* From a publication called District Administration…

If equity is a top priority in many districts, it is not apparent from the most recent round of state ESSA spending reports, an advocacy organization says.

Only one state, Illinois, provided enough transparent detail to allow advocates to analyze resource inequities and the action being taken to address them, according to “Going Beyond ESSA Compliance,” an interactive report and web tool produced by The Education Trust.

The 49 other states are missing an opportunity to help advocates better assess the fairness of school spending patterns, said Reetchel Presume, Ed Trust’s P-12 data and policy analyst.

“Transparency in school spending is crucial for identifying inequities in school funding that deny students of color and those from families with low incomes the resources they need to excel,” Presume said. “For advocates and policymakers alike, school spending reports could be a tool to see if school systems are shortchanging students.”

* More from the Illinois State Board of Education…

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) received recognition for making Illinois’ school-by-school spending data the most transparent and usable in the nation in a report released by the Education Trust. Illinois was the only state to earn a 100% rating for its development of comprehensive per-pupil school spending reports displayed in the Illinois Report Card, according to Going Beyond ESSA Compliance: A 50-State Scan of School Spending Reports. The Education Trust is a national nonprofit that works to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families. The Education Trust is a national nonprofit that works to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families.

“Data and transparency about school spending are essential to increasing equity and improving students’ opportunities and outcomes,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Equity does not mean equality. Different schools within the same district may have different student needs. One school may serve more students with disabilities. One school may serve more English Learners. School size and grade band can also impact students’ needs and district spending. For a long time, people have talked about equitable spending across school districts. We are proud to be leading the nation in fostering dialogue about equitable spending within school districts as well.”

The Education Trust’s full report is here.