Date of Award

8-1-2010

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

First Advisor

Kent Seidel, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Douglas Allen

Third Advisor

Susan Korach

Fourth Advisor

Paul Michalec

Keywords

Achievement, Adequacy, Finance, Funding

Abstract

This study sought to determine teacher perceptions about the factors that influence support for an adequacy model of school funding and what relationships exist between specific demographic variables and those perceptions.

Using the instrument created for the study, one hundred thirty-nine teachers from the Montrose RE-1J School District where surveyed. Data was tabulated using standard descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages). As a general data analysis approach, bivariate comparisons were performed using Pearson correlations and t-tests for independent means. Multiple regression prediction equations were used to examine the relationships between specific demographics and teacher perceptions of the factors that influence support for an adequacy model of school funding.

The key findings were (a) teachers seemed to support the concept of adequacy but are less likely to support the concept when tradeoff issues are introduced; (b) teachers viewed the local level of government more positively than the state or federal levels; (c) teachers identified the state level of government as having the greatest ability to provide additional funding to districts with the neediest students; (d) teachers named the legislative branch of the government as best equipped to make funding decisions regarding the adequacy of school funding systems; (e) teachers with a more liberal political point of view were less affected by the concept of localism as a means of separation and were comfortable with judicial involvement in deciding issues of adequacy; (f) teachers who would be the most willing to share are those that teach at the elementary level, have earned a master’s degree, do not own property in the district in which they teach and have more liberal political views; and (d) with the fair distribution system factor, it can be predicted that those with higher household incomes and those with more liberal political views will be more supportive of an adequacy model of school funding.

If the concept of school finance reform is conceptualized as a triangular interaction between the courts, the legislature, and the public, this study focused on the teacher as a member of the public by identifying teacher perceptions of factors that influence support for adequacy models of school funding as well as identifying those teachers who might be the best candidates for grassroots advocacy groups that develop a greater capacity of understanding regarding funding issues, could agree on solutions, and could devise strategies for realizing the policy changes that benefit the neediest students.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Nancy L. Alex

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

en

File Size

141 p.

Discipline

Education finance, Education policy

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