Some critics in the community have been talking about spending priorities for local public schools. However, the Cook County School System has been ranked second in the Coastal Plains RESA District, only behind Lowndes County, and 10th out of 192 school systems in the State of Georgia for the Financial Efficiency Star Rating.
“I thought this was some great information to prove we are using our funds properly and getting more per dollar spent than almost any other system in the state,” said Cook County Board of Education Chairman Chad Sumner.
Financial efficiency ratings for school districts were released Tuesday, July 19, 2016. Cook was tied for 10th out of 192 systems. Cook’s Financial Efficiency Star Rating (FESR) was 4.0. Lowndes’ FESR was 4.5.
According to the Georgia Department of Education, for the first time, the Georgia Department of Education is releasing FESR, ranging from one-half star to five stars, for each school in Georgia. These ratings are based on data from the 2012-13, 2013-14, and 2014-15 academic years.
What is the Financial Efficiency Star Rating?
The Financial Efficiency Star Rating measures an individual school district’s per-pupil spending in relation to the academic achievements of its students. Each school district receives a rating ranging from one-half star to five stars. A five-star district can be described as having strong academic outcomes and lower levels of expenditures (proportionate to the district’s size) in comparison with other districts.
How is the rating calculated?
The Financial Efficiency Star Rating utilizes a three year average of per-pupil expenditures and College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores to determine a district’s rating.
Who receives a rating?
For this first year of the release, only school districts will receive a Financial Efficiency Star Rating. Next year, the data will include ratings for individual schools.
How are the ratings used?
The Financial Efficiency Star Rating is an informational tool for school and district leaders, parents, and community stakeholders. The rating as reported as part of CCRPI but does not impact a district or school’s CCRPI score.
How can I access the ratings?
Visit ccrpi.gadoe.org, choose a school district, and select one of the following report types: elementary, middle, or high school. Then, click on the “Financial Efficiency” tab. The overall district rating is displayed in each of the three report types.
All school districts have been given an opportunity to provide a response or additional information which they believe will assist their constituents in understanding the expenditures included in the calculation and the effect on the district’s rating.
What’s the history of the Financial Efficiency Star Rating?
OCGA 20-14-33 requires that the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement, in coordination with the Georgia Department of Education, create a financial efficiency rating. The law requires that GOSA and GADOE collaborate to develop “indicators of the quality of learning by students, financial efficiency and school climate for individual schools and for school systems.”
The law states that financial efficiency “may include an analysis of how federal and state funds spent by local school systems impact student achievement and school improvement, and components used to determine financial efficiency may include actual achievement, resource efficiency, and student participation in standardized testing.” The rating must be based upon five stars. (SB 410 passed in 2012.)
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