Analyzing School Finance Policy: Beyond a Quantitative Approach

Abstract

This paper analyzes school finance policy (SFP) using an alternative hermeneutic approach along the line of fairness. This approach, in comparison with the quantitative approach, guides toward a better understanding of the tensions between the de jure and de facto policies. The analysis focuses on Israel as an interesting case study since its SFP was currently reformed. To this end, trends in legislation, Ministry-of-Education publications, and the Israeli Parliament’s protocols were analyzed. The findings reveal that an SFP is a disharmonic composition of “voices” that affects student outcomes. These findings are relevant to countries with high population diversity who wish to improve their educational attainment.

• school finance
• policy analysis
• fairness
• equity

Notes

1. ¹Horizontal equity is derived from the idea that fairness requires students who are alike to be treated the same (Berne & Stiefel, 1999; Downes & Stiefel, 2008; Odden & Picus, 2000).

2. ²Vertical equity conceptualizes fairness as the idea that differently situated children (e.g., in terms of their background characteristics) should be treated differently (Berne & Stiefel, 1999) or as “unequal treatment of unequals” (Odden & Picus, 2000, p. 66).

3. ³In Israel, a relative poverty definition is in use where the poverty line is calculated according to half of the median income.

4. ⁴In comparison with the rest of the Western world, this is a high rate of child poverty. For example, in the USA, 27.6% of the children are poor, in The Netherlands 9.8%, in France 11.5%, and in Germany 17.5% (National Insurance Publication, 2009).

5. ^**p < 0.01.

6. ⁵The first period includes two different yet similar coalitions (in power between 2001–2003 and 2003–2006).

7. ⁶http://cms.education.gov.il/EducationCMS/Applications/Mankal/.

8. ⁷http://www.mof.gov.il/Budget.

9. ⁸Primary school level students attend school for longer hours. Specifically, they attend schools for a 41-hour week in comparison with the usual 35-hour week.

10. ⁹http://www.mof.gov.il/BudgetSite/StateBudget/Budget2011_2012/Lists/20112012/Attachments/2/%D7%97%D7%95%D7%A7%20%D7%94%D7%94%D7%A1%D7%93%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D.pdf (p. 145).