This paper finds that federal, state, and local policies designed to distribute education funds systematically provide more money to higher-income students and wealthier schools.
Traditional school finance research tracks how the government distributes funds among school districts.
Instead, we focused on how districts and schools used their funds and how these uses affected students’ learning opportunities. We helped district and school leaders structure policy and allocate funds in ways that use every dollar to the students’ maximum benefit.
This paper finds that federal, state, and local policies designed to distribute education funds systematically provide more money to higher-income students and wealthier schools.
A companion piece to Allocation Anatomy: How District Policies That Deploy Resources Can Support (or Undermine) District Reform Strategies, this research brief summarizes the report’s key findings and recommendations.
This paper explores the nature of micro-budgeting decisions and shows how they support or hamper district reform strategies. It also provides a framework to help district leaders recognize different kinds of allocations.
This paper identifies tactics districts can use to influence the factors that shape the supply and quality of providers of autonomous schools in thin markets.
What are the options for charter school authorizers or entities with similar responsibilities who want to preserve assets when closing low-performing schools? This study suggests that authorizers rarely try to salvage these assets.
New accountability systems require that states and districts accomplish something never accomplished before—ensuring that all students meet state standards. This report explores how these expectations have altered resource decisions in Ohio.
This Interim Report explains the study questions, research strategies, and early findings of the School Finance Redesign Project.
New accountability systems require that states and districts accomplish something never accomplished before—ensuring that all students meet state standards. This report explores how these expectations have altered resource decisions in Washington State.
This brief touches on the experiences of urban school districts as they sought to close schools. It offers insight into the critical questions districts encountered and different paths chosen during the process.
This report analyzes why replicating successful charter schools has been tougher and more costly than expected for both for-profit and nonprofit charter management organizations (EMOs and CMOs).
