HISTORIC CHANGES IN PUPIL UNITS
Use of WADA Prior to 1974-75: Prior to school year 1974-75, expenditure per pupil was based on Weighted Average Daily Attendance (WADA) computed using full-time attendance in the best 4 of 8 or 5 of 10 attendance periods with half-day kindergarten weighted at .5 and secondary pupils at an additional .25.
TAPU Definitions from 1974-75 Through 1979-80: From 1974-75 to 1977-78, the pupil count was Total Aidable Pupil Units (TAPU) based on full year attendance plus half-day kindergarten weighted at .5; pupils with special educational needs (PSEN) at an additional .25; summer school pupils at an additional .12; evening school at an additional .50; students with disabilities weighted at an additional 1.0; and secondary pupils not weighted as PSEN or students with disabilities at an additional .25. Pupils with special educational needs are determined based on third and sixth grade math and reading PEP tests. (See Glossary for year of test.)
In school years 1978-79 and 1979-80, pupil counts were based on TAPU except secondary school PSEN which had not previously received the secondary weighting including the PSEN, received an additional .15 secondary weighting. The PSEN weightings were based on 1974 and 1975 third- and sixth-grade math and reading PEP tests.
The 1980-81 school year was the first year of the new and separate formula for providing State aid for students with disabilities. Therefore, TAPU for payment of operating aid in school year 1980-81 did not contain a weighting for students with disabilities while the newly defined TAPU for Expense equaled TAPU plus the new weightings for students with disabilities. Secondary school PSEN received the PSEN weighting plus an additional .25 for secondary attendance.
Beginning in school year 1988-89, TAPU for payment was computed with occupational education pupils in Big 5 city school districts eligible for .25 secondary weighting.
TAPU For Expense: Used since 1980-81 for measuring expense per pupil, a district's TAPU for Expense equals the sum of TAPU for payment of operating aid (which includes additional weightings as follows: PSEN at .25; secondary at .25; evening school at .5; summer school at .12); plus weighted students with disabilities (60% of the day, an additional 1.7; 20% of the week, an additional .9; 2 periods per week, an additional .13). TAPU for Expense is a one year pupil count even though TAPU for payment of operating aid may be a two-year average. For aid payable in 1984-85, TAPU and TAPU for Expense were computed based on PSEN weightings for third- and sixth-grade reading and mathematics PEP tests in the years 1977 through 1980.
For the 1984-85 school year, the additional .5 evening school weighting was applied to evening school pupils counted as contact hours/1,000. Thereafter, the evening school weighting was eliminated. Beginning with the 1984-85 school year, pupils under age 21 who were not on a regular day school register were counted as secondary pupils in the computation of ADA, based on contact hours/1,000. The contact hours of individuals 21 years old and over attending programs leading to a high school diploma or equivalency diploma would be aided based on the new Employment Preparation Education Aid.
Beginning with school year 1988-89 (aid year), pupils receiving direct and indirect consultant teacher services are assigned an additional .8 weighting. Beginning in school year 1994-95 (aid year), their weighting is increased to .9.
PSEN weightings for school years 1986-87 and 1987-88 were based on third- and sixth-grade reading and mathematics PEP test scores, averaged for the years 1982-83 and 1983-84. These scores were used to determine weightings to be included in TAPU and TAPU for Expense. Beginning in school year 1988-89, the average was based on tests administered in the Spring of 1985 and 1986. The weighting for eligible pupils is .25 additional pupil units.
Beginning with school year 1993-94 (aid year), the attendance of pupils attending private and State operated (Rome and Batavia) schools for students with disabilities is excluded from Average Daily Attendance. Also, pupils attending private and State operated schools are excluded from receiving the additional 1.7 weighting.
For six years, beginning with school year 1997-98 (aid year), the TAPUs for the Rome, Plattsburgh and Peru school districts (districts experiencing pupil losses due to federal military base closings) are limited to decreases of no more than 2.5 percent from the prior year.
In 1997-98 (aid year), the .13 weighting for students with disabilities was eliminated.
Charter schools were first allowed in 1999-00. To avoid negatively impacting TAPU and TAPU for Expense, charter school pupils are added to the basic pupil count (ADA).
Pupil Units to Compute District Wealth Per Pupil: The pupil units used to compute school district wealth prior to school year 1978-79 were based on Resident Weighted Average Daily Attendance (RWADA) computed based on the best 4 of 8 or 5 of 10 attendance periods of the district. Beginning with the 1990-91 aid year (1988-89 attendance), all attendance periods are used. This pupil count is based upon resident pupils with half-day kindergarten pupils weighted at .5 and secondary pupils weighted at 1.25. The difference between RWADA and WADA is: RWADA is resident pupils attending public school and WADA is based on attendance of resident and non-resident pupils. RWADA continues to be used to calculate Building, Hardware, Transportation and BOCES Aids.
In 1978-79, the pupil units used to compute wealth were Resident Total Aidable Pupil Units (RTAPU). This computation was like TAPU except that it was adjusted for residency by adding the full-time equivalent attendance of pupils residing in the district and attending other public schools, and subtracting such attendance for non-resident pupils attending district schools. Pupil weightings included were as follows: half-day kindergarten at .5; secondary at .25; PSEN at .25; students with disabilities at 1.00; and, PSEN secondary at .15. The PSEN weightings were based on third- and sixth-grade reading and mathematics PEP test score averages for 1974-75 and 1975-76.
In school year 1979-80, the RTAPU was changed to Total Wealth Pupil Units (TWPU) by using the best 7 of 8 or 9 of 10 attendance periods. Pupil weightings used in calculating RTAPU were continued in the calculation of TWPU.
In school year 1980-81, TWPU was adjusted by changing the PSEN secondary weighting to .25. Beginning with school year 1981-82, TWPU was further changed by adjusting the weighting for students with disabilities based on time in special services or programs as follows: 60 percent of the school day, an additional 1.7; 20 percent of the school week, an additional .9; and, two periods per week, an additional .13. Students with disabilities attending private schools were included and weighted at an additional 1.7. Beginning with school year 1988-89 (aid year), pupils receiving direct and indirect consultant teacher services are assigned an additional .8 weighting; beginning in 1994-95 (aid year), their weighting is increased to .9.
Beginning with school year 1984-85, PSEN weightings were based on third- and sixth-grade reading and mathematics PEP test scores averaged for the years 1977 through 1980. The definition of TWPU was also changed to include the equivalent secondary attendance of students under age 21 who are not on a regular day school register.
Beginning with the 1985-86 school year, TWPU was based on full year attendance.
For the 1986-87 and 1987-88 school years, PSEN weightings were based on third- and sixth-grade reading and mathematics PEP test scores, averaged for Spring 1983 and Spring 1984. These scores were used to determine weightings to be included in TWPU.
Beginning with the 1988-89 school year, PSEN weightings are based on third- and sixth-grade reading and mathematics PEP test scores, averaged for Spring 1985 and Spring 1986. These scores are used to determine weightings to be included in TWPU. Beginning with the 1988-89 school year, Big Five occupational education pupils are duplicated for secondary weighting.
Beginning with school year 1993-94 (aid year), the attendance of pupils attending private and State operated (Rome and Batavia) schools for students with disabilities is excluded from Average Daily Attendance. Also, pupils attending private and State operated schools are excluded from receiving the additional 1.7 weighting.
For six years, beginning with school year 1997-98 (aid year), the TWPUs and RWADAs for the Rome, Plattsburgh and Peru school districts (districts experiencing pupil losses due to federal military base closings) are limited to decreases of no more than 2.5 percent from the prior year.
In 1997-98 (aid year), the .13 weighting for students with disabilities was eliminated.
Charter schools were first allowed in 1999-00. To avoid negatively impacting TWPU and RWADA, charter school pupils are added to the basic pupil count (ADA).