Object of the Game: Reach your budget target by selecting a winning combination of cards that move you toward improved performance. Do Your Choices Lead to Transformation? Select carefully: There are no right answers, but some combinations of cards will better move your district forward towards improvement than others. School Budget Hold em Cards The cards represent investments and savings that can lead to improved instruction at a sustainable cost. They are organized into eight strategies (indicated on the top left of each card) that are common to high-performing districts and schools. They relate to teaching, class size and much more. Please note that the budget impacts associated with various "card" choices are estimates based on real districts your circumstances may vary. To reach your budget target, create a budget hand that balances savings cards while still leaving room for investment cards. But be careful. Some moves might reduce your budget, but won't improve performance or lead to sustainable practice. Other moves might save money in the short term but significantly impair long term performance. These cards may only be effective if paired with specific investment options. We've tried to highlight some of these likely links in the text on the cards. Shrinking budgets provide the opportunity to make bold changes. The better hands reflect transformational investments that help your district to do more with less. Rank your hand by seeing how many times you can answer yes to the questions below. Does your hand... Restructure job and compensation structures to attract needed expertise and link to contribution. Rethink standardized class size models to target individual attention? Use existing time to meet student and teacher needs and extend in critical areas? Redirect Special Education spending to early intervention and targeted individual attention in general education settings? Maximize use of buildings and land? Invest to support and develop leadership? Leverage technology and community partners? Increase efficiency of operations, programs and administration? Be bold: Too many choices can be difficult to implement, but don't avoid a card for fear of its feasibility in the real world. A controversial choice may be difficult to implement, but well worth the effort in the improvement it can deliver. Find the most gain for the inevitable pain: Most districts will not be able to reach budget targets without reducing staff. Try to choose the staff reduction options that move toward transformation. Accept approximation: The budget percentages in Hold em are estimates built from averages and based on typical districts. Actual district results may vary widely, but these numbers will give you a good starting point for understanding the relative sizes of different investment and savings options.
Playing School Budget Hold 'em with a group of colleagues can be a powerful teaching tool for education leaders wanting to rethink the budgeting process. Consider bringing together people from a variety of roles, departments, and perspectives and use the game to spark a robust discussion on district priorities and the impact of possible trade-offs. Suggestions for Group Play: 1. Set aside at least three hours for team play and discussion. 2. Select a facilitator to guide the teams through the game and group discussion. 3. Review the game instructions. 4. As a group, discuss the top 3-5 district priorities to protect/invest in, and set your group s budget target. This will help guide the teams in selecting their savings and investment choices. 5. Divide the group into teams of 5-6 players with members from different departments, functional areas or constituencies (e.g. administrators, teachers, school board members, parents, etc.). 6. Have each team create their best hand using the available cards and keeping in mind the group s priorities and budget target 7. Reconvene. Teams reflect with each other on the strengths/issues of their combination of choices. Topic Front Back FYI (lightbulb) Warning Value Increase teacher salary by $10 K for teachers in hard to staff subjects Provide one-time payment for course work to allow for cross-certification across multiple subjects and specialties for 10% of teachers Varying salary by subject allows districts to reflect the realities of supply and demand and alternative career choices for teachers in science, math, technology, special education and other hard to staff subjects. Cross-certification allows more flexible and cost-effective allocation of teachers and provides subject content knowledge, key to better supporting students, especially special populations. 1.7 % 1.2 %
Give $15K stipend to your top 10% contributing teachers for increased leadership and responsibility including serving as coaches Provide a 2% across the board teacher salary increase Invest to implement and build capacity for a teacher evaluation and data system (one time investment) Current compensation systems reward experience and education levels, neither of which is highly correlated to improved performance. Instead compensation can be restructured to leverage your strongest teachers to serve as coaches and improve overall teaching effectiveness. Across the board salary increases are often encouraged as a way to increase investment in instruction. A framework for defining high quality teaching, a consistent process for evaluating performance and contribution, easy access to a broad variety of data on individual teachers, and training of central office staff are critical for principals to accurately evaluate their staff and to support their development. Research results are mixed on the impact of various performancebased teacher pay approaches. Compensation system redesign should be undertaken carefully, motivating contribution and performance at all levels. If you are linking compensation to results and contribution, also consider: Invest to implement and build capacity for a teacher evaluation and data system and Pay teachers for 60 additional minutes per week to be spent in collaborative planning Especially if salaries are competitive with other districts in your area, across the board raises without a direct link to contribution and accountability are expensive and will likely not yield desired improvements in teaching effectiveness. 1.0 % 0.8 % 0.5 %
Offer $10K stipends to attract Master Teachers to the 25% lowest performing schools Pay teachers for 60 additional minutes per week to be spent in collaborative planning Reduce the cost of employee benefits by 10% by using a cafeteria benefits plan and increasing the employee contribution rate Freeze salary step increases for one year for all employee contracts The lowest performing schools often have high percentages of inexperienced and low performing teachers. Stipends for additional responsibilities and opportunities to work with outstanding principals and colleagues can attract high performers that are essential to improved school performance. Research shows that teaching effectiveness improves when teams of teachers and expert coaches can collaborate for 90+ minutes per week around ongoing student work and assessment data and use this information to continually adjust instruction. Employee benefits account for over 20% of total district expenditures. Replacing expensive and unusually generous one-size-fits-all packages with a menu of benefit options and increasing the employee level of contribution can yield significant savings. Most teacher and employee contracts provide yearly step increases based on years of service. These increases plus Cost of Living Adjustments create a double increase in long-term salaries with no link to effectiveness or contribution. Stipends alone are likely not enough to attract the best teachers to the neediest schools. Consider redeploying your strongest principals to those schools, and providing additional support and leadership opportunities to teachers who move. 0.2 % 0.2 % -2.0 % -1.0 %
Eliminate automatic cost of living adjustment (COLA) and modify based on actual costs and revenues Eliminate teacher coaches Furlough teachers for three days Make teacher layoff decisions based on performance instead of seniority Because districts negotiate COLAs based on predicted, not actual, economic realities, COLAs may be overstated, compounding at an inflated value and driving up compensation costs. These costs can be contained with adjustments based on actual cost of living increases. Many districts make significant investments in instructional coaching positions that can be eliminated instead of cutting classroom teachers. Furloughing allows short-term budget savings without teacher layoffs. Collective bargaining often requires layoffs of the most junior, lowest paid teachers first, resulting in the elimination of more teaching positions and sometimes highpotential individuals. Laying off based on teacher performance spreads the impact more evenly across the entire salary range. Furloughing reduces already limited instructional time, and leaves escalating salaries in place for the next year. However, furloughing may be a good strategy when budget pressure is temporary or time is needed for more systemic budget reductions to take effect. Implementing this solution requires that administrators have evaluated teachers rigorously, accurately, and on time. This may require investing to support school leaders in doing this. (Note: estimate assumes base of 3% reduction in teaching force, so depending on your choices this may not match exactly) While eliminating coaches may be politically easier than more painful classroom-related cuts, expert coaching around daily classroom instruction is an important driver of teaching quality and successful school improvement. If you plan to lay off teachers based on performance, also consider: Invest to implement and build capacity for a teacher evaluation and data system -0.8 % -0.7 % -0.7 % -0.4 %
CLASS SIZE CLASS SIZE Reduce teacher professional development days by two Reduce average class size for grades K-2 from 21 to 17 by adding 3 sections in each elementary school one per grade Reduce average English/Language Arts and Math class sizes for grade 6 by 6 to support transition to middle school Reducing the total number of contract days for teachers can reduce total compensation costs. Benefits from reducing class sizes have only been demonstrated in classes with fewer than 17 students in core subjects and early/transitional grades. Rather than investing in small, across the board class size reductions, consider targeted reductions in fewer grades and subjects. Benefits from reducing class sizes have only been demonstrated in classes with fewer than 17 students in core subjects and transitional grades. Rather than across the board class size reductions, consider transitional support to keep struggling students on track at a time when many are referred to costly special services. Even reductions of 1 or 2 are very costly and should be carefully weighed alongside other options for small group instruction and teaching quality improvement. Consider alternative student grouping. Combining classes across grades or moving groups of students among teachers for different subjects can improve student learning even with a higher student-teacher ratio. Even class size reductions of 1 or 2 are very costly and should be carefully weighed alongside other options for small group instruction and teaching quality improvement. Consider alternative student grouping. Combining classes across grades or moving groups of students among teachers for different subjects can improve student learning even with a higher student-teacher ratio. While cutting professional development may be easier than more painful classroom-related cuts and teacher layoffs, professional development designed around daily classroom instruction and student assessment is an important driver of teaching quality and school improvement. -0.4 % 2.0 % 0.6 %
CLASS SIZE CLASS SIZE Reduce average English/Language Arts and math class size for grade 9 by 6 to support transition to high school Increase average Secondary School class size by 2 Benefits from reducing class sizes have only been demonstrated in classes with fewer than 17 students in core subjects and transitional grades. Rather than across the board class size reductions, consider transitional support to keep struggling students on track at a time when many are referred to costly special services. Benefits from reducing class sizes have only been demonstrated in classes with fewer than 17 students in core academic subjects and early/transitional grades. Outside of those parameters, increasing class sizes, even by a few students, can free up resources without negatively impacting student outcomes. Even class size reductions of 1 or 2 are very costly and should be carefully weighed alongside other options for small group instruction and teaching quality improvement Consider alternative student grouping. Combining classes across grades or moving groups of students among teachers for different subjects can improve student learning even with a higher student-teacher ratio. Increasing average class size across the district will likely result in larger increases in some schools and classes than others, depending on the distribution of current class sizes. School leaders need to carefully consider the composition of student needs in each class and how this matches teacher expertise. As class sizes rise, you may wish to invest in expert teachers for small group instruction for core subjects and certain student groups. If you are choosing to free resources by raising class size, consider reinvesting some of those funds to: Give $15K stipend to your top 10% contributing teachers for increased leadership and responsibility including serving as coaches. 0.6 % -1.4 %
CLASS SIZE CLASS SIZE CLASS SIZE Remove one section of 4 th and 5 th grade in big schools and one section of either 4 th or 5 th grade in small schools, increasing 4 th and 5 th grade average class size by 4 Increase average Secondary class size in non-core/elective classes only by 4 ( non-core subjects are subjects other than English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science and World Language) Increase average Elementary special subject (music, art, Phys. Ed.) class size by 5 Benefits from reducing class sizes have been demonstrated only in classes with fewer than 17 students in early grades. Assuming 8 class sections across 4th and 5th grade, eliminating one or two sections, can free up resources without negatively impacting student outcomes. Benefits from reducing class sizes have only been demonstrated in classes with fewer than 17 students in core academic subjects. Outside of those parameters, increasing class sizes, even by a few students, can free up significant resources without negatively impacting student outcomes. You can redistribute resources to support instruction in critical core subjects by increasing elementary school special subject class size. You might accomplish this by combining three grade level classes into two sections of music, art and Phys. Ed. Eliminating one section per 4th and 5th grade may raise class size significantly. Instead consider rethinking student grouping. Combining classes across grades or moving groups of students among teachers during the day for different subjects can improve student learning even with a higher student-teacher ratio. As class sizes rise, you may wish to invest in expert teachers for small group instruction for core subjects and certain student groups. Increasing average class size across the district will likely require larger increases in some schools and classes than others, depending on the distribution of classes and class sizes. Increasing special subject class size by combining classes may require sharing special subject teachers across schools or using part-time special subject teachers. -0.9 % -0.8 % -0.5 %
TIME TIME TIME TIME SPECIAL EDUCATION Add 60 min of learning time to the school day in the 25% lowest performing schools Adjust teacher schedules so that teachers who share course content or students have the same free periods Provide double blocks of English/language arts and math for struggling students and students in transition grades Reduce the length of elective blocks or double core academic blocks to provide more instructional time in English/ language arts, reading and math Invest in a Response to Intervention (RTI) program Extended learning time can raise student achievement if it is targeted on core instruction with high quality teachers who are expert in critical subject and instructional areas. Time for teachers to collaborate around instruction and student learning is an important driver of teaching quality and school improvement. Many districts place struggling students into extra sections of math or English/language arts. Scheduling this additional time into a double block with one teacher extends instructional time and reduces the total number of students for whom the teacher is responsible. By altering the existing schedule, districts and schools may be able to increase time in critical subjects and grades for the students who need extra support in those areas. This type of early intervention targets support for struggling students, keeping them on track within general education. Not only does this promote inclusion and differentiation of instruction for all students, it can limit referrals and placements into more costly and rigidly prescribed programs. Extending learning time can be costly. Ensure that the schools in which you invest have leaders and teaching staff who can deliver high quality instruction to struggling students. 1.0 % 0.0 % 0.0 % 0.0 % 0.1 %
SPECIAL EDUCATION Bring special education class sizes from 70% to 75% of target size as mandated in staffing ratios and Individual Education Plans (IEP) Special education class sizes that are lower than district targets and Individual Education Plan (IEP) requirements drive up costs and can result in funding inequity across schools without significantly improving student performance. -0.6 % SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIAL EDUCATION Reduce special education aides by 20% by rewriting Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to more flexibly provide 1:1 and small group support Reduce special education administration and compliance spending at the central office 10% by using technology and by redesigning processes Reduce special education placements by 5% Research shows that special education students benefit from high-quality, content-based instruction. Special education aides have not demonstrated the same level of benefit. IEPs that identify each student s needs but provide flexibility in how that support is delivered can serve students more effectively. Districts devote significant resources to special education compliance and reporting, which often can be significantly reduced by reviewing roles, leveraging technology and streamlining processes. Early intervention programs and alternative approaches to supporting struggling or transitioning students in general education settings can reduce inappropriate placements of students into special education settings. Some central compliance spending is necessary and associated with special education accountability. Eliminating these resources may have a negative impact. Significant discrepancies exist across states and districts in special education policies and placements, implying a range of different models for meeting similar student needs. To reduce special education placement rates also consider: Invest in a Response to Intervention (RTI) program -0.5 % -0.3 % -0.3 %
SPECIAL EDUCATION BUILDING AND LAND BUILDING AND LAND BUILDING AND LAND Move 10% of Self- Contained special education students to inclusive settings Close/Consolidate under-enrolled schools to increase district utilization from 85% to 90% Reduce extra spending on very small schools by 25% by changing staffing models and funding formulas Lease unused and after school space to community groups and other users Special education regulations call for the least restrictive setting for students. With the right teacher training and support, teachers and schools can meet the needs of students with disabilities in general education settings. Districts with under-enrolled schools likely can free up significant resources by closing some schools and moving students to fill empty spaces in the remaining schools. Districts can reduce extra costs by enabling more flexibility to combine staff roles, use untraditional providers, and group students creatively. Districts can also support schools by providing example staffing and scheduling models. To fully benefit from school closings and consolidations, districts can bring in revenue through building rentals. You may need to invest in special education training or certification for some teachers. Educating parents and the community on the trade-offs between school closures and other investments and ensuring high quality schools in which to enroll displaced students can make the difficult politics of school closings easier. The value of this will vary dramatically across districts depending on space available, local real estate market and demand for space. -0.2 % -1.0% -0.8 % -0.2 % LEADERSHIP Add school leader staff to double time available for teacher evaluation and support High performing schools provide principals with time and support to evaluate staff, provide instructional leadership, and manage resources and operational issues. This can be accomplished by adding teacher leaders or school administration to reduce the number of evaluations each is responsible for. 0.6 %
LEADERSHIP Introduce principal residency program to build leadership capacity LEADERSHIP Offer 20% higher principal salaries at the 25% lowest performing schools to attract top talent LEADERSHIP Identify your strongest principals and encourage them to move to the 25% lowest performing schools LEADERSHIP Provide a week of professional development for principals on teacher evaluation, using available summer time at no additional cost PARTNERS Add a social services coordinator in 25% lowest performing schools Strong school leaders are a key component of high performing schools. Fellowship programs increase the pipeline for highcapacity principals. Offering financial and other incentives (such as more flexibility in hiring, staffing, scheduling and instruction) can make the challenging work conditions in lowperforming schools more attractive to the strongest school leaders. A strong leader, who creates a culture of achievement, attracts high quality teaching and staff, and engages the community, is a critical success factor for turning around low performing schools. More flexibility in hiring, staffing, scheduling and instruction can attract strong principals. Training principals on clear standards and effective evaluation helps them identify and leverage the strongest performers, while targeting support for struggling teachers. Many districts are having success in improving school readiness and achievement for at risk students through coordinators that work with city, state and community organizations to provide wraparound services and support. Salary increases alone are likely not enough to attract the best leaders to the neediest schools. Consider other incentives well such as more flexibility in hiring, staffing, scheduling and instruction. 0.1 % 0.1 % 0.0 % 0.0 % 0.4 %
PARTNERS Replace the top 5% most expensive high school classes with comparable on-line offerings PARTNERS PARTNERS PARTNERS Partner with community groups to provide after school programs Partner with community groups to provide 50% of summer school programs Provide 10% of noncore*/elective classes through community partnership resources EFFICIENCY Increase funding to schools that are underfunded on a per pupil basis Due to low enrollment, many high school electives and upper level advanced courses are expensive. Online instruction can be a low-cost way of offering valued subjects, either as stand-alone classes or as supplements to larger, consolidated classes. After school programs are often the first areas to go in times of severe budget pressure. Communities may be able to preserve part or all of their programs by partnering with community organizations that are funded through other channels. Summer school is often one of the first areas to go in times of severe budget pressure. Districts may be able to preserve part or all of their programs by partnering with community organizations that are funded through other channels. Local and partner expert resources can be used on a part-time basis to provide high quality, low cost noncore instruction. *Non-core refers to subjects other than Math, English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Science and World Language School sizes, class fill rates, and variations in teacher experience/salaries can cause large discrepancies in per pupil funding across schools, even when funding is adjusted based on student need. Before eliminating after-school programs consider their role in academically supporting and engaging at-risk students. Although outside of regular instruction, summer school helps struggling students reach the next level without referral to costly special services. You may be able to free resources for this investment through decreasing funding to over-funded schools. -0.2 % -0.2 % -0.1 % -0.1 % 1.0 %
EFFICIENCY Reduce funding to schools that are overfunded on a per pupil basis EFFICIENCY Eliminate Pre- Kindergarten EFFICIENCY Eliminate after school sports School sizes, class fill rates, and variations in teacher experience/salaries can cause large discrepancies in per pupil funding across schools, even when funding is adjusted based on student need. Consider shifting these dollars to in underfunded schools. Since many districts do not receive funding to serve general education Pre-K students, it can be politically difficult to continue doing so in tough times. After-school and extra-curricular activities are often the first places that cash-strapped districts will look to find savings, since they do not require direct cuts to the classroom or teacher layoffs. Before eliminating after-school sports, consider their role in dropout prevention and keeping students safe and engaged. Instead, consider partnering with community groups that might be able to offer some of these programs. Also consider: Increase funding to schools that are underfunded on a per pupil basis. Research strongly suggests that Pre-K is a highly effective long-term investment that improves school readiness and future success especially for at-risk students. Consider whether you can find savings in other areas or whether outside partners could help lobby for additional dedicated funding to sustain Pre-K programs for the neediest students. -1.0 % -1.0 % -0.7% EFFICIENCY Reduce Facilities and Maintenance costs by 10% Outsourcing services, deferring maintenance expense, or consolidating purchasing contracts with other city departments or neighboring districts can reduce F&M costs. Deferring maintenance, while yielding short term savings, can result in higher costs later on. -0.7 %
EFFICIENCY Reduce school based non-instructional staff (i.e. Librarian, guidance, social services staff) by 20% EFFICIENCY Increase student activity fees by $50/student in Secondary Schools EFFICIENCY Reduce Transportation costs by 10% EFFICIENCY Reduce school-based administrative and clerical staff by 10% EFFICIENCY Eliminate summer school Focus resources on core instruction by cutting back or eliminating noninstructional services, or by finding other ways to provide these services. In tight budgets, student fees provide a way for districts to continue to offer extra and co-curricular activities that might otherwise be cut. Changing walk zones and routes can result in significant savings. Changing program placement, school choice and assignment policies can reduce net transportation costs. Take advantage of technology and the restructuring and automation of clerical tasks to reduce administrative costs in schools. In the short-term, districts may favor cutting summer school over more painful classroom-related cuts and teacher layoffs. Before cutting, consider whether opportunities to provide these services more cost-effectively using new models or outside partners exist. Increasing fees can be make programs inaccessible to financially struggling students and reducing options to productively and safely engage students outside the school day. Instead, consider partnering with community groups that might be able to offer some of these programs. Consider program and school access, quality and cost when changing school choice or assignment parameters. Although outside of regular instruction, summer school can help struggling students reach the next level without referral to costly special services. Instead, consider partnering with community groups that might be able to offer some of these programs. Research strongly suggests that summer school is a highly effective long-term investment that improves school readiness and future success especially for at-risk students. Consider whether you can find savings in other areas or whether outside partners could help lobby for additional dedicated funding to sustain summer school programs for the neediest students. -0.6 % -0.3 % -0.3 % -0.3 % -0.2 %
EFFICIENCY Reduce Central Office and nonschool management and overhead by 10% Revisiting central office functions, restructuring work content and processes, automating clerical tasks, and taking advantage of electronic information and data systems can yield cost savings. Consider investing in data systems to streamline functions and access to information. -0.1 %