A system dynamics simulation of educational finance policies

Abstract

What happens when two different simulation approaches are used to explore the same social policy question?¹ This question is explored using the problem of school finance reform with an emphasis on special education finance as an example. The out put from two simulation models is briefly described. A static simulation model, based on an extensive data base, provides one-year projections on a locality-by-locality basis. A pilot system dynamics model provides multi-year aggregate fore casts, but fails to provide detailed locality-by-locality projec tions and relies upon several empirically uncertain relation ships. Where one technology excels, the other falls short. Pilot results appear promising and development work continues on the system dynamics approach to simulating school finance questions.

Keywords

decision models dynamic models education,feedback models finance model acceptance,system dynamics

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