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Public Schools; High Schools; High School Students; Credits; Dual Enrollment; Postsecondary Education; Advanced Placement Programs; Distance Education; Academic Education; Vocational Education; Student Transportation; Student Costs; Institutional Characteristics; Prerequisites; Educational Finance; Associate Degrees; Bachelors Degrees; Certification; Secondary School Teachers; College Faculty; Grouping (Instructional Purposes); National Surveys

Abstract:
This report provides nationally representative data on the prevalence and characteristics of dual credit and exam-based courses in public high schools. For this survey, dual credit is defined as a course or program where high school students can earn both high school and postsecondary credits for the same courses; exam-based courses are Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) previously collected data on dual credit and exam-based courses for the 2002-03 school year from high schools (Waits, Setzer, and Lewis 2005; Kleiner and Lewis 2005). To gather current data on dual credit and dual enrollment, NCES fielded an updated survey of public high schools on dual credit and a complementary survey of postsecondary institutions on dual enrollment. The study presented in this report collected information from public high schools with grade 11 or 12 about dual credit and exam-based courses for high school students in the 2010-11 school year. NCES, in the Institute of Education Sciences, conducted this survey in fall 2011 using the Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). FRSS is a survey system designed to collect small amounts of issue-oriented data from a nationally representative sample of districts, schools, or teachers with minimal burden on respondents and within a relatively short period of time. The survey was mailed to approximately 1,500 public high schools with grade 11 or 12 in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The unweighted survey response rate was 91 percent and the weighted response rate using the initial base weights was also 91 percent. The survey weights were adjusted for questionnaire nonresponse and the data were then weighted to yield national estimates that represent all eligible public high schools in the United States. Because the purpose of this report is to introduce new NCES data from the survey through the presentation of tables containing descriptive information, only selected national findings are presented. These findings have been chosen to demonstrate the range of information available from the FRSS study rather than to discuss all of the data collected; they are not meant to emphasize any particular issue. Readers are cautioned not to make causal inferences about the data presented here. The findings are based on self-reported data from public high schools. Appended are: (1) Standard Error Tables; (2) Technical Notes; and (3) Questionnaire. (Contains 31 tables and 10 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Educational Finance; Educational Opportunities; School Districts; Privatization; School Support; Student Transportation; Food Service; Cost Effectiveness; Operations Research; Strategic Planning; Statistical Distributions; Statistical Surveys; Contracts; Outsourcing; Sanitation; Shared Resources and Services; Program Effectiveness; School Administration; Ancillary School Services; Financial Problems; Economic Impact

Abstract:
Michigan's School Aid fund increased once more this year, but many school administrators in the state continue to hunt for effective measures to reduce spending due to increased pension costs and phased-out stimulus money. Many options available for trimming costs, such as enacting pay-to-play for sports, are extremely unpopular for districts and may reduce the quality of education available to students. However, privatization of support services such as food, custodial and transportation services is a promising opportunity for many districts to save money without reducing educational opportunity. Over 60 percent of Michigan school districts have now contracted out at least one of these three services and have saved Michigan taxpayers millions in the process. 335 of the state's 549 public school districts, or 61 percent, have now privatized one or more major support services. Sixty-six districts began a support-service contract within the past year. This growth continues a decade-long trend of increased contracting by Michigan schools, which the Mackinac Center has studied since 2001. Each of the three major support services saw a growth in privatization over the past year. The 2012 Survey Results include: (1) 61 percent of districts (335 out of 549) contract out for at least one of their food, custodial or transportation services; (2) 126 districts contract out for at least two major support services; (3) Districts contracted out 85 total services; and (4) 11 districts brought a service back in-house. Appended are: (1) Revisions to Previous Publications; and (2) Map of Survey Findings by School District. (Contains 9 graphs.) [For the 2011 edition of this report, see ED541514.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Educational Trends; Teacher Attitudes; Questionnaires; Student Transportation; Educational Environment; Preschool Children; Kindergarten; Elementary School Students; Secondary School Students; Parent Surveys; School Surveys; Student Surveys; Teacher Surveys; School Personnel; Charter Schools; Regional Characteristics; School Safety; Educational Quality; School Districts; Urban Schools

Abstract:
Each school year, the School Climate Survey is administered to gather information on the perceptions that students, their parents, and school staffs hold concerning their schools. In 2011-2012, the survey was distributed to approximately 93,000 parents, 52,000 elementary, secondary, and adult students, and 24,000 staff. This report summarizes selected major points from the results of that survey, as they pertain to the Pre-K through 12th grade program. In addition to providing districtwide averages, results are presented by regional center. The information is summarized for the district as well as the regular schools of each region. Alternative, special education, and vocational/adult schools are treated elsewhere in separate item-specific reports. Results continue to be very similar to those in past years. Although there is variation from region to region, the majority of respondents from the three groups surveyed (parents, students, and staff) were satisfied with their schools in Miami-Dade County. An analysis of selected survey items indicates an overall increase in satisfaction over the past five years. As in previous survey administrations, at the district level, parents, students, and staff from all school levels (elementary, K-8, middle, and senior high) provided overall school grades in the "A" to "B" range. Methodological Notes and District Summary of Parent, Student, and Staff Responses are appended. (Contains 7 tables.) [For the 2010-11 report, see ED536877.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Program Effectiveness; Measurement; Management Systems; Best Practices; School Districts; Case Studies; Urban Schools; Public Schools; Educational Assessment; Online Surveys; Grants; Educational Finance; Human Resources; Risk; Workers Compensation; Food Service; School Maintenance; Student Transportation; Information Technology; Academic Achievement

Abstract:
"Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools, 2012" is presented by the Council of the Great City Schools to its members and the public. The purpose of the project was and is to develop performance measures that can improve the business operations of urban public school districts nationwide. This year's report includes data from 61 of the Council's 67-member districts (91 percent) and provides a fully tested set of Power Indicators that superintendents and school boards can use to assess the overall performance of their district's business operations. It also provides a set of what the authors call Essential Few Measures that, along with the Power Indicators, can be used by chief executives to assess the performance of individual departments and operations. This report also provides an overview of the automated ActPoint[R] KPI performance management system, which was developed in partnership with TransACT Communications, Inc. Act Point[R] KPI is a fully-automated intelligence tool that allows districts to input raw data into smart on-line surveys; measure performance on selected Key Performance Indicators; compare performance to peer groups; and manage results for improved performance using the data-modeling tool. For the first time, the Council used the ActPoint[R] KPI system to produce this year's written report, "Managing for Results in America's Great City Schools, 2012." This report also provides "Case Studies of Best Practices" that answer the question, "What are the effective management practices of top performing urban school districts that allow them to run effective financial and business operations?" The intention of these case studies is to document practices underneath positive indicators and to increase collaboration between executives of top-performing districts and districts striving to improve their performance. Ultimately, the authors hope to enhance urban schools' ability to learn from each other and to better determine how large urban school systems work and what it takes to improve them. Appended are: (1) The Performance Management System; (2) Case Studies of Best Practices; (3) Grants Management; and (4) Accounts Payable. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Elementary Secondary Education; Special Education; Special Needs Students; School Districts; Educational Finance; Expenditure per Student; Costs; Differentiated Staffs; Cost Effectiveness; Tuition; Residence Requirements; Student Transportation; National Competency Tests; Grade 5; Grade 8; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Student Ratio; Academic Achievement

Abstract:
It's a woeful fact: Few students with special needs achieve a high (or even modest) level of academic proficiency. The latest (2011) National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show, for example, that 62 percent of eighth graders with disabilities fell below the "basic" level in reading, as did 64 percent in math. This study is intended to open some windows and encourage some fresh breezes by examining three key questions: (1) How much variation in special education spending exists among districts?; (2) What can we learn from school districts that spend less on special education, yet achieve the same or better outcomes than demographically similar but higher-spending counterparts?; and (3) What savings might be realized if the special education field focused on outcomes rather than inputs? To find out, the author and his colleagues first analyzed the special education staffing patterns of more than 1,400 school districts, representing nearly one-third of all students in the United States. Then they drilled down into a purposeful sample--ten pairs of comparable districts in five states, with one of each pair spending less on special education but achieving at higher levels. They found the following: (1) If districts with above-average special education (SPED) staffing were able to staff at the national median, collectively they would save over $10 billion a year; and (2) The vast majority of special education spending in districts is for staff. Based on these findings, they close with three federal/state and two local policy recommendations. At the federal/state level, they recommend the following: (1) An end to maintenance of effort requirements; (2) Preserving and strengthening the Elementary and Secondary Education Act's (ESEA) subgroup accountability and reporting, including those provisions pertaining to students with special needs; and (3) Permitting greater flexibility in the use of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds. At the local level, they recommend the following: (1) That districts employ "more effective" general education and special education teachers--not more of them or more non-teachers (i.e., aides); and (2) That they carefully manage pupil loads for special education teachers. Appended are: (1) Maintenance of Effort for IDEA Funds: Demystifying Required Special Education Spending Levels; (2) Data and Methods; (3) Data Requests; and (4) Selected Demographics for Participating States. (Contains 18 tables, 3 figures and 39 endnotes.) [Foreword by Chester E. Finn, Jr. and Michael J. Petrilli.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Busing; School Buses; Rural Schools; Desegregation Plans; Elementary Secondary Education; Student Transportation; School Choice; Rural Areas; Budgets; State Legislation; Urban Schools; Budgeting; School Districts

Abstract:
California legislators swiftly passed a budget bill last week aimed at sheltering school busing dollars from a midyear budget cut many districts and advocates said particularly hurt rural school systems, along with urban districts with desegregation plans. While the measure, which Gov. Jerry Brown was expected to sign into law, would restore $248 million in home-to-school transportation for the remainder of the school year, it also means districts would have to weather bigger cuts to K-12 general funding. And given that next year's budget proposals threaten to wipe out the entire $500 million-plus in busing funds, districts statewide are left wondering how they'll afford to keep the buses running for their students long-term. Home-to-school busing is a state categorical fund that supports a district's transportation services for special-needs students, which are mandated by federal law, and for general education students, at the discretion of a district. In rural areas, the bulk of funding typically is used to bus students the long distances to and from school. A number of large, urban districts would also be affected significantly by a loss of busing funds in the future, given their reliance on transportation to carry out school choice and desegregation plans. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Public Education; Private Education; State Church Separation; Private Schools; Parochial Schools; Charter Schools; Religious Cultural Groups; Educational Vouchers; Public School Teachers; Student Transportation; Food Service; Elementary Secondary Education; Private Agencies; School Districts; Partnerships in Education; Educational Policy

Abstract:
The separation between Church and State, private and public education, is blurring, and coming together, as the government gives families vouchers to attend private and religious schools. Religious groups are starting and supporting their own charter schools, and local jurisdictions (cities and counties) are providing free transportation and food services to children attending private schools. What emerges, and is the focus of this analysis, is the new "middle ground," a "golden mean," by which public schools learn diversity and choice while private/religious schools are helped by public programs and funds. The oldest, perhaps, was Lyndon Johnson's compromise with the Catholics to get Title 1 passed as part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that sends public school teachers into private schools to help children in need. This study examines the emergence of a middle group in public-private education, and how the policies are working and what's changing. It argues that the child is the center of education, and government and private agencies are changing and should come together to serve the clients, the children. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
School Districts; School District Spending; Expenditure per Student; Elementary Secondary Education; Regional Characteristics; Differences; Rural Urban Differences; Student Needs; Instruction; School Administration; Student Transportation; Pupil Personnel Services; Enrollment

Abstract:
This study examines the relationship between school district expenditures and district characteristics, including regional features (enrollment size, student population density, labor costs, and geographic remoteness) and level of student need (percentages of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, of special education students, and of English language learner students). Prior research has found that each of these factors has been associated with differences in expenditures across districts. This study examines five types of district spending per student for prekindergarten-grade 12: general fund expenditures, instruction and instruction-related expenditures, administration expenditures, student support expenditures, and transportation expenditures. The analysis finds that during the 2008/09 school year, rural districts accounted for 65 percent of Minnesota school districts and 25 percent of students. Further, district expenditures, regional characteristics, and level of student need varied across locale types. Expenditure patterns across locales differed with the type of expenditure. Total general fund expenditures per student and instruction and instruction-related expenditures per student were highest in city districts and above the state average in suburban, rural-remote, and town-remote districts. Student support expenditure per student was highest in city districts and lowest in town-remote and town-distant districts. Administration and transportation expenditures per student were above average in rural-remote and city districts and below average in the remaining locales. Regional characteristics and level of student need also varied across locale types. Compared with other locales, rural-remote districts had lower enrollment, lower student population density, longer drive time to the center of the nearest urban area, and higher percentages of special education students and students eligible or reduced-price lunch (a measure of economic disadvantage). Within rural and town districts, the percentage of special education students and economically disadvantaged students increased with remoteness. The percentage of English language learner students was highest in city and suburban districts. Regression analysis indicated that once regional characteristics and levels of student need were taken into account, district locale was not a statistically significant predictor of expenditures per student on administration, student support services, and transportation. Differences across locales in total general fund expenditures per student and instruction and instruction-related expenditures per student remained statistically significant predictors, but their shares in the overall variation in these expenditures fell considerably (from 16 percent to 3 percent for total general fund expenditures and from 19 percent to 6 percent for instruction expenditures). For these two expenditure types, only differences between town-remote districts and rural-remote and rural-distant districts were statistically significant. On the whole, regional characteristics and level of student need accounted for much of the variation in expenditures per student between districts in different geographic locales, but unexplained differences remained for Minnesota's most remote town and most remote rural districts. Appended are: (1) The literature on financing rural education; (2) Data and data sources; (3) Sample statistics and methodology; (4) Regression model results; and (5) Outliers dropped from the regression analysis. (Contains 3 boxes, 21 figures, 13 tables and 28 notes.) [For "Differences in Spending in School Districts across Geographic Locales in Minnesota. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 124," see ED532662.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Physical Education; Athletics; Elementary Secondary Education; Opportunities; Time on Task; Graduation Requirements; Student Participation; Child Health; Obesity; Budgeting; Retrenchment; Physical Education Facilities; Student Transportation; Athletic Coaches; Financial Support; Extramural Athletics; Government Role

Abstract:
Physical activity is a crucial part of preventing or reducing childhood obesity, and may also yield important academic and social benefits. However, many children do not attain the level of daily physical activity recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Schools are uniquely positioned to provide students opportunities to increase physical activity through physical education (PE) classes and involvement in sports teams. In view of the federal government's role in promoting the health and welfare of children, the Congress is currently considering a number of proposals aimed in part at increasing the physical activity of youth. To assist the Congress as it considers options for increasing physical activity among students, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review (1) the status of opportunities for elementary and secondary school students to participate in school-based physical education or sports activities; and (2) what challenges schools face in providing physical education and sports opportunities. To conduct this study, GAO reviewed federal survey data; interviewed state, district, and school officials in selected states, as well as federal officials and others with relevant expertise; reviewed relevant federal laws and regulations; and reviewed studies on the benefits of physical education and sports for students. GAO makes no recommendations in this report. The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services provided technical comments, which were incorporated as appropriate. Appended are: (1) Estimated Percentage of All Middle and High Schools That Offered Interscholastic Sports in 2006, by School Level; and (2) GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments. (Contains 3 figures 27 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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School Buses; Student Transportation; Bus Transportation; Foreign Countries; Safety; Parent Attitudes; Administrator Attitudes; Goal Orientation; Access to Education; Cultural Relevance; Costs; School Choice; Student Attitudes; Traffic Safety

Abstract:
In consideration of the many challenges associated with Qatar's continued growth and demographic changes, the government of Qatar is interested in updating its school transportation system (STS). This volume assesses the perspectives of parents and school administrators on Qatar's STS, identifies a vision and goals for the STS, reviews international norms for school transportation, and discusses strategies to achieve the vision and better align Qatar's STS with international norms. The authors articulate four elements of a vision for Qatar's STS: Provide safe, efficient, and high-quality transportation for Qatar's students; support educational options by enabling mobility and access; provide a transportation experience that is supportive of Qatari values and culture; and minimize the impact on traffic congestion and the environment. The authors recommend 13 strategies to help achieve this vision, such as establishing clearly marked schools zones with standardized safety features and establishing standards for licensing and training bus drivers. The authors also provide a preliminary evaluation of several other strategies with less certain costs and benefits, such as changing the composition of the school bus fleet, implementing bus stops, and staggering school start times. Each chapter contains footnotes. Appended are: (1) Parent Survey: Supplemental Information; (2) Overview of School Transportation in Other Gulf Cooperation Council Countries; (3) Bus Routing Model; and (4) Documentary Support for Strategie. (Contains 36 figures and 20 tables.) [This monograph was written with Sarah Al-Dorani, Hamad Al-Ibrahim, Mashail Al-Naimi, Louay Constant, Mohammed Makki, Georgette Mansour, Joy S. Moini, Parisa Roshan, Paul Sorensen and Flavia Tsang and prepared for the Qatar Amiri Diwan.] Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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