Syllabus for EDL-680

BUDGET FORECASTING AND FISCAL PLANNING


COURSE DESCRIPTION

The primary focus of this course is on the development of school and district budgets and budget forecasting, with consideration of the impact of local, state, and federal funding laws on budget development processes Students will examine the cyclical nature of budget development and how school budgets are collaboratively constructed; compare and contrast expenditures of like districts; analyze a budget; review various models for implementing a budget and project how the budget should be implemented and coordinated to align with the educational vision; and forecast future fiscal needs based on variables such as enrollment trends, population projections, state reimbursements for student attendances, and housing pattern changes. School financing will be examined through the lens of historical, current, and future funding issues (ISLLC 3; NJDOE 3).

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

  1. Discuss the impact of historical, current, and future funding issues on school financing.
  2. Identify all of the components of a budget and explain why each is critical to the budget development process.
  3. Identify current enrollment trends in your community and predict how these enrollment trends might impact staffing, fiscal planning, budget development, and forecasting.
  4. Compare and contrast selected fiscal planning and budgeting data of similar and dissimilar DFG districts and the state.
  5. Explain the importance of capital-outlay programs and rulings, state and federal support of capital outlays, and school bonding practices in funding school and district capital projects, and create a plan for greater state support for the construction of local school buildings.
  6. Identify and discuss the impact of local, state, and federal school financing and program laws such as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) on financing education.
  7. Discuss the economic, non-economic, and social benefits of education on the economy.
  8. Identify sources of revenue and various funding sources, tell how each can be used to finance a school budget, and prepare a detailed budget of revenues and expenditures based on identified needs such as facilities, staffing, program, and student needs as well as enrollment trends and state and federal mandates.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook

ISBN-13: 978-0137071364

Electronic Portfolio Registration

As a capstone experience in the Educational Leadership program, you will prepare an electronic portfolio that demonstrates your incremental achievement of the program standards. Each course in the program helps you to identify artifacts to place in your portfolio on completion of the course. To this end, you are required to purchase an electronic portfolio registration code upon your entry into the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program. Basic directions for purchasing access to and using your electronic portfolio are posted within the Educational Leadership Students Organization (online community).

COURSE STRUCTURE

Budget Forecasting and Fiscal Planning is a three-credit online graduate course, consisting of eleven modules. Modules include topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles and topics are listed below.

1.1

Economics of education

1.2

Education as human capital

1.3

Creation of wealth and education

1.4

Education as an important industry

1.5

Education as a public sector responsibility

1.6

Economics and social progress

1.7

Economic benefits of education

1.8

Noneconomic benefits of education

1.9

Taxation and education

1.10

Cost-quality relationship in education

2.1

Societal impact on educational needs

2.2

How education deserves a higher priority and the public demand for improvement

2.3

Demographic and social change

2.4

Consequences of not educating people on society

2.5

The inequalities of financing education

2.6

The equalization principle and improving state practices

2.7

Foundation programs

3.1

Developing patterns and determining the best financing plan

3.2

Full state funding

3.3

Property reassessment and local district revenues

3.4

District power equalization

3.5

Emphasis on weighting factors and the various types

4.1

The taxation system

4.2

Characteristics of a good tax system

4.3

Taxes for education

4.4

Private foundations

4.5

School and business partnerships

5.1

Diminishing local control

5.2

How both urban and rural economics affect education

5.3

Governance under local control

5.4

Local fiscal control

5.5

Advantages of local control

5.6

Tax responsibility (local, state, and federal)

6.1

Early development of a state’s responsibility

6.2

Decentralization of educational systems

6.3

Development of school finance policies

6.4

State's ability to support education

6.5

Various state programs

7.1

U.S. Department of Education

7.2

Advantages and disadvantages of receiving federal funds

7.3

The role of the U.S. Constitution

7.4

Federal expenditure and increased service

7.5

The future of federal aid to education

8.1

Power of the court before 1971

8.2

Court cases equity and adequacy

8.3

Pressure for reform

8.4

Factors limiting financing reform

8.5

Finance reform or tax reduction

9.1

Funds for nonpublic education: a controversial issue

9.2

Intervention of the courts

9.3

Separation of church and state

9.4

Educational choice and vouchers

10.1

Financing capital-outlay projects

10.2

School budget process

10.3

GAAP accounting process

10.4

Purchasing

10.5

Annual audits

11.1

The expanded role of human resources

11.2

Certification

11.3

Teachers and school finance

11.4

Administrators and supervisory salaries

11.5

Governmental influence

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete writing assignments, and complete three reports—a detailed report based on an interview with your business administrator, a report based on your annual school performance report, and a school budget. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forums

Each module in the course has an asynchronous discussion forum.

Online discussions provide an opportunity for you to interact with your classmates. During this aspect of the course, you respond to prompts that assist you in developing your ideas, you share those ideas with your classmates, and you comment on their posts. Discussion board interactions promote development of a community of learners, critical thinking, and exploratory learning.

Most discussion activities contain several activity questions. Be sure your posting addresses all of them.

Please participate in online discussions as you would in constructive face-to-face discussions. You are expected to post well-reasoned and thoughtful reflections for each item, making reference, as appropriate, to your textbook readings and any other sources you may use, including Web sites. You are also expected to reply to your classmates' posts in a respectful, professional, and courteous manner. You may, of course, post questions asking for clarification or further elucidation on a topic.

Writing Assignments

You are required to complete eleven short writing assignments of about 500 words. The writing assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the course modules. They require you to write well-reasoned and thoughtful papers on questions derived from the lesson objectives, making reference, as appropriate, to the readings and other sources of information. You are required to use APA format (current guidelines) for your work and for all references.

Reports

Interview Report

You will conduct and report on an interview with your school or district business administrator about the budget process. The purpose of this exercise is to give you, as a future administrator, first-hand experience with what is involved in preparing a school budget and with all of its various components. See Interview Report for further details, and consult the course Calendar for the report's due date.

School Performance Report

In a second report, you will review and analyze your school performance report. In analyzing the performance report you will see how your school compares to state schools in your peer group. See School Performance Report for further details, and consult the course Calendar for the report's due date.

School Budget Project

For your final project, you will prepare a school budget for one of three grade configurations (K–5, 6–8, or 9–12). The budget will be based on information provided and will give you an opportunity to incorporate what you learned earlier in your interview of the business administrator. See School Budget Project for further details, and consult the Course Calendar for the project's due date.

Portfolio Artifacts and Reflective Narrative

The principal artifacts for this course are the interview report, school performance report, and school budget project.

Place your artifacts in the Artifacts area of your electronic folio. You can also link your artifacts (designated as "Work") to ISLLC standards listed in the Resources area of the e-folio. Keep your work in "draft" or "ready for feedback" status for now.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A

=

93–100

B

=

83–87

A–

=

90–92

C

=

73–82

B+

=

88–89

F

=

Below 73

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, discussion postings, projects, etc.). Graduate students must maintain a B average overall to remain in good academic standing.

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see:

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