A Case Study of Title I Comparability in Three California School Districts

• In Event: Resources and Reform: Education Funding and Finance in the States

Abstract

Title I is the largest federal education funding stream and is intended to supplement state and local revenues in order to provide additional resources and services to meet the needs of economically disadvantaged students. However, there is question as to whether the guidelines under which districts demonstrate comparability are effective in ensuring that Title I schools have the same access to state and local funding compared to their non-Title I counterparts. Through descriptive and regression analyses, we examine how resources derived from state and local funding vary by student need and thus shed light on whether the comparability requirements of Title I guarantee an equal base of services to all schools, regardless of Title I status.

Authors

• Jay G. Chambers, American Institutes for Research

• Jesse D. Levin, American Institutes for Research

• Iliana Brodziak de los Reyes, American Institutes for Research

• Clarisse Haxton, American Institutes for Research

• Lisa Cruz, American Institutes for Research