State Report Card

EXPECTATIONS

1. The school committee and superintendent identify and acquire high quality resources to support instructional priorities that meet the identified needs of different groups of students.

2. The school committee and superintendent allocate fiscal and human resources, including time, based on the needs of students.

3. The central office coordinates fiscal resources from local, state, and federal funding streams (Title I, Title II, special education) as well as human resources to meet priority instructional goals.

4. The school committee and superintendent give schools flexibility in use of resources to meet instructional priorities, and require budget plans to link expenditures to anticipated outcomes.

INDICATORS

• The district has a systematic process for identifying budget priorities.

• Budgets reference the district’s strategic plan and school plans.

• Principals report that they have the authority to allocate resources to meet school priorities.

• Board members, administrators, and instructional leaders report that they have knowledge about the total picture of resources in the district, how resources can be used, and how resources are currently allocated.

• All sources of information about expenditures, e.g., the Consolidated Resource Plan and the school budgets, clearly show how resources are targeted to district and school priorities for improving student performance, and how resources have been reallocated if approaches are not working.

• Financial investment decisions at the district level and school levels, e.g., purchase of curriculum and addition of tutors, are based on evidence of past or potential efficacy.

• At least some investments of resources have resulted directly in learning changes sufficient to reduce performance gaps.