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“A State-of-the-Art Approach to School Finance Adequacy in Kentucky” February 2003 | “Calculation of the Cost of an Adequate Education in Kentucky” February 2003 | “A Professional Judgment Approach to School Finance Adequacy in Kentucky” May 2003 | |
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| Method and author: | Evidence-based method by Lawrence O. Picus and Associates | Professional- judgment method by Deborah Verstegen, University of Virginia | Professional- judgment method by Lawrence O. Picus and Associates |
| Outcome standard: | The study was based on the state’s goal of having all students perform at or above “proficient” on the state assessment by 2014. | The standards for an adequate education in this study were that all students must achieve proficiency on the state assessment by 2014, and that all schools must meet “adequate yearly progress” targets. | Panelists were asked to design a school system in which all students would be proficient by 2014. Panelists were also given a copy of “Seven Capacities of an Efficient System of Common Schools” as established by the Kentucky Supreme Court in Rose v. Council for Better Education. |
| Additional costs included for: | Special education students (just those with moderate disabilities), students in poverty, and regional cost-of-living differences | Special education students, students in poverty, English-language learners, gifted and talented students, transportation costs, unmet school facilities needs, and district size | Regional cost-of-living differences, special education students, students in poverty, and English-language learners |
| Cost estimates: | The study estimated an average of $6,893 per pupil as the basic cost. | The average total cost for a small district was $9,582, a moderate-size district was $8,438, and for the largest school district, $7,271. | The study did not provide a per-pupil estimate, but did conclude that with all the recommendations included from the professional-judgment panels, the total cost would be $6.2 billion, a $2.3 billion increase in expenditures. |
