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It outlines historic inequities, details consequences for underserved communities, and proposes actionable policy steps including an Opportunity Index, weighted English Learner funding, and closing special education shortfalls.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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recommend to make funding more equitable?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"It recommends enshrining an Opportunity Index with transformative equity weights, creating a weighted student funding formula for English Learners, and fully funding special education foundation allowances for students with disabilities while reimbursing special education delivery.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},583853,1792189548,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & 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funding formulas,according to state andnational research.In fact,Michigan is underfunding students from low-income backgrounds andEnglish Learners by an estimated $5.1 billion annually compared to what leading states practice andwhat research indicates is needed for those students to succeed,according to a new analysis byThe Education Trust-Midwest.In addition,the analysis found that Michigan is near the bottom forthe additional funding the state provides for both English Learners and students from low-incomebackgrounds,leaving substantial funding gaps in what students currently receive under Michigan'sfunding system and what they truly need.Moreover,Michigan is underfunding students with disabilitiesby hundreds of millions annually.²  \nThese inequities build upon a long history in Michigan of drastically underfunding students'needs formore than two decades.  \nThis underfunding has dramatic and far-reaching consequences for Michigan's students,especially forthose who are the most underserved,including Black,Latino,and Arab-American children,those livingin concentrated poverty and rural districts,students with disabilities and English Learners.  \nA high-quality public education is essential for both a healthy democracy and a globally competitiveeconomy.In early 2023,80%of Michigan's business leaders reported difficulty filling jobs and citetalent concerns as a primary factor in their decisions to expand operations.³Yet today,Michigan's K-12education system is struggling to ensure that all children are truly well-prepared for post-secondaryopportunities and success.Our students deserve better.  \nTo build a truly fair and equitable funding system in Michigan,policymakers have an immediateopportunity to work toward what leading states and research recommends.Those include:  \n·Enshrine in law an Opportunity Index with transformative equity weights of 40%-100%to addressconcentrations of poverty  \n·Create a weighted student funding formula for English Learners with weights ranging from80%-100%based on English language proficiency.  \n·Act decisively to close the shortfall gap in special education funding,beginning with fully fundingat 100%the foundation allowance for students with disabilities in addition to reimbursements forspecial education delivery.  \nThe time for urgent action is now.  \n## Michigan's School Funding Structure Has Created DeeplyInequitable Gaps between Best Practices and the Status Quo\n\nIt is increasingly clear that Michigan's current approach to educational funding is deeply insufficient to meetthe needs of multiple student groups,particularly those who have long been underserved.  \n## Addressing the Gap:Students from Low-Income Backgrounds\n\nFor students from low-income backgrounds,Michigan safety concerns.8In fact,over the years researchers  \ncurrently applies a flat weight of 11.5%through theAt-Risk section of the School Aid budget.Thatmeans students who qualify for At-Risk fundingreceive 11.5%additional funding for their needs,an amount that is woefully under what researchrecommends and leading states practice.  \nAmong 28 states with similar funding formulas,Michigan ranks 20th for our low-income fundingweight,according to The Education Trust-  \nMidwest's new analysis.This low ranking highlightsthe extent to which we are underfunding studentsfrom low-income backgrounds,and particularlythose students attending school in districts with highconcentrations of poverty  \nWe know that students experiencing poverty canface myriad challenges including physical or mentalhealth stressors,inability to access high-quality PreK,work obligations that conflict with school schedules,and housing,food,or resource instability.5 Theunique challenges associated with learning whileexperiencing poverty detrimentally affect academics.Over the years,researchers have studied the effectsof poverty on student outcomes and found that,on averag","cbCaitVUYTBtxsWD","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaitVUYTBtxsWD","pdf",2442176,"English","# Michigan's School Funding Structure Has Created DeeplyInequitable Gaps between Best Practices and the Status Quo\n## Addressing the Gap:Students from Low-Income Backgrounds\n## The Impact of Concentrated Poverty on Students","[{\"question\":\"How does the document characterize Michigan’s school funding formula?\",\"answer\":\"It characterizes Michigan’s formula as regressive and deeply insufficient, leaving substantial gaps between what students receive and what research says they need.\"},{\"question\":\"Which student groups are highlighted as being underfunded?\",\"answer\":\"The document highlights students from low-income backgrounds, English Learners, and students with disabilities as being underfunded, with the disparities quantified in billions annually.\"},{\"question\":\"What policy actions does the document recommend to make funding more equitable?\",\"answer\":\"It recommends enshrining an Opportunity Index with transformative equity weights, creating a weighted student funding formula for English Learners, and fully funding special education foundation allowances for students with disabilities while reimbursing special education delivery.\"}]","Michigan's School Funding Structure Has Created Deeply Inequitable Gaps between Best Practices and the Status Quo | PDF",1792048742,23]