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13
To better understand the decisions and strategies used by schools, the study
sought to answer these four research questions:
1. What are the current instructional vision and improvement strategies at the school
level?
2. How are resources at the school and district used to implement the school’s
instructional improvement plan?
3. How did the allocation and use of resources at the school change in response to
the recent budget adjustments, including overall funding reductions and changes
in the use of categorical funds?
4. How are the actual resource use patterns at the school sites aligned with or
different from the resource use strategies used in the Evidence-Based or other
Model?
Importance of the Study
The results of this study support districts and school site administrators in making
budget and resource allocation decisions in times of fiscal constraint. There are also
implications for policymakers who work to determine how to better utilize California’s
limited resources. This study, along with the information gleaned from eleven other
members of a thematic dissertation group at USC, provides leaders in government an
understanding of how schools are actually using the available funds to promote student
learning. The patterns that emerge in the study of successful schools inform how schools
in California can more efficiently use resources. While it is unlikely that future years will
see a major influx of cash into the education budget, this study provides district and
Object Description
| Title | Navigating troubled waters: case studies of three California high schools' resource allocation strategies in 2010-2011 |
| Author | Landisi, Brian Anthony |
| Author email | landisi@usc.edu; blandisi@charter.net |
| Degree | Doctor of Education |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | Education (Leadership) |
| School | Rossier School of Education |
| Date defended/completed | 2011-03-28 |
| Date submitted | 2011 |
| Restricted until | Unrestricted |
| Date published | 2011-04-28 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Picus, Lawrence O. |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Hentschke, Guilbert C. Nelson, John L. |
| Abstract | This study was conducted to examine instructional strategies and resource allocation in successful schools. The study was based on the analysis of three comprehensive high schools in one school district in Southern California. Each of the study schools increased students’ academic achievement over time as measured by sustained growth on California’s Academic Performance Index. The efforts of these study schools also contributed to narrowing the achievement gap.; Successful schools in this study were analyzed primarily through the lens of Odden’s (2009) 10 Strategies for Doubling Student Performance. In addition to effective organizational and instructional strategies, this study also analyzed human and fiscal resource allocation at the sample schools. The study used the Evidence-Based Model (Odden & Picus, 2008) to analyze how the schools allocated resources during 2010-2011, navigating a catastrophic economic crisis facing California and the rest of the nation. Interview data, student achievement data and information on school-level resource use were included in case studies on each of these successful schools.; The findings indicate that although the resource use patterns of the study schools were significantly fewer than what the Evidence-Based Model suggests, the improvement strategies showed many commonalities to those suggested in the body of literature on school improvement. Strong leadership from the district office supported the reform efforts at each of the school sites. This leadership came in the form of a single district focus combined with continuity of leadership, development and retention of talent within the district and a common school improvement framework.; A heavy investment of time and fiscal resources into professional development created a collaborative culture within and between the high schools in the study. The schools that were most successful in raising student achievement demonstrated a commitment to collaboration and embraced the role of teacher leaders. The most effective schools in the study had in place internal accountability structures to support the implementation of the school and district focus. It is the effective implementation of research-based strategies, not simply resource allocation that makes schools successful and contributes to further growth in student achievement. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. |
| Keyword | education finance; secondary education; educational leadership; budget crisis; instructional leadership; Odden and Picus; resource allocation; school finance; school reform |
| Geographic subject (county) | Los Angeles |
| Geographic subject (state) | California |
| Geographic subject (country) | USA |
| Coverage date | 2010/2011 |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Provenance | Electronically uploaded by the author |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m3797 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Rights | Landisi, Brian Anthony |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Filename | etd-Landisi-4355 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume14/etd-Landisi-4355.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 25 |
| Contributing entity | University of Southern California |
| Repository email | cisadmin@lib.usc.edu |
| Full text | 13 To better understand the decisions and strategies used by schools, the study sought to answer these four research questions: 1. What are the current instructional vision and improvement strategies at the school level? 2. How are resources at the school and district used to implement the school’s instructional improvement plan? 3. How did the allocation and use of resources at the school change in response to the recent budget adjustments, including overall funding reductions and changes in the use of categorical funds? 4. How are the actual resource use patterns at the school sites aligned with or different from the resource use strategies used in the Evidence-Based or other Model? Importance of the Study The results of this study support districts and school site administrators in making budget and resource allocation decisions in times of fiscal constraint. There are also implications for policymakers who work to determine how to better utilize California’s limited resources. This study, along with the information gleaned from eleven other members of a thematic dissertation group at USC, provides leaders in government an understanding of how schools are actually using the available funds to promote student learning. The patterns that emerge in the study of successful schools inform how schools in California can more efficiently use resources. While it is unlikely that future years will see a major influx of cash into the education budget, this study provides district and |
