Providing every child with an equal opportunity to learn has been a complex and challenging task in public education. However, several plans have been put in place to give the added budgetary freedom to the local education agencies. The Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and the Local Control and Accountability plan (LCAP) have been put in place to help control the allocation of resources and the financial side of education. This paper will examine both the LCFF and the LCAP and how they affect resource allocation.
LCFF
The LCFF is the requirement that school districts work with parents and the community to put together annual accountability plans. The LCFF are accountable for the implementation of state board adopted academic content standards, parental involvement, pupil achievement and pupil engagement, school climate and pupil outcomes in specified subject areas. “Through the local control funding formula the state is providing new decision making power to local educational agencies to act based on the needs they see for students.” (Lorden, 2015) In other words, this places all major decisions on the State board instead of the legislature. Regardless of the choices and spending decisions, there will always be push back by advocacy groups. Therefore, school districts should always aim to meet the specific needs of their school district.
LCAP
This Local Control and Accountability Plan, also known as an LCAP, is part of the annual budget planning process. The purpose of the LCAP is to align academic plans with spending plans. “The LCAP is LCFF’s vehicle for transparency and engagement. It is the way that LEAs are expected to share performance data, needs, actions, and anticipated outcomes that guide the use of available LCFF funding.” (Lorden, 2015) The LCAP consists of over 2 public hearings describing annual goals and the specified actions that will be taken to achieve these goals. The eight annual goals are student achievement, student engagement, other student outcomes, school climate, parental involvement, basic services, implementation of common core standards and course access.
Resource Allocation
The LCFF and LCAP change the conversation around resource allocation because the formulating of a plan, must engage parents, employees, educators and the community. Every community has its own specific, unique and evolving needs. Therefore, the needs of school district in a high-income neighborhood for example, will differ than that of school district in a low-income neighborhood. The LCFF gives the school districts the flexibility on how to spend the money, depending on their unique needs and student body. If the school district has a high rate of low-income families, English learners, and/or foster children. Under the LCFF, the school district would receive additional funding for the neediest of students.
LCFF
The LCFF is the requirement that school districts work with parents and the community to put together annual accountability plans. The LCFF are accountable for the implementation of state board adopted academic content standards, parental involvement, pupil achievement and pupil engagement, school climate and pupil outcomes in specified subject areas. “Through the local control funding formula the state is providing new decision making power to local educational agencies to act based on the needs they see for students.” (Lorden, 2015) In other words, this places all major decisions on the State board instead of the legislature. Regardless of the choices and spending decisions, there will always be push back by advocacy groups. Therefore, school districts should always aim to meet the specific needs of their school district.
LCAP
This Local Control and Accountability Plan, also known as an LCAP, is part of the annual budget planning process. The purpose of the LCAP is to align academic plans with spending plans. “The LCAP is LCFF’s vehicle for transparency and engagement. It is the way that LEAs are expected to share performance data, needs, actions, and anticipated outcomes that guide the use of available LCFF funding.” (Lorden, 2015) The LCAP consists of over 2 public hearings describing annual goals and the specified actions that will be taken to achieve these goals. The eight annual goals are student achievement, student engagement, other student outcomes, school climate, parental involvement, basic services, implementation of common core standards and course access.
Resource Allocation
The LCFF and LCAP change the conversation around resource allocation because the formulating of a plan, must engage parents, employees, educators and the community. Every community has its own specific, unique and evolving needs. Therefore, the needs of school district in a high-income neighborhood for example, will differ than that of school district in a low-income neighborhood. The LCFF gives the school districts the flexibility on how to spend the money, depending on their unique needs and student body. If the school district has a high rate of low-income families, English learners, and/or foster children. Under the LCFF, the school district would receive additional funding for the neediest of students.