Youth who no longer find value in school as a learning environment that will contribute to their lives are at higher risk of substance use, violence, delinquency, teen pregnancy, and dropping out of school.
Youth who don't think it's wrong for their peers to use alcohol, marijuana, or other substances are at higher risk of substance use, violence, delinquency, teen pregnancy, and dropping out of school.
Youth who believe that there is little harm in the use of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances are at higher risk of substance use.
Youth who experiment with alcohol, marijuana, or other substances before 13 years old are at higher risk of substance misuse later in life.
When youth are recognized and rewarded by their parents and teachers and feel safe at school, protection increases and they are less likely to be involved in substance use and delinquency.
How does this strategy address these risk factors and protective factor?
Decades of research has shown how school funding impacts student learning: Greater funding leads to better outcomes for students. This is particularly true and important for schools serving marginalized communities, where research has shown that more funding is needed in order to balance the many gaps and challenges imposed on those students and their families by systems that fail to serve or provide opportunities to meet their needs. [1] The primary funding sources for public education are often state and local taxes, e.g., through property tax and vehicle registration fees.
Given this and the fact that sustained positive impact is only evidenced in sustained long-term funding increases, the road to improved school funding is necessarily through policy changes. [2]
Abundant research has also shown the centrality and impact of teacher quality on student outcomes. [3] In fact, a number of studies suggest that teacher quality is by far the most significant predictor of student achievement. [4] Factors influencing teacher quality include recruitment and retention, compensation and workplace conditions, professional development, pathways and pipeline into the profession and principal quality. Considerable research also shows the importance of specific focus on diversity, representation and cultural responsiveness in all these areas. It is important to note that all of these factors require funding and that improving their provision requires increases to school funding.
Understand the relationship between funding on school quality. Research shows that funding impacts not only school quality, but also student outcomes. Below are readings to help gain a foundation of understanding:
Resources:
The Evidence is Clear: More Money For Schools Means Better Student Outcomes from the National Education Association
It’s not nothing: The role of money in improving education from the Brookings Institution
School District Operational Spending and Student Outcomes: Evidence from Tax Elections in Seven States from Brown University
Can school finance reforms improve student achievement? From the Washington Center for Equitable Growth
Closing America’s Education Funding Gaps from The Century Foundation
Understand the factors that influence school funding in your state and community. Each community will fund its public schools through a variety of funding sources. To best work in this strategy, your coalition should first understand what sources exist and how they are influenced.
Colorado Resources:
2024 brought significant changes to Colorado’s school funding formulas. Among these, the legislature passed an overhaul of the 30 year old school funding formula to infuse up to $500M in new money over 6 years into public schools, with more money allocated according to an equity formula that includes rural areas and poverty factors.
The School Finance Unit at the Colorado Department of Education has many resources including information on the Public School Finance Act, financial policies and procedures, state funding, as well as COVID-19 finance guidance.
Fiscal Year 2024-25 School Finance Funding provides a District Funding Calculation Worksheet that is updated for each school year.
The Colorado Education Association’s Education Funding page briefly discusses some of the key issues around education funding in the state.
2024 [Education] Legislative Recap from Colorado Succeeds provides updates on key accomplishments in education policy.
Identify and connect with other organizations and individuals working or interested in this area, as well as those that hold decision-making power. Working with other organizations and/or individuals is the best way to maximize your coalition’s power and allows for a greater influence. Before selecting implementation activities, your coalition should take time to understand who is already working in this space, who has power to influence decision making, and what efforts are already underway. Reaching out to these organizations and individuals can help you form partnerships and learn from current and/or previous systems-level work in this area.
Resources:
The National Academy of Community Organizers offers A Guide to Power Analysis in Community Organizing, which can help coalitions understand where power sits within a community around a particular issue.
The following entities are all engaged and impactful in research and/or systems change for increased educational funding:
Colorado School Finance Project is a non-profit whose mission is to compile, collect, and distribute research-based, non-partisan information and data on topics related to school finance for state and local policymakers.
Colorado Succeeds is a coalition of business leaders with a vision to radically improve education and training outcomes for all learners.
Public Education and Business Coalition has developed decades of direct experience in schools, deep knowledge of theory and practice, and a network for thousands of exceptional educators and passionate business and community leaders.
Early Milestones Colorado advances practice, research, and policy so that every community can provide an environment where children will flourish.
Colorado Children’s Campaign advocates for the development and implementation of data-driven public policies that improve well-being in child and family health, youth success, early childhood, and family economic prosperity.
Understand the inequities that are related to this strategy and consider the systemic and structural causes of disparities.By understanding the factors that contribute to this strategy, your coalition will be better able to identify the action that needs to be taken. Additionally, new and/or existing policies and systems-level approaches have the potential to exacerbate existing inequities, making it important for your coalition to critically examine your action plan for signs of negative consequences.
Resources:
The Government Alliance on Race and Equity offers Racial Equity Toolkit An Opportunity to Operationalize Equity.
Dismantling Institutional Racism in Education [DIRE] is an initiative launched by the National School Board Association to assist state school boards associations and other education leaders in addressing racial inequities
Closing America’s Education Funding Gaps | The Century Foundation offers research on the impact of school funding on student achievement plus an interactive national map showing analysis of what additional funding is needed in each school district in order to bring student outcomes up to national averages
Teacher Diversity & Equity Policy Scan - The Education Trust offers an interactive tool highlighting teacher equity and diversity policies in all 50 states
It is important to note that the uniqueness of your community, its resources, and its needs will ultimately determine what implementation of this strategy will look like. Additionally, it is important for your coalition to approach this strategy in a way that is aligned with your overarching goal(s). The list below offers suggestions and ideas of evidence-informed actions your coalition can consider taking as part of your implementation of this strategy.
Educate stakeholders on policy changes that may increase school funding. Policies that increase more equitable funding for school systems lead to increased positive effects on education outcomes such as student achievement levels.
The School Finance Unit at the Colorado Department of Education has many resources including information on the Public School Finance Act, financial policies and procedures, state funding, as well as COVID-19 finance guidance.
Fiscal Year 2024-25 School Finance Funding provides a District Funding Calculation Worksheet that is updated for each school year.
The Colorado Education Association’s Education Funding page briefly discusses some of the key issues around education funding in the state.
2024 [Education] Legislative Recap from Colorado Succeeds provides updates on key accomplishments in education policy.
New Public School Finance Formula HB24-1448. This bill creates a new total program formula, which is used to determine each school district's and institute charter school's annual total program amount to fund public education.
Educate stakeholders on the importance of operational improvements in education systems and schools. School operations, like a school’s physical environment and supportive practices for school staff, help create and maintain an environment that allows for students and teachers to thrive.
Resources:
How the World’s Most Improved Education Systems Keep Getting Better from McKinsey & Company. This report looks closely at 20 school systems from different parts of the world, and from an array of starting points, that have registered significant, sustained, and widespread student outcome gains, and examines why what they have done has succeeded where so many others failed.
Getting Started in Educational Organizing by the Center for Education Organizing outlines strategies and resources for education organizing. It explores the ways in which education differs from other issue areas, how to gather data and research on local schools and schooling issues, how to engage local parents, and approaches to working with educators and other allies.
Educate stakeholders on the importance of recruitment and retention of quality teachers. Having a high turnover rate for teachers can negatively impact student achievement and increase financial strain on schools. Helping to provide more information on the issues that are facing the recruitment and retention of teachers in our communities can create awareness and increase advocacy.
Resources:
Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Rural Colorado discusses several school districts in Southeastern Colorado who implemented innovative programs to recruit and retain teachers in collaboration with the Colorado Rural Education Collaborative and other partners.
Teacher Salaries: A Key Factor in Recruitment and Retention from the Learning Policy Institute is part of a blog series on solving teacher shortages that explores the state of teacher shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and evidence-based solutions for addressing immediate needs and building a strong and diverse teaching workforce.
Chapters from The Teaching Profession Playbook provide tools for advancing a stable and diverse teaching profession and ensuring that every student in every school is taught by a fully prepared teacher.
Chapter 1: High Impact Recruitment Strategies focuses on high-leverage recruitment strategies, but they must be paired with a thoughtful approach to retention.
Chapter 2: High-Retention and Culturally Responsive Preparation shows how robust, culturally responsive preparation before they enter the classroom makes new teachers more likely to stay in their role and improves student learning in critical areas such as math and reading.
Chapter 5: Competitive and Equitable Compensation provides teachers with the greatest flexibility—enabling them to work one job and get paid fairly for it.
School Mental Health Is Not Just for Students: Why Teacher and School Staff Wellness Matters focuses on the factors that contribute to stress in teachers and school staff. This resource also includes best practices and strategies that can help reduce the extent and impact of stress.
Promote policies and practices that support teacher recruitment and retention. There are many different best practices, guidelines, and data collection opportunities that can increase the advocacy around policies and practices to address teacher recruitment and retention.
Resources:
Teacher Diversity & Equity Policy Scan - The Education Trust is a tool that examines promising educator diversity policy practices across the country. You can review Colorado’s educator diversity data and policy profile to see the state’s progress toward creating the right policy conditions to support educator preparation programs, districts, and schools in their efforts to prepare, recruit, and retain teachers of color.
Educator Recruitment and Retention office supports any district or school staff member in obtaining a teacher license or deciphering the appropriate educational pathway towards a teaching credential.
Alternative Teacher Candidates: What You Need to Know from the Colorado Department of Education provides information on alternative pathways to hire individuals to serve as teachers while completing the Colorado Teacher Quality Standards.
Based on grant implementation across the state the Colorado Plan Into Action Grant has created resources with recommendations to support “grow your own” programs and improve teacher mentorship.
State Action: Strategies for Building the Teacher Pipeline outlines actions that can be taken to build support around common challenges facing the teaching profession.
How to Grow Teacher Wellbeing in Your Schools provides information on collecting data from teachers about teacher wellbeing.
The Gift of Teacher Time discusses avenues for school leaders to capitalize on teachers time for more productive workplaces.