Early on at the 2024 Governors Education Policy Advisors (GEPA) Institute a Governor’s advisor pointed out that when it comes to education, states and territories are where “the rubber meets the road.” Or maybe, if we want to try for cleverness, where the pencil meets the paper. Roughly 86% of education spending in the United States is at the state and local level, and education is one of the biggest parts of the budget across states. It is unsurprising, then, that Governors are constantly looking for ways to improve the education system to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. This was the overall purpose of the Institute with priorities including early education and use of data to better align efforts and improve outcomes. But too often the operational side of running an education system is hidden; well, not here, with sessions focused on funding, hiring, and setting students up for success even before they enter a classroom.
Education Finance
Michael Griffith, Senior Researcher and Policy Analyst at the Learning Policy Institute, and Daniel Thatcher, Senior Fellow with the National Conference of State Legislatures, joined GEPAs to discuss federal and state education budget trends and approaches for prioritizing and sustaining pandemic-era investments, considering potential decreased federal funding for education. When we talk about federal funding, it is important to note that, other than the 14% of education spending mentioned above, states, territories and local school districts are where most education spending occurs. Historically federal funding has averaged between 10% and 11%.
The speakers spoke about the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), which was created during the COVID pandemic to initially cover COVID-related costs, such as PPE and classroom preparations, and later shifted to address learning loss. Some districts used these funds to replenish reserve accounts, which will help them navigate future financial challenges.
The speakers then discussed average revenue sources for K-12 education, noting that local property taxes contribute around 34-36 cents on the dollar, with state/territory revenue contributing about 45 cents. The average per-pupil revenue is around $20,000, with state revenues often exceeding actual expenditures. They also presented data on state budget changes, noting that most are doing well in terms of maintaining revenue for education.
The discussion then moved on to declining enrollment due to decreases in fertility rates and increased identification of educational needs. Cross-state migration is also impacting enrollment. The speakers emphasized the importance of understanding state demographics for budget planning, and addressing changes in educational need by sharing services, such as special education and advanced classes. Community school approaches, which provide comprehensive services within schools, can also be beneficial. Targeting funding toward at-risk students, English language learners, and other groups can also improve educational outcomes.
Taking questions from the audience, the speakers noted that despite economic challenges, states are finding ways to increase higher education funding and are becoming more efficient in targeting higher education funds, with investments in scholarships and need-based programs. There were discussions on taking advantage of Medicaid in schools, costs associated with extending the school year and moving to a four-day school week, which is not a significant cost-saving measure, the speakers noted.
The session concluded with speakers addressing a question on transitioning from a resource-based funding model to a weighted student funding formula. The speakers said that only six states still use a resource-based model, with many others moving to weighted student funding. Tennessee’s transition to a weighted student funding formula was highlighted as a successful model.
Key Academic Supports
Kevin Huffman, founding CEO of Accelerate, joined Governors’ advisors to discuss the Accelerate grant initiative, which was launched to provide academic supports for kids who are behind, focusing on innovative programs and research. Last year, $1 million grants were made to five states: Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Louisiana, and Ohio, with plans to issue another round of grants soon. The goal is for states to engage in collective work on data, implementation, and policy to spread effective practices.
Huffman discussed the importance of data collection systems to track who is receiving tutoring and how much they are receiving. Studies funded by Accelerate show that tutoring effectiveness is not dependent on whether it is in-person or online but on whether the students receive the tutoring as intended. He stressed the need to follow tutoring best practices, such as three times a week, 30 minutes per session, and small group sizes and leveraging state policies to enforce these standards. And emphasized the benefits of prioritizing evidence-based policies like high dosage tutoring, science of reading, career pathways, and teacher pay.
Turning toward lessons-learned from last year’s grants, Huffman identified the need for states to use their power of convening to encourage best practices and cooperation among local districts. He also noted that there is a significant disparity in tutoring access based on income, with wealthier families more likely to access tutoring. Huffman also discussed the importance of integrating tutoring with broader initiatives, the challenges of after-school tutoring—noting that in-school tutoring is more effective due to higher attendance rates—and working with community-based organizations to encourage use of a clear curricula and proper training for tutors to ensure academic results. Huffman also noted that that tutoring can reduce chronic absenteeism by encouraging students to attend school, and a recent study in DC showed that high dosage tutoring led to increased school attendance.
After the conversation with Huffman, Governors’ education advisors from Connecticut and Rhode Island shared how their Governors are leading efforts to address chronic absenteeism in their states. In Connecticut, Governor Lamont has worked to boost student attendance rates through the nationally recognized Learner Engagement and Attendance Program. In Rhode Island, Governor McKee has spearheaded a Attendance Matters Campaign to reduce chronic absenteeism, including hosting a statewide event in May 2024 to highlight progress made across the state. For additional resources on state strategies for addressing chronic absenteeism, please see these recent NGA webinars with national experts in this area.
Educator Workforce
Dr. Ventura Rodriguez and David Rosenberg, with Education Resource Strategies, led a session on addressing educator shortages and improving the educator workforce in public education. The speakers emphasized the importance of reimagining the role of teachers and organizing schools to meet the needs of students; and presented five facts about the teacher workforce:
- Teaching is the largest profession in the U.S. for people with a bachelor’s degree, with 3.8 million K-12 teachers.
- Teacher turnover is high, with 30% of teachers leaving their schools in 2023, which destabilizes communities and instructional capacity.
- Most teachers do not recommend teaching to others, and only 3 out of 20 teachers would recommend the profession.
- The teacher pay gap is significant, with the average teacher making $68,000 compared to $100,000 for other college-educated professionals.
- Increased per-pupil spending over 30 years has not significantly improved teacher salaries or student outcomes, with much of the new money going to non-teaching staff.
To address recruitment and retention challenges, the speakers emphasized the importance of making teaching an attractive profession to improve student outcomes. The need for a collaborative and sustainable teaching job, with a focus on competitive pay, sustainable workloads, and ongoing professional development, was identified as paramount. The importance of workplace culture and support for teachers was also highlighted, with a focus on early career teachers. The importance of sustainable policies and the impact of other state policies on teacher retention were also discussed. State strategies and examples included:
- Maryland’s Blueprint for Maryland’s Future includes provisions for career ladders, differentiated pay, and roles for teachers.
- The Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment, which provides additional resources for schools with highly qualified teachers in high-need areas.
- North Carolina’s advanced teacher roles model, which allows teachers to have more influence and responsibility as they gain experience.
- Alabama’s TALENT Act for math and science teachers was also shared to illustrate effective retention strategies.
AI, Social Media, and Technology: Impact on Students & Schools
With a subject as big as the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), technology, and the use of social media and devices on students and schools, it was best to hear from Governors advisors how they and their respective Governors are thinking about these hot button issues. Attendees were broken into two groups, where NGA staff facilitated two concurrent discussions on AI and education technology in one breakout, while the other focused on social media and devices in schools.
For the breakout groups focusing in on AI and education technology, the common theme was about how the state or territory can be helpful in the appropriate use of AI and what that means for education technology. An attendee representing Imagine Learning, an online curriculum and solutions platform, pointed to an AI toolkit for educators that the State of Ohio rolled out, with an objective to demystify AI for educators and assist with professional development in using AI. Other attendees cited concerns related to the use of AI and the ability to create deep fakes that would prove harmful to students and school safety. What is clear is that the surface is just now being scratched as far as pros and cons of AI and education.
The second breakout group focused on two related but separate topics: social media regulation and cell-phone free education. In regard to the former, the representative from New York highlighted Governor Hochul’s recent efforts to curb the negative impact of addictive algorithms on children’s mental health and wellbeing while the representative from Minnesota discussed a push to protect minors featured in influencer content. Several states called out the new momentum around cell-phone free education but highlighted the importance of including families and communities in the conversation. A bipartisan set of states, including New York, Connecticut, and Oklahoma, shared about their efforts to thoughtfully address the use of cell phones in schools, as some states mandated districts follow a certain policy while others encouraged the districts to adopt a policy.
New Approaches to Feeding Students: School Meals & Summer EBT
While food and nutrition may often get outpaced by more traditional learning and pedagogy-focused priorities for education leaders, education agencies often oversee and manage several critical programs that anchor schools as touchpoints for children’s access to food. Maria Fernandez, Deputy Secretary for Education in the Office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul; Kendal Smith, Director of Policy & Legislative Affairs, in the Office of Vermont Governor Phil Scott; and Regis Whaley, Senior Manager with Share Our Strength, joined GEPAs to look at both in-school and out-of-school food programs, examining how state agencies can leverage tools, funding, and technology to make them work better together. Topics included the implementation of summer EBT and universal school meals, sharing lessons learned from states that have implemented these programs.
Panelists reflected on summer EBT implementation in 2024. Whaley noted that despite late guidance and the rapid implementation of the program, the roll-out of summer EBT was largely successful with 38 states, five territories, and two tribes implementing the program. Fernandez discussed the challenges of outreach and the short timeline for identifying and notifying families to spend the benefits. Smith shared Vermont’s approach, emphasizing the partnership between the Agency of Human Services and the Agency of Education and the focus on identifying populations in need of the program.
There was a long discussion on challenges and solutions in data management, with summer being a unique challenge with a drop in data volume. Fernandez highlighted the complications of data-matching across agencies and the need for better targeted outreach. Smith shared Vermont’s data challenges, including the lack of real-time school enrollment data and the need for a waiver to roll out benefits on a rolling basis. Improving data management and integration was identified as a key element in moving the program forward.
The topic then shifted to universal school meals and Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) expansion. Smith discussed Vermont’s experience with universal school meals – including the mixed feedback and the unintended consequences of reduced household income form submissions—which are often used across programs. Fernandez shared New York’s approach to CEP expansion, including the high coverage and the creative funding mechanisms for local food purchases. GEPAs then shared their state/territory experiences, with Arkansas noting the importance of high-level buy-in and partnership development. New Jersey discussed their challenges with data integration and the importance of centralized coordination. The benefit of the program for students was stressed, along with the importance of continued collaboration and improved data management.
The 2024 Governors Education Policy Advisors Institute was held September 11-13 in Birmingham, Alabama.
