Resource Allocation and Incentives Leadership Issue Group

Products and Deliverables

The Resource Allocation and Incentives (RAI) Leadership Issue Group, funded by The Wallace Foundation in 2006-2008, endeavored to learn about and share with others the strategies, policies and practices state and district leaders can implement to use the full range of resources (people, time and money) and incentives at their disposal to better align system resources with the needs of children and to dramatically improve student achievement. Schools and districts need education leaders who focus a variety of administrative controls (budgeting, schedules, teacher assignments, other market-based choices such as supplemental services), capacity building and resource concentration processes around money, people and time to bring about greater unity of purpose and actions to close the achievement gap and increase student achievement. To address this need, the RAI group produced several documents and tools, based on the work of the project groups, that aim to help leaders reflect and take action on increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of their schools and districts.

RAI Products

The following products were created from the meetings and work of the RAI Leadership Issue Group (LIG).

#1: Concept Paper: Using Resources Effectively to Raise Student Achievement. The RAI project groups developed a concept paper that introduces and sets the stage for three other resources we are offering. The paper describes the changing forces in public education that school leaders must address and how those trends influence, or need to influence, the allocation of resources in schools and districts. The paper highlights current challenges leaders face when allocating resources, as informed by the results of a survey administered to 232 practitioners in the field. (2007)

#2: Diagnostic Resource for Developing, Aligning and Sustaining Human and Resource Capital in Districts and Schools. The guiding question in the creation of this resource is: How do we help education leaders think critically about the alignment of resources to achieve coherent, instructionally focused districts and schools that can close the achievement gap? Our goal is to provide ideas and best practices to education leaders to help them harmonize a variety of administrative controls (budgeting, schedules, teacher assignments), capacity building and resource concentration processes around money, people and time to bring about greater unity of purpose and actions to improve student achievement. The RAI diagnostic questions are framed around three different aspects of human capital: development, alignment and sustenance, and also address allocation of other monetary resources and allocation of time and space. These questions are informed by the results of our survey of 232 practitioners – the “needs assessment” from the field. (2006)

#3: The Human Capital Inventory and Alignment Worksheet. In conjunction with the questions from the Diagnostic Resource, the RAI LIG created a worksheet that focuses on the development, alignment and sustainability of the human capital necessary to increase student achievement and help close achievement gaps. Teaching and learning in school settings is, after all, an intensely human function; people are the greatest resource educators have at their disposal. The worksheet is designed to chart the human capital assets available to education leaders, and to foster examination and improvement of the allocation and delivery of human resource services within schools and districts to meet student needs. (2006)

RAI Resource Facilitators: Katy Anthes and Charles Coble, Partners, The Third Mile Group.

RAI State and District Participants:

• Georgia
• New York
• Arizona
• Texas
• Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Eugene, Oregon
• Springfield, Illinois

In addition, the Academy for Educational Development developed and pilot tested a set of rubrics to determine district and state progress in addressing the conditions that affect leaders’ capacity to effectively improve instruction. The Decision Rubrics for Education Leaders focus on Data Informed Decision Making, Financial Resource Allocation, Governance, and Human Resource Allocation. They have been pilot tested in 4 states and 20 districts. Representatives from these states and other experts are available to help facilitate discussions based on the rubrics and assist your district or state in prioritizing areas for change. Visit the AED website for more information.