Coordination of Instructional Services by Washington State's Educational Service Districts

This REL Northwest study looked at the funding, delivery, and coordination of instructional services offered by Washington state's network of nine Educational Service Districts (ESDs). REL Northwest examined 13 statewide teaching and learning support areas, including the percentages of districts served, the funding for each service, and ESD perceptions of coordination of services. The study showed that while the network believes it's desirable to coordinate their services, the structures needed to do that aren't always in place. The findings can help inform similar education service agencies around the country, which provide services to 79 percent of public schools. As public education budgets have tightened, states, districts, and schools have looked to educational service agencies such as Washington's Educational Service Districts (ESDs) to provide more coordinated and efficient instructional services. This descriptive study of Washington's ESDs finds that: (1) Funding of services is almost evenly divided between instructional and noninstructional programs; (2) The number of districts served and the expenditure per district vary substantially across ESDs; (3) According to ESD staff, the most important or needed services do not always receive the most funding; and (4) According to ESD staff, the necessary coordination structures are not always in place for the services that the ESD leaders would like to coordinate. Appended are: (1) About the data and (2) Washington Educational Service District Network questionnaire.