| Per Pupil Expenditures | 19.50 / 45 |
| Total Expenditure Data | 25.00 / 30 |
| Average Salary Data | 5.50 / 10 |
| Public Accessibility | 14.00 / 15 |
| Total Score | 64.00 / 100 |
Note: Scores reflect the data provided on each state's education department website as of December 31, 2012. For more information, please see the Grading Criteria section.
Updates
Massachusetts’s score has been updated to include the “School Finance: Statistical Comparisons” section, which provides more detailed data than the School/District Profile Reports.
Per Pupil Expenditures
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provides more than ten years of Per Pupil Expenditures Reports, which contain operating per pupil expenditure data. Massachusetts is missing the most recent year of per pupil expenditures and provides a table that only allows citizens to compare three years of per pupil expenditures.
| Metric | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | State | District | Score |
| Type of Per Pupil Expenditures | Operating | Operating | |
| Credit | Half Credit | Half Credit | |
| Years of Data | 10+ years | 10+ years | |
| Score | 5 / 10 | 5 / 10 | 10 / 20 |
| Most Recent Year | 2010-11 | 2010-11 | |
| Score | 4 / 10 | 4 / 10 | 8 / 20 |
| Historical Comparison | Included, Limited Years* | Included, Limited Years* | |
| Score | 0.75 / 2.5 | 0.75 / 2.5 | 1.5/ 5 |
| Total | 19.5 / 45 | ||
Total Expenditure Data
Massachusetts provides more than ten years of Per Pupil Expenditures Reports, which contain total expenditure data, total salary data, and pension data. Massachusetts is missing the most recent year of expenditures in all categories and fails to provide capital expenditure data.
| Metric | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | State | District | Score |
| Total Expenditures | Object/Summary | Object/Summary | |
| Score | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 | 8 / 8 |
| Capital Expenditures | Not Included | Not Included | |
| Score | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 4 |
| Total Salary Data | Object/Summary with Benefits | Object/Summary with Benefits | |
| Score | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4 |
| Pension Data | Included | Included | |
| Score | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4 |
| Years of Data | 10+ years | 10+ years | |
| Score | 2.5 / 2.5 | 2.5 / 2.5 | 5 / 5 |
| Most Recent Year | 2010-11 | 2010-11 | |
| Score | 2 / 2.5 | 2 / 2.5 | 4 / 5 |
| Total | 25 / 30 | ||
Average Salary Data
Massachusetts provides more than five years of Teacher Salaries Reports, which contain average salary data for teachers only. Massachusetts is missing average salary data for the most recent school year. Data on average employee benefits are not provided.
| Metric | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | State | District | Score |
| Categories Covered | Teachers | Teachers | |
| Score | 0.5 / 1.5 | 0.5 / 1.5 | 1 / 3 |
| Employee Benefits | None | None | |
| Score | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 |
| Years of Data | 5+ years | 5+ years | |
| Score | 1.25 / 1.25 | 1.25 / 1.25 | 2.5 / 2.5 |
| Most Recent Year | 2010–11 | 2010–11 | |
| Score | 1 / 1.25 | 1 / 1.25 | 2 / 2.5 |
| Total | 5.5 / 10 | ||
Public Accessibility
Navigation: The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is fairly easy to navigate. The menu bar on the main page contains “School/District Profiles.” The page has an upper menu bar containing the “Statewide Reports” option, which leads to the Per Pupil Expenditure reports and “Teacher Salary” reports. The dropdown box for the Per Pupil Expenditures Report only contains seven years of data. Earlier years are available through a separate link below. Elsewhere, on the Statistical Comparisons page, there are separate Per Pupil Expenditure reports that provide more detailed data.
Ease of Public Analysis: Massachusetts’ financial data are provided in HTML and can be exported to PDF or Excel.
| Category | Metric | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | 4 points: Fairly easy for a layperson to locate the desired data. Minor design flaws that slightly inhibit navigability. | 4 / 5 |
| Ease of Public Analysis | Format: HTML. Can export to PDF or Excel spreadsheet. | 10 / 10 |
| Total | 14 /15 |
Links
School Finance: Statistical Comparisons: Per Pupil Expenditures Report (per pupil expenditures, total expenditures, total salary/benefits, pensions): http://www.doe.mass.edu/finance/statistics/ppx.html
Total Expenditure Per Pupil, All Funds, By Function (statewide PPE, total expenditures, total salary): http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/profiles/finance.aspx?orgcode=00000000&orgtypecode=0&
School/District Profiles: Per Pupil Expenditures Report, Total Expenditures Function (district-level PPE, total expenditures): http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/ppx.aspx
Teachers Salaries Report (average salary, total salary): http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/teachersalaries.aspx