Tennessee's school funding formula does not adequately support the state's schools. This report analyzes the impact of underfunding on staffing levels and the resulting inequities created between high- and low-income school districts. The state's school formula funding, even when supplemented by local funding above the required local share,…

The Education Improvement Act instigated funding allocation reform, equalization and equity, system accountability, systemwide report cards, value-added assessment, and governance reform. The most dissatisfied educators are those in large, wealthier urban systems. Horizontal equity, accountability, and test results have improved throughout the…

The public school funding lawsuits that have been filed over the last two decades indicate that many people are not satisfied with the existing levels of school funding. After several years of trying to bring about changes through different avenues, a group called Tennessee Small School Systems filed suit in 1988 to have the system of financing…

The relationship between school system financial and demographic data and student achievement on the science subsection of the Tennessee statewide standardized test was studied to determine if systems that served large numbers of low income students had been as successful as more affluent systems in improving student achievement. System-level data…