Systemic Reform, Equity, and School Finance Reform: Essential Policy Linkages

Abstract

There is an unquestionable connection between systemic reform, equity, and school finance reform that requires the attention of educators and policymakers at all levels of government. Instead of disconnected reform initiatives prevalent in the 1980s, the 1990s is the beginning of a new era of educational reform that strives for coordination, integration, and cohesion around a clear set of outcomes. Within this framework of systemic reform, it is essential that policies leading the efforts be coordinated with school finance reforms that foster equity. This article analyzes the factors that must be considered when forging these linkages. The concepts of equity and adequacy are discussed along with their relationship to school finance litigation. Examples of linkages between systemic reform and school finance reform are examined. A policy linkage model is proposed that illustrates the connections between the policy-making bodies, systemic reform initiatives, and the various components of school finance reform. General recommendations for policymakers to consider when fostering reform initiatives are suggested.

Charter schools: A U.S. case study and implications for Brazil

“…In the 1980s, the debate on education reform in the United States was characterized by severe criticism of public schools' capacity to meet the nation's educational needs. The publication of A Nation at Risk by the National Commission on Excellence in Education in 1983, pointed out that America's global competitiveness was in danger and the cause was the deterioration of schooling (Chubb & Moe, 1990;Hirth, 1996;Tyack & Cuban, 1995). The fear of economic and social decline in the United States, as well as the increasing gap between high and low wages, have been great enough in the 1990s to promote education reform to the national policy agenda.…”