This course is designed to give teachers/administrators the knowledge to understand the business aspects of the public school system and develop the skills necessary to help promote change. It is important for teachers/administrators to understand the impact that spending has on student achievement. The learning activities in this course will investigate financial reports and assess their effectiveness.

At the completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Understand how public schools are funded. INTASC 4
• Identify parts of a public school district budget. INTASC 9
• Compare school district financial information to similar districts. INTASC 2, 9
• Analyze the collective bargaining agreement between teachers’ union and the school board. INTASC 9, 10
• Identify a need for change. INTASC 10
• Develop a plan to drive the identified change. INTASC 10
• Analyze the link between teacher/administrator compensation and student performance. INTASC 9
• Understand funding behind charter schools. INTASC 10
• Investigate the procedure of awarding bids for public school districts. INTASC 10
• Review school board manual. INTASC 9,10
• Review the Illinois Program Accounting Manual for Local Education Agencies. INTASC 10