Pennsylvania's Costing-Out Study
The summer of 2006 turned out to be a historic turning point for education in Pennsylvania, when the General Assembly appropriated $650,000 to fund a comprehensive "costing-out" study of the educational resources and associated costs of providing each student an education that is line with the state academic standards. Click below to read fact sheets about costing out.
- What is Costing-out? (PDF)
Costing-out is a rational, objective approach to determining the funding necessary so that all students have a genuine opportunity to meet state learning standards. - Origins of Pennsylvania's Costing-Out Study
In spring 2006 Good Schools Pennsylvania, along with our partner organizations, the Education Law Center and Education Policy and Leadership Center, began advocating for a sound school funding formula based on costing-out. The organizations partnered on editorial board meetings, legislative visits, and community forums to advocate that Pennsylvania authorize and perform a costing-out study.
The 2006-07 state budget, adopted July 2, 2006, appropriated funding for a statewide costing-out study to determine "the basic cost per pupil to provide an education that will permit students to meet the state's academic standards and assessments," taking into account both the adequacy and equity of state and local funding. The General Assembly also directed the State Board of Education to steer the process. In January, the State Board of Education awarded a contract to conduct the study to Augenblick, Palaich & Assocaties, a Denver-based consulting firm that specializes in school finance systems. - Pennsylvania's Costing-Out Study (PDF)
The General Assembly directed the State Board of Education to steer the costing-out process. In January , the State Board of Education awarded a contract to conduct the study to Augenblick, Palaich & Assocaties, a Denver-based consulting firm that specializes in school finance systems. View the pdf to learn more about the process. - Where have costing-out studies been used?
Now that the costing-out study is underway, people often ask where has costing-out worked and what does the process look like? View a summary of Maryland's costing-out study process and some of the outcomes. - Education 2010: A Model for Pennsylvania (PDF)
Prior to the statewide costing-out study there was a group of visionary Pennsylvanian's who undertook the same process in their community, and privately funded the entire process. In 2004 and 2005, Education 2010, a group of business and community leaders in Allentown, paid for a local costing out study for the Allentown School District. Their goal was to find equitable funding in order to ensure a better education for students which, in turn, could create a stronger regional economy. The costing-out report documents the findings of the Allentown's costing-out study. -
Stakeholders' Forum Report (PDF)
During July and August 2006, Good Schools Pennsylvania and the Education Law Center sponsored several stakeholder forums to receive feedback about Pennsylvania's costing-out study. Over 100 public education experts attended these forums, in Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, and drew from communities in 14 counties, including rural, urban and suburban communities. The forum report documents the issues most important to public education experts across Pennsylvania.
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