Gov. Ted Strickland’s Evidence Based Model is lacking proof that it is funding the right programs, according to Colleen Grady, former state school board member.

Grady, who co-writes a blog on Ohio education, compared the funding model to trying to fix a car with a questionable engine by painting it.

“Basically, all it did was take a system that we have no idea whether or not we have efficient levels of expenditures and create new sets of ratios,” Grady said.

In that, she said the funding focuses on entire districts rather than on individual pupils. So, according to Grady, Butler County districts that are deemed wealthy assume a greater percentage of the cost to educate students than do districts with large numbers of disadvantaged students.

According to the Ohio Department of Education, Dayton Public Schools’ 14,333 students scored second to last in the state for the 2008-2009 school year and were funded at a higher rate than most Ohio districts. Lakota’s 17,546 students scored 79th of 611.

While 16.4 percent of Lakota’s student population are racial minorities and 12.6 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, 89.3 percent of Dayton’s student population is economically disadvantaged and 75.2 percent are racial minorities.

“I think correlation doesn’t exist between per pupil expenditure and performance,” Grady said. “You will have very high-spending districts that don’t do so well and you will have districts that spend well less than the state average and yet are effective or excellent. There is correlation between student achievement levels and demographics such as household income or educational level of the parent.”

If money followed the student, Grady said, ideally the state would determine what it costs to educate an average child and then add on money depending on special needs like economic status.

Fairfield Superintendent Cathy Milligan said all students are capable of high achievement.

“The reality is that students in urban districts have greater needs,” she said. “But all students can learn and grow. It’s much too early to say if the evidence-based model will work. It’s just barely begun and is being phased in over 10 years. This is a new system for funding schools in Ohio. It throws out much of what had been in place for decades. There is a great deal that is new in this. We’ll have to see what kind of track record it creates as Ohio moves forward funding schools under it.”

However, Grady said the model discourages districts from sharing resources and places emphasis on staffing without linking teacher performance to funding levels. Teachers are measured on tenure and education attainment rather than performance, so she said many districts spend more per pupil due to salaries rather than student needs.

“None of that is addressed in the evidence-based model,” she said. “It just kind of moves people around.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com.