currently beyond the district's control. (3) Educational resources impact school achievement by promoting or hindering the ability to develop a positive school culture and high quality instruction. (4) Significant transformational changes are needed in all three constructs of educational resources: (1) fiscal, (2) structural and (3) personnel to assure that all students meet state standards.;This study has major policy and practice implications for intra-district resource allocation to impact K-12 school achievement and social justice.