States should undertake updated costing studies and consider dual funding to meet the needs of EL and low-income students¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The report recommends that state policymakers assessing funding adequacy commission updated costing studies and consider dual funding. It states that "states, in particular those that have experienced demographic transitions with higher proportions of ELs and students from low-income backgrounds, should consider updated costing studies to accurately assess the extent of student need and whether funding formulas are meeting that need." Evaluation should include the costs needed to meet state learning standards, and states should consider the feasibility of dual funding given the different nature of resources needed for each group.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Costing studies should account for state educational standards, relative resource costs, funding approach, and costing method

Constraints¶

• It is difficult to determine whether allocated funds are sufficient to support students' learning needs

Target Learners¶

• English learners and students from low-income backgrounds in K–12 public schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• Meeting state academic standards through adequately funded learning opportunities

Claims¶

• Thirty-seven states provide dual funding for students who are both English learners and from low-income families, with 36 adding the unique weights for each group and New Jersey adjusting the combined weight [+W]
• Five school finance costing studies (2016–2023) recommended additional funding weights of 0.15–0.40 for EL students and 0.30–0.81 for low-income/at-risk students, equivalent to $1,548–$4,976 and $3,389–$8,357 in 2024 dollars [+W]
• Across 11 states with transparent student group allocation, estimated combined additional funding for dual EL/low-income students ranged from $904 per pupil in Arkansas to $16,161 in New Jersey [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Griffith, M., & Burns, D. (2025). Funding student needs: A review of state funding policies for English learners and students from low-income backgrounds. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/471.440