Boston Public Schools



Summary of English Language Learners(ELL) Weight Changes

This memo outlines the rationale for weight changes to English Language Leader (ELL) students, Levels 1-3 for grades 6-12. This change to ELL weights was a technical correction to the model. Each year, BPS updates the WSF model to ensure that the break-even point for funding the District’s staffing model is consistent across all student types and classroom settings. Adjusting ELL weights in FY16 allowed BPS to more equitably allocate resources throughout ELL programs and district as a whole

The FY16 weight change was a correction to a change made to secondary ELL weights in FY15. During the FY15 budget planning process, BPS evaluated the WSF model and determined that an increase to weights for the secondary ELL students was necessary. From FY14 to FY15, weights increased from 0.33 to 0.66, respectively. The underlying assumption behind this increase was that for every 20 students, a school needed to budget 1.8 Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) teachers to serve those students. This allowed for a rotating schedule for ELL students in classes no larger than the class size maximum of 20pupils/class. This model has an operating cost of $152,143.88[1]/class. Based on this assumption, BPS funded each student so that a class of 19 students met the break-even cost of the classroom ($152,143.88 / 19 students = per pupil allocation).

However, the BPS Staffing Model for these ELL students is 1.5 SEI teachers per 20 students. This staffing model has an operating cost of $128,392.50, approximately 16% lower than the FY15 WSF assumptions. The adjusted model is driven by the disconnect between the budgeted assumptions and the District, State, and Federal service requirements for ELL students. Therefore, we were able to adjust the WSF model while also ensuring appropriate student support and resources to each classroom.

The budgeted cost of an ELL/SEI/SIFE class in FY16 vs. the budgeted FY15 cost is illustrated below:

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To reconcile this occurrence, BPS has reduced ELD (Levels 1-3) weights from 0.66 in FY15 to 0.51 for FY16. This adjustment will provide more equitable staffing within the ELD student population and across the district as a whole.

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[1] The memo uses FY16 staffing costs consistently for both FY15 and FY16 to isolate the change in costs due to staffing assumptions from the change in costs due to changes in average teacher salary. Changes in average salary typically result in the base allocation changing, not the model weights.

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