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Department outlines RAISE Act funding shifts and upcoming student-assessment timeline
Summary
Officials described how the RAISE Act changes school funding weights and shifts certain line items into the foundation program, previewed when districts and the public will receive reading and statewide assessment reports, and noted an evaluation requirement for the new funding framework.
Department staff briefed the State Board of Education on the RAISE Act funding changes, what to expect in assessment reporting over the summer and how the department will monitor outcomes under the new weights.
Why it matters: the RAISE Act adjusts how funds flow to districts for English learners, special education tiers, gifted students and students in poverty; rule and allocation changes will affect district budgets and local programming in the coming school year.
Funding changes explained - Structure: staff said the RAISE Act layers new weights on top of the foundation program rather than replacing it, and it redistributes some previous line-item dollars into the new weighted formula. Staff said a previously separate gifted line item has been removed and its funds shifted into the weights; similarly, the EL (English-learner) line item was reduced and replaced by weights that direct funds to districts through the formula. - Money cited: staff described approximately $160,000,000 tied to the changes but clarified those funds are not all new; the transcript records staff estimating roughly $120,000,000 of “new” funds and additional shifts of existing line items into the formula. The department said allocation sheets to districts would be released in short order to show final amounts by category. - Flexibility and oversight: the act permits districts to transfer funds between certain weighted categories; staff said the department is considering rules that would require state-superintendent approval before districts make such transfers. - Evaluation: staff said a committee or oversight mechanism is required by the act to evaluate outcomes, though the law’s evaluation details and timeline will need further work. Staff and board members discussed that meaningful impact on academic achievement likely requires sustained funding increases over multiple years; staff referenced consultant research that suggested larger per-student investments (the transcript referenced a $1,000-per-student benchmark in outside research) would be needed to expect large scale change.
Assessment reporting timeline previewed - Reading scores for most students (third grade and second grade reading diagnostics) will be sent to districts first; staff said district-level notifications to parents are planned the following week and that detailed statewide, grade-level results will be presented in subsequent board meetings. - Schedule given in the meeting: reading diagnostics to districts next week (districts notify parents the week after), statewide English language arts, math and science results presented at the July meeting, and district-level data provided in August. - Staff warned that a raised proficiency cut score will increase the number of students identified as below grade level; they emphasized that score-to-score trends are improving but that the cut-score change affects comparisons.
Next steps Staff said they will publish allocation sheets to districts and return with the RAISE Act rules and evaluation recommendations; they also encouraged board discussion about whether transfers between funding categories should require department approval.
