Spencer Weiler - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Spencer Weiler

The Clearing House: A Journal Of Educational Strategies, Issues And Ideas, May 1, 2011

Abstract In response to questions related to school safety, in the 1990s the school resource offi... more Abstract In response to questions related to school safety, in the 1990s the school resource officer (SRO) program gained prominence as an effective intervention strategy. Despite the widespread utilization of SROs in America's public schools, there exists a lack of ...

Online instruction offers students a convenient way to access higher education. However, convenie... more Online instruction offers students a convenient way to access higher education. However, convenience must never trump quality when it comes to participation in a graduate program. Synchronous learning activities in graduate online courses are an effective way to enhance the learning experiences of all students, and especially those from different countries. Synchronous learning activities enable international students to overcome cultural differences and fully engage in the curriculum. Student observations related to synchronous learning activities are shared to illustrate the value of this sound online pedagogical strategy.

Journal of Education Finance, 2018

Prior to beginning the official commentary related to the 2017 State of the States, we regretfull... more Prior to beginning the official commentary related to the 2017 State of the States, we regretfully report on the passing of our dear friend and esteemed colleague, Dr. Brittany Larkin. Brittany had been an active participant in the state-of-thestate efforts with the National Education Finance Academy (NEFA) since its inception and in recent years became an invaluable co-chair. All appreciated her expertise in the area of school finance, her collegiality, her infectious personality, and her admirable work ethic. We are honored to co-author this commentary with this outstanding human and hope that all at NEFA can continue her legacy through our academic pursuits and in our daily interactions with others. On February 24, 2017, all of the authors of the state-of-the-state manuscripts published in the Journal of Education Finance met in Cincinnati, Ohio, to participate in a roundtable discussion focused on recent legislative actions in 38 states. A majority of those papers were revised to reflect a final report on legislative actions impacting the funding of P-12 and higher education. A number of themes emerged from across these reports, and these themes will be discussed in three categories: the good, the bad, and the alarming. However, before these themes are discussed, we would like to invite school finance scholars in states that are currently not represented to consider joining this ongoing discussion at the next NEFA annual conference on April 4-6, 2018, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Journal of Education Finance, 2016

The Colorado legislature is constitutionally obligated to provide the 178 school districts with a... more The Colorado legislature is constitutionally obligated to provide the 178 school districts with an annual increase to the total program of at least the rate of inflation plus 1%. However, during the Great Recession this constitutional mandate became fiscally impossible to meet under the restraints of the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights (TABOR).2 As a result, the negative factor, which recaptured state funds from school districts after those funds were allocated, allowed the state to meet its constitutional obligations amid the economic downturn. The top priority for school leaders is to see the negative factor repealed. In addition, there is a push to get the per pupil expenditure (PPE) back to pre-Great Recession levels (the average PPE is roughly $250 below the pre-recession level).3

Educational Technology & Society, Oct 1, 2014

Educational Considerations, Apr 1, 2012

Because leadership for school improvement is now becoming essential for future principals, educat... more Because leadership for school improvement is now becoming essential for future principals, educational leadership preparation programs must adequately prepare administrators for this important role. 1

Journal of School Violence, Nov 30, 2020

The issue of school safety is of paramount concern but what is lacking is clarity on the best cou... more The issue of school safety is of paramount concern but what is lacking is clarity on the best course of action aimed at bolstering safety in public schools. We sought to answer the following research questions: What topics are addressed in school board policies related to arming employees? What outlying policy topics are addressed in school board policies related to arming employees? The analyzed data came from 14 school district policies, in 13 states, that allow school district employees to access firearms at school. The qualitative analysis resulted in specific themes common in a majority of school district policies as well as outlier policy statements.

Educational Policy, Sep 4, 2022

Due to advances in medical treatments, students with terminal illnesses are more likely to attend... more Due to advances in medical treatments, students with terminal illnesses are more likely to attend public schools, increasing the possibility that they may die on school property. However, educational health plans often fail to consider end-of-life care decisions. In the absence of federal or state statutes, school boards are left to navigate the issue of minors with Do Not Resuscitate Orders while at school. We examine state statutes and school board polices for minors with Do Not Resuscitate Orders attending or wishing to attend school. Themes from school district policies are discussed, and recommendations for federal, state, and local policymakers are made.

Journal of school leadership, Nov 1, 2011

National advocacy groups have undertaken significant efforts to define the performance capacities... more National advocacy groups have undertaken significant efforts to define the performance capacities needed by principals to lead schools in this era of continuous improvement and accountability. There has been little articulation between the core skills essential to new principals and the leadership capacities of experienced peers. This study focused on the needs of new principals as noted by superintendents. This study posed an open-ended question to superintendents asking for a list of challenges observed in newly hired school principals. Superintendents identified three discrete areas of deficit: experience with and understanding of the range of demands faced by principals, understanding differentiated instructional practices and best practices, and functional use of personnel management strategies.

Journal of Education Finance, 2015

In February 2015 a large group of scholars, researchers, and practitioners interested in P-20 fin... more In February 2015 a large group of scholars, researchers, and practitioners interested in P-20 finance issues gathered in St. Louis, Missouri for the National Education Finance Academy’s annual conference to discuss, among multiple topics, the state of P-20 finance in all 50 states. There were 35 states represented in the roundtable session and representatives of 30 of those states submitted their manuscripts to the Journal of Education Finance for publication. This is the third year that JEF has published the State of the States manuscripts as a service to those interested in trends around P-20 finance and the 28 states represents the highest number of states included in the report to date. However, it is the intention to have all 50 states represented by 2016 and individuals interested in representing currently unrepresented states should contact Drs. Weiler and Hartman. Presenters at the 2015 National Education Finance Academy’s State of the States Roundtable session were directed to address the following topics:

Journal of Education Finance, 2017

In February 2016, an impressive group of school finance scholars and public school practitioners ... more In February 2016, an impressive group of school finance scholars and public school practitioners gathered in Jacksonville, Florida, for the National Education Finance Academy’s annual conference to discuss, among an array of topics, the state of P-20 finance in all 50 states. At the roundtable discussion, 36 states were represented, and scholars representing 30 states submitted manuscripts to the Journal of Education Finance for possible publication. This year the National Education Finance Academy and the Journal of Education Finance have entered into an agreement to ensure that the state of states data are published annually for the benefit of school finance scholars and policymakers. This publication represents the first of the special editions published in the Journal of Education Finance focused on the state of the states. In February 2017, scholars and practitioners interested in issues related to school finance gathered in Cincinnati, Ohio, to carry on this discussion related to funding trends in all 50 states. There are still a handful of states that need representation, and individuals interested in representing currently unrepresented states should contact Drs. Larkin and Weiler. Scholars at the 2016 National Education Finance Academy’s state of the states roundtable discussion were encouraged to address the following topics:

Planning and changing, Apr 1, 2015

The Clearing House: A Journal Of Educational Strategies, Issues And Ideas, Oct 23, 2017

The purpose of this legal analysis was to determine if there was evidence suggesting that courts,... more The purpose of this legal analysis was to determine if there was evidence suggesting that courts, when ruling on off-campus student speech cases that result in on-campus discipline, take into consideration the degree of discipline imposed by school officials. The analysis consisted of reviewing the 34 adjudicated and published cases that specifically address the issue of off-campus student speech resulting in on-campus discipline, dividing the cases into reasonable and unreasonable discipline groups, and documenting the outcomes of the cases in the two groups. Further analysis of themes in off-campus speech, the response by schools, and similarities in court decisions were noted.

Abbeville v. the State of South Carolina (2005) is the latest lawsuit in a long line of cases add... more Abbeville v. the State of South Carolina (2005) is the latest lawsuit in a long line of cases addressing school finance issues that originated with Brown v. the Board of Education (1954), Serrano v. Priest (1971), and the San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriquez (1973). Unlike many of the other school finance cases that have been adjudicated, Abbeville has not been the subject of much academic scrutiny. This case study documented Abbeville's origins in an effort to begin the process of academic examination and understanding. To document the inception of this case, five research questions were developed to guide the efforts. These five research questions were: 1) What political and economic conditions were present in South Carolina in the early 1990s that led to the decision to file the lawsuit?; 2) How were the eight lead school districts selected to be a part of the plaintiffs' case?; 3) What legal arguments did both the plaintiffs and defendants use in Abbeville?; 4) Why did the state choose to contest the lawsuit?; and 5) What was the 2005 ruling in the Abbeville case and how did people closely associated with the case react to the decision? The data used to answer these research questions included analysis of primary documents and eighteen qualitative interviews. The primary documents included the state constitution, current legislation in South Carolina affecting public education, previous school finance oriented court cases in South Carolina, and student achievement data. The eighteen participants in this study all shared a high degree of familiarity with Abbeville. Eleven were directly involved in the case (testified, heard and/or made legal arguments), four were deposed, and the iii remaining three followed the case closely. The credibility of this study increased through the use of triangulation, or the use of multiple data sources related to an issue of uncertainty, which produced the conclusions to the study found at the end of this document. As a result of the data collected, conclusions related to Abbeville are presented along with a discussion on the implications of this study. There are also suggestions for future studies. iv Dedication This work is dedicated to Jen, Ellen, and Emerson. Without your support, sacrifice, and encouragement I would not have completed this dissertation. I love you.

Educational Policy

BYU Education & Law Journal, 2020