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School Funding
Review of The Economic Impact from Colorado's Choice to Participate in the "Education Freedom Tax Credit" Provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
Publication Date
May 21, 2026
Authors
Thomas Young and Jimena Sanchez; Joydeep Roy, Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Common Sense Institute recently published a report declaring large potential benefits of the federal education tax-credit voucher program created through President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill. However, the report's claims about the improvements the program would create for Colorado are unlikely to materialize.
Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance
Publication Date
April 21, 2026
Authors
Derek Gottlieb
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The first year of the second Trump administration has seen a radical break from six decades of federal education policy, discarding the longstanding vision of equal access and human capital development in favor of a new, and as yet undefined, approach to American educational governance. In a new policy brief, Studying the First Year of Trump's Second Term: The Renewed Importance of Participatory Governance, Dr. Derek Gottlieb, a leading scholar of education policy, examines the educational purposes that administration officials have publicly articulated across a variety of platforms, along with the actions that the federal government has taken over the past year to achieve its goals.
The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment
Publication Date
March 3, 2026
Authors
Huriya Jabbar, Huriya Jabbar and Daniel Espinoza of the University of Southern California; Daniel Espinoza, University of Southern California
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability; School Choice & Vouchers
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Critiques of public education have intensified in recent years. While public schools do indeed have real areas in need of growth and improvement, many of today’s attacks are generated and amplified by organizations seeking to manufacture crises. These narratives often ignore counterevidence, and they use deceptive language to portray the system as broadly failing, even hopeless. To examine these destructive critiques, Huriya Jabbar and Daniel Espinoza of the University of Southern California authored a policy brief, The Cycle of Disinvestment in Public Schools: How Public School Criticism Drives Policy and Disinvestment, released today by NEPC. The brief identifies five core narratives used to portray a failing education system: claims of underachievement, inefficiency, inequality, lack of school choice, and indoctrination.
Review of NEPC Review: Estimating the LongRun Impact of a Universal ESA Program in Mississippi
Publication Date
February 24, 2026
Authors
Martin Lueken and Michael Q. McShan; David S. Knight, University of Washington
Research Areas
School Funding; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from EdChoice estimates the long-term economic returns of a universal education savings account (ESA) policy in Mississippi. ESA policies provide taxpayer dollars to households that decline to send their children to public schools, allowing those funds to be used for private school tuition or other educational expenses. As ESAs and similar school choice programs expand rapidly across the country, rigorous research is essential to inform sound, evidence-based policymaking.
Review of Outmatched: Special Education Can't Solve Problems Rooted in the Education Delivery System
Publication Date
January 22, 2026
Authors
Ashley Jochim and Alexander Kurz; Federico Waitoller, University of Illinois Chicago
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
While special education in the United States has advanced civil rights and educational equity, persistent concerns about inequity, labeling, and segregation remain. A recent Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) report proposes a dramatic restructuring of special education, arguing that rising identification rates and persistent achievement gaps stem from a general education system built for uniformity rather than diversity.
Review of A State-Level Perspective on School Spending and Educational Outcomes
Publication Date
December 11, 2025
Authors
Sarah Reber and Gabriela Goodman; Mark Weber, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A large and growing body of high-quality research shows that increased school funding positively affects student outcomes. Yet, as compared to the effect of school funding reported in an authoritative meta-analysis, a new Brookings Institution report examining this relationship finds a much smaller (although still positive) effect.
Review of ESA's in Arizona: Q3 2025 Report
Publication Date
December 4, 2025
Authors
Glenn Farley; David Garcia, Arizona State University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) addresses two important policy questions about Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program: 1) how much the ESA program will cost in the upcoming year, and 2) what the demographic characteristics of ESA users are by household income and race/ethnicity.
Review of Wisconsin's Most Cost-Effective K-12 Program
Publication Date
October 28, 2025
Authors
School Choice Wisconsin; Bruce Baker, University of Miami
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
As one of the nation's longest-running private school voucher initiatives, Wisconsin's program has drawn decades of research interest. A recent report from a think tank called School Choice Wisconsin considers the cost-effectiveness of voucher-receiving schools in Racine, Milwaukee, and across the state.
Review of Let's Get Ready! Educating All Americans for Success
Publication Date
October 14, 2025
Authors
Ryan Pfleger
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Curriculum & Instruction; School Funding; General / Needs Review; School Choice & Vouchers
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
In late July, the National Governors Association released a report urging states to transform schools into stronger drivers of economic competitiveness. The report recommends that governors build public dashboards to track outcomes, align schools with workforce needs, and evaluate programs based on graduates' earnings potential.
Review of Fiscal Factbook: 2025 Edition
Publication Date
September 4, 2025
Authors
Mark Weber, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
As enrollment in school privatization programs grows, right-wing ideological think tanks such as EdChoice have continued to argue that school vouchers and education savings accounts (ESAs) strengthen public school finances. Its Fiscal Factbook purports to find that voucher programs do not harm public school finances. The data presented in the report, however, fail to support its assertion.
Review of Apples to Apples: The Definitive Look at School Test Scores in Milwaukee and Wisconsin for 2024
Publication Date
June 10, 2025
Authors
Will Flanders; Benjamin Shear, University of Colorado Boulder
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) examines publicly available test score data from Spring 2024 in Wisconsin to investigate the relative effectiveness and cost of school choice programs.
Review of The Enrollment Decline Windfall
Publication Date
May 8, 2025
Authors
Ben Scafidi, EdChoice; David E. DeMatthews and Jinseok Shin of the University of Texas at Austin
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Most U.S. states continue to heavily rely on per-pupil funding models. Accordingly, projections of declining school-aged populations through 2030—combined with the rapid expansion of private school voucher policies—have raised serious concerns about the future adequacy of public school funding. A recent EdChoice report downplays these concerns.
Review of The Persistence of Religious Discrimination in Publicly Funded Pre-K Programs
Publication Date
May 1, 2025
Authors
Nicole Stelle Garnett, Tim Rosenberger, and J. Theodore Austin; Joshua Weishart, Suffolk University Law School
Research Areas
Early Childhood; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Manhattan Institute asserts that many religious pre-K providers are being unconstitutionally excluded from publicly funded education programs that remain open to other private schools. But incomplete research and methodological flaws render the report of relatively little value to policymakers or the public.
Review of Testing Theories of Why: Four Keys to Interpreting US Student Achievement Trends
Publication Date
April 24, 2025
Authors
Nat Malkus; Chris Domaleski, National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Governance & Public Education; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent American Enterprise Institute report does a good job of identifying and describing long-term trends in student performance using national and international assessment data. However, a review finds that the report then falls short in its attempts to analyze and understand the factors driving these trends.
The Mounting Trouble with Education Savings Accounts
Publication Date
April 17, 2025
Authors
Samuel E. Abrams, Director of NEPC's International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In NEPC's new policy brief, The Mounting Trouble with Education Savings Accounts, author Samuel E. Abrams, the director of NEPC's International Partnership for the Study of Educational Privatization, examines this surge in universal ESAs. Abrams describes their origins, rapid growth, and implications for accountability, equity, public school funding, and civic life.
Review of Thousands Served: Students with Disabilities in Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Programs
Publication Date
April 8, 2025
Authors
School Choice Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty; Maria M. Lewis, Pennsylvania State University; Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Scholars, advocates, and policymakers have long expressed the concern that many private schools receiving taxpayer subsidies through voucher programs would fail to serve children with disabilities. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, in collaboration with School Choice Wisconsin, recent published a report challenging those concerns.
Review of Making the Grade: Accounting for Course Selection in High School Transcripts with Item Response Theory
Publication Date
March 25, 2025
Authors
Kenneth A. Shores and Sanford R. Student; Michael Russell, Boston College
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; Equity & Civil Rights; General / Needs Review; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The role of standardized test scores in college admissions is evolving, with many institutions shifting away from the SAT and ACT. In their absence, high school GPA has become the primary indicator of college readiness, though it doesn't account for course difficulty. A new Annenberg Institute report introduces "Transcript Strength," a measure designed to adjust GPA based on course rigor. While promising, the report acknowledges the approach requires further research and development.
Review of Fiscal Effects of School Choice: The Costs and Savings of Private School Choice Programs in America Through FY 2022
Publication Date
February 10, 2025
Authors
Martin F. Lueken; Mark Weber, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The expansion of voucher programs, which provide taxpayer-financed subsidies for families enrolling students in private schools, has prompted a debate about their fiscal impact. A recent EdChoice report argues that these programs do not negatively affect public school finances and actually save taxpayers substantial sums of money. Today's review explains how this argument rings hollow.
Review of Underachieving and Underenrolled: Chronically Low-Performing Schools in the Post-Pandemic Era
Publication Date
January 28, 2025
Authors
Sofoklis Goulas; Sally A. Nuamah, Northwestern University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent Fordham Institute report argues that post-pandemic enrollment declines will inevitably force districts to make the controversial decision to close some schools. Embracing this possibility, it provides dual criteria of substantial declines in enrollment and chronic low performance as indicators of which schools should be closed first, naming nearly 500 specific schools that meet the criteria.
Review of Resource Realities: A Comparative Analysis of Charter and District School Funding in Washington, D.C.
Publication Date
January 21, 2025
Authors
Krista Kaput, Titilayo Tinubu Ali, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Clive Belfield; Queens College, City University of New York
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review these findings and recommendations are not well-supported.
The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems
Publication Date
November 21, 2024
Authors
David S. Knight, University of Washington; David DeMatthews, University of Texas at Austin
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
NEPC’s new policy brief, The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems, synthesizes research on the fiscal impacts of charter and voucher school policies on public school systems. Authors David S. Knight of the University of Washington and David DeMatthews of the University of Texas at Austin also discuss recent developments, including the influx of voucher policies, often promoted by large philanthropic donations and messaging campaigns.
Review of Pennsylvania's Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families in the Commonwealth
Publication Date
November 12, 2024
Authors
Rachel Langan; Bruce Baker, University of Miami
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent Commonwealth Foundation report praises Pennsylvania's tax credit scholarship programs, which create private-school vouchers funded through tax-credited donations. The report argues in favor of the programs' expansion, but it has at least three major shortcomings.
How Can States Make School Voucher Systems More Accountable, Accessible, and Transparent?
Publication Date
October 3, 2024
Authors
Joshua Cowen and Ryan D. Nowak, Michigan State University
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
In a new NEPC policy brief, How Can States Make School Voucher Systems More Accountable, Accessible, and Transparent?, Joshua Cowen and Ryan D. Nowak of Michigan State University summarize the research evidence about vouchers and consider how existing program can be improved. They identify three areas of policy design—accountability, access, and transparency—that are especially important for student success and a good-faith use of public funding.
Strengthening Oversight of Education Savings Account (ESA) Funding for Private and At-Home Schooling
Publication Date
September 5, 2024
Authors
Luis A. Huerta and Trevor Baisden, Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
The school-choice landscape in the United States is undergoing a rapid transformation, as states increasingly enact a new form of vouchers called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Unlike earlier voucher programs, which generally allowed taxpayer subsidies only for private school tuition, ESAs represent a radically expansive-and potentially very costly-vision for the private use of public funds. ESA participants receive public monies via direct deposit and can use them for various expenses, including but also well beyond private school tuition and fees. Many states, in fact, allow these funds to be used for nearly any purportedly educational expense. ESA funds are thus widely dispersed among participants and private providers but, to date, require little or no oversight or accountability.
Review of The Reality of Switchers
Publication Date
May 2, 2024
Authors
Martin F. Lueken; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new report from the voucher-advocacy group EdChoice takes issue with the overwhelming evidence establishing that most users of vouchers under recent expansions of these policies have never attended public schools.
Review of Public Education at a Crossroads: A Comprehensive Look at K-12 Resources and Outcomes
Publication Date
April 9, 2024
Authors
Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Clive Belfield, City University of New York
Research Areas
School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A growing and persuasive body of research has established the causal relationship between school funding and academic outcomes. The reality that money matters is not in serious dispute. But a new report from the Reason Foundation uses some superficial comparisons to try again to muddy the waters.
Review of K-12 School Choice Calculator
Publication Date
March 19, 2024
Authors
Bruce Baker, University of Miami
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new calculator from two voucher-advocacy organizations is offered as a tool to assist state policymakers and choice advocates in providing more accurate estimates of the expenses of adopting publicly financed private-school choice (i.e., voucher) programs. But several factors suggest it should be used with caution and caveats.
Review of Still a Good Investment: Charter School Productivity in Nine Cities
Publication Date
January 23, 2024
Authors
Alison H. Johnson, Josh B. McGee, Patrick J. Wolf, Jay F. May, and Larry D. Maloney; Mark Weber, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas has maintained, in an ongoing series of reports, that charter schools suffer from inequitable funding compared to public district schools. Their latest output extends this argument, claiming that despite receiving less revenue, charters achieve better results on standardized tests, making them the more cost-effective choice. However, the same methodological flaws identified in earlier reports continue, and worsen, in this one.
Review of The Cost-Effectiveness of Wisconsin's Private School Choice Programs
Publication Date
December 12, 2023
Authors
Stephen Kotok, St. John’s University; Stephen Kotok, St. John's University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from School Choice Wisconsin claims that Wisconsin's voucher programs are highly "productive," achieving better academic outcomes at lower costs than public schools. A closer examination, however, calls into question the validity of these assertions.
Review of The 123s of School Choice: What the Research Says About Private School Choice Programs in America, 2023 Edition
Publication Date
October 12, 2023
Authors
EdChoice; Christopher Lubienski, Indiana University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The 2023 (fifth) edition of a semi-regular EdChoice report about school-choice studies is billed as an updated overview of the varied and often contested research on outcomes in voucher-like programs that provide public funding for private schools. But like earlier editions, it uses flawed methods that tally certain voucher studies finding impacts on any subgroup, even if there was no effect on most students. There is little to no accounting for the studies’ sampling, quality, generalizability, or other important factors.
Review of Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit: Economic Analysis
Publication Date
September 26, 2023
Authors
Greg S. Griffin and Lisa Kieffer; David Knight, University of Washington
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts examines the monetary costs and benefits of the state's Qualified Education Expense Tax Credit (QEEC), a voucher policy that provides a public subsidy for families to pay for private school tuition. A review of the report, however, contradicts its claim that the policy provides a net fiscal benefit to the state budget.
Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools
Publication Date
September 12, 2023
Authors
Mark Weber, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Over the past decade, pro-charter organizations have published a series of reports claiming that funding disparities put charter schools at a disadvantage compared to public schools run by school districts. However, those conclusions are invariably incorrect due to flawed research methods. In a policy memo released today by NEPC, Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools, Mark Weber of Rutgers University and the New Jersey Policy Perspective uses the latest "charter school funding inequity" report to illustrate these fundamental research flaws, thus providing a guide for stakeholders to evaluate the accuracy and transparency of related research.
Review of As a Matter of Fact: National Charter School Study III 2023
Publication Date
September 7, 2023
Authors
Margaret E. Raymond, James L. Woodworth, Won Fy Lee, and Sally Bachofer; Joseph J. Ferrare University of Washington Bothell
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; School Funding; Charter Schools
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
In a recent report, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) examined charter school students' year-to-year test score growth over four years, and across 31 states. The report shows very small differences favoring charter schools and has been repeatedly trumpeted by charter school advocates as having policy significance-as weighing in favor of charter school expansion.
Review of Think Again: Is Education Funding in America Still Unequal?
Publication Date
September 5, 2023
Authors
Adam Tyner; Bruce Baker, University of Miami
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Thomas B. Fordham Institute recently released a report claiming that the problems of inequality and inadequacy of public school funding have largely been solved. This is incorrect, according to a review of the report.
Review of Think Again: Do Charter Schools Drain Resources From Traditional Public Schools?
Publication Date
May 18, 2023
Authors
David Griffith; Huriya Jabbar, University of Texas at Austin
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers whether charter schools increase or decrease traditional public school districts’ total revenues, instructional spending per pupil, and efficiency.
Review of Assessing the National Landscape of Capital Expenditures for Public School Districts
Publication Date
April 20, 2023
Authors
Kristin Blagg, Fanny Terrones, and Victoria Nelson; Jeffrey M. Vincent, University of California, Berkeley
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report relies primarily on school district annual capital outlay data reported in the U.S. Department of Education's Common Core of Data. It also examines which state policies may promote more progressive investment patterns. Confirming other studies, the report finds that school district capital expenditures vary from year to year and from state to state, that each state has a unique approach and mix of policies governing state support for local capital outlay, and that capital outlay is rarely equal or progressive. The report also finds that states with policies that aim to equalize capital spending are more likely to provide capital outlays for students from low-income backgrounds that are equal to or greater than outlays in wealthier communities.
Consumer-Oriented School Rating Systems and Their Implications for Educational Equity
Publication Date
April 13, 2023
Authors
Jeanne M. Powers, Arizona State University
Research Areas
School Funding; Technology & AI; Equity & Civil Rights
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Professor Powers describes the growing evidence base about these rating systems, their purpose purportedly being to help families navigate increasingly complex school choice options. One consistent research finding is that schools’ ratings, or the measures that comprise school ratings, are associated with schools’ demographic characteristics, such as students’ race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The association between ratings and demographics is stronger for status metrics (or measures of a school’s performance at a specific moment in time) and weaker but still influential for growth metrics (or measures of a school’s performance trends over time). Status metrics tend to generate lower ratings for racially diverse schools, while growth metrics tend to generate higher ratings for them. School demographics also shape the way parents and other stakeholders respond to surveys or provide descriptive comments about schools.
Review of Public Education Funding Without Boundaries: How to Get K-12 Dollars to Follow Open Enrollment Students
Publication Date
April 6, 2023
Authors
Aaron Garth Smith, Christian Barnard, and Jordan Campbell; Dr. Mark Weber, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Reason Foundation, a vigorous advocate for choice policies such as vouchers and charter schools, recently published a report advocating for the increased "portability" of school revenues, allowing for "money to follow the students" and, therefore, the expansion of interdistrict choice programs.
Review of The Economic Cost of the Pandemic: State by State
Publication Date
March 7, 2023
Authors
Eric A. Hanushek; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York
Research Areas
School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights; School Choice & Vouchers; Assessment & Accountability; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent Hoover Institution report by Eric Hanushek presents a calculation of the future learning-related economic burden resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. It projects a large and persistent economic loss by using a set of assumptions about the link between reduced student achievement levels and earnings, but in doing so fails to consider several factors.
Review of The Ohio EdChoice Program’s Impact on School District Enrollments, Finances, and Academics
Publication Date
February 21, 2023
Authors
Stéphane Lavertu and John J. Gregg; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute considers the impacts of vouchers as related to competition in Ohio public schools, increased racial segregation, and local district financial resources. It presents these three issues as the chief concerns of voucher critics and finds few harmful impacts.
Review of Equal Is Not Good Enough: An Analysis of School Funding Equity Across the U.S. and Within Each State | Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts
Publication Date
February 14, 2023
Authors
Ivy Morgan | Indira Dammu, Bonnie O'Keefe, and Jennifer O'Neal Schiess; Bruce Baker, University of Miami
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Education Trust report, Equal is Not Good Enough and an accompanying piece, Access Granted: School Funding Between Schools in Districts, evaluate district revenue and school spending per pupil with respect to poverty, race, and language status. They focus on the extent to which states and local districts target sufficient resources fairly to these subgroups of students. They clearly lay out consistent evaluation criteria and conceptual framing, apply appropriate empirical methods with that framing, and provide data visualizations for understanding whether and to what extent states and local districts provide equitable school funding.
Review of For-Profit Charter Schools: An Evaluation of Their Spending and Outcomes
Publication Date
December 1, 2022
Authors
Stéphane Lavertu and Long Tran; Joshua Cowen, Michigan State University
Research Areas
School Funding; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute examines academic outcomes in Ohio’s nonprofit and for-profit charter schools. It also explores whether differences in contracted services in for-profits appear to correlate with differences in their outcomes.
Review of #StudentsFirst: Empowering Parents to Help Students Regain Lost Learning
Publication Date
November 22, 2022
Authors
Greg R. Lawson; David S. Knight, University of Washington
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new Buckeye Institute report recommends sweeping K-12 policy reforms in response to COVID-19 academic disruptions and what the report asserts to be declining confidence in public schools. However, a review of the report criticizes the analysis and cautions against its policy recommendations.
A Civil Rights Framework for the Reauthorization of ESEA
Publication Date
October 11, 2022
Authors
Elizabeth DeBray, University of Georgia; Kara S. Finnigan, University of Michigan; Janel George, Georgetown University Law Center; and Janelle Scott, University of California-Berkeley.
Research Areas
Equity & Civil Rights; Assessment & Accountability; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Brief presents a framework for federal policymakers to ground the law in an evidence-based, equitable, and ecological approach centered on sustained educational equality of opportunity.
Summit Charter Organization Continues to Make Unjustified Claims
Publication Date
May 10, 2022
Authors
Anum Ali Mohammed and Adam Black; Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, Arizona State University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Summit Public Schools, a charter school organization operating schools in California and Oregon, published Pathways to Success: Exploring the Long-Term Outcomes of Alumni from Summit Public Schools in September 2021, detailing the success of its graduates. A review by Audrey Amrein-Beardsley of Arizona State University examines these questionable assertions made about the performance and life satisfaction of Summit graduates. The report claims that Summit alumni graduated from college at nearly double the national average and self-reported high levels of well-being, fulfillment, and workplace satisfaction. It also reports that alumni from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds now make more than $60,000 per year on average working full time.
Review of From School Aid to Student Aid: Modernizing K-12 Funding in Michigan
Publication Date
May 3, 2022
Authors
Ben DeGrow; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
In recent years, supporters of school choice have promoted school finance reforms sometimes called "backpack funding," but also called "money follows the child" or "student-based budgeting." Whatever the term used, the idea is facilitate choice by attaching a funded amount to each student, with that payment following the students to their chosen schools. A recent version of this proposal is found in a new report from the Mackinac Center, which provides a six-part recommendation for changes to Michigan's current approach to financing public and charter schools. The report's overarching theme, which is examined in a new review, is to move toward a system where more funding follows the student to either public, charter, or private schools—or to other service providers.
Review of Find Documenting Inequitable Patterns in Spending by Parent Teacher Associations, Parent Teacher Organizations, and “Friends of” Fundraising Groups at Illinois Public Schools
Publication Date
March 29, 2022
Authors
Claire Mackevicius; Maia Cucchiara,Temple University
Research Areas
School Funding; Equity & Civil Rights
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent Urban Institute report analyzing the role of Parent Teacher Organizations and similar groups in Illinois echoes and amplifies the existing critique of private fundraising: that it exacerbates inequitable school funding.
Review of The Basic Education Program: How the Volunteer State's Education Funding Formula Doesn't Make the Grade
Publication Date
February 15, 2022
Authors
Ron Shultis and Jason Edmonds; David S. Knight, University of Washington
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent policy brief from the Beacon Center of Tennessee describes the state's K-12 finance formula and makes recommendations for reform. According to a new review, however, there is little if any peer-reviewed research to support the brief's findings. In fact, several recent studies present contradictory findings.
Review of Charter School Funding: Support for Students with Disabilities
Publication Date
September 2, 2021
Authors
Cassidy Syftestad, Patrick J. Wolf, Wendy Tucker, and Lauren Morando Rhim; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent brief from the School Choice Demonstration Project at the University of Arkansas erroneously asserts that charter schools are shortchanged of funding for students with disabilities.
Review of The Effect of Constitutional Provisions on Education Policy and Outcomes
Publication Date
June 22, 2021
Authors
Scott Dallman, Anusha Nath and Filip Premik; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Effect of Constitutional Provisions on Education Policy and Outcomes, a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, examines the potential effects of amending education clauses contained in states' constitutions. The apparent intent of the Federal Reserve Bank report is to provide an empirical justification for amending the education clause of Minnesota's constitution. Specifically, the report lays out four independent empirical analyses in an attempt to advance a theory of action for improving education quality. This theory of action asserts that amending these education clauses to include strong language regarding a legislative duty to fund schools leads to increased citizen leverage, potential judicial intervention, and adopted legislation-all of which lead to better school quality and student outcomes.
Estimating a Price Tag for School Vouchers
Publication Date
May 24, 2021
Authors
Robert Shand, American University; Henry Levin of Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Brief considers the public cost of a universal voucher system, with its attendant requirements for new systems of governance, information, transportation, and accreditation.
Review of Capitalism in the 1619 Project
Publication Date
March 23, 2021
Authors
Samuel Gregg; Seth Rockman, Brown University
Research Areas
School Funding; Governance & Public Education; Equity & Civil Rights
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Recently, the Heritage Foundation published a report, Capitalism in the 1619 Project, seeking to disqualify the 1619 Project curricular materials as insufficiently celebratory of American capitalism. The report primarily asserts that the 1619 Project overstates slavery’s importance to U.S. economic history.
Review of The Third Way: A Guide to Implementing Innovation Schools
Publication Date
January 21, 2021
Authors
Tressa Pankovits, David Osbourne; Carrie Sampson, Arizona State University; Sarah Diem, University of Missouri
Research Areas
Charter Schools; Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; Technology & AI; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Progressive Policy Institute recently published a "how-to" guide for entities such as charter management companies that seek to develop innovation schools in urban communities.
Review of Unleashing Educational Opportunity: The Untapped Potential of Expanded Tax Credit Scholarships
Publication Date
October 22, 2020
Authors
Corey DeAngelis; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A Commonwealth Foundation report argues that expanding a program that uses tax credits to create vouchers for private schooling can lead to large economic gains for the state of Pennsylvania. Such gains would result from two purported benefits: increased lifetime earnings for those attending private schools on vouchers, and reduced social costs associated with crime.
Review of Special Education and Distance Learning: Supporting Students Through the Pandemic
Publication Date
September 17, 2020
Authors
Patricia Levesque; Elizabeth B. Kozleski, Stanford University
Research Areas
Technology & AI; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A brief published earlier this summer by ExcelinEd provides recommendations to education policy leaders for the delivery of special education services during the COVID-19 school closures.
Review of Are Charter Schools Safer Than District-Run Schools? Evidence from Pennsylvania | Review of Effects of Charter School Competition on District School Budgeting Decisions: Experimental Evidence from Texas
Publication Date
June 9, 2020
Authors
Corey A. DeAngelis | Corey A. DeAngelis and Christian Barnard; Bruce Fuller, University of California, Berkeley
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The first study describes how rates of reported low-incidence student infractions are lower in charters, on average. Analyses that include some statistical controls continue to yield results favorable to charters. The author concludes, “The public charter school sector advantages suggest that increasing access to public charter schools in Pennsylvania could improve school climate outcomes for students.” The second report aims to show that competition from the opening of an imagined nearby charter school can increase principals’ preference for budget autonomy and change how they allocate campus budgets to differing positions and instructional resources. The authors assert that their study offers “experimental evidence” that “anticipated charter school competition has large negative effects on school leaders’ reported spending on certain categories of support staff.”
Review of Financial Crisis Looming for K-12 Schools? Flexibility Needed, Not Bailouts
Publication Date
May 7, 2020
Authors
Jonathan Butcher; Jack Schneider, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Research Areas
Technology & AI; School Funding; Teacher Workforce
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A new report from the Heritage Foundation argues that public education special interest groups, particularly teachers' unions, are detrimentally promoting excessive federal relief for education. Such spending, the report suggests, will come at the immediate expense of priorities like national defense.
Review of A Roadmap to Fix Arizona School Finance: Steering the Grand Canyon State Toward Fairness and Innovation in K-12 Education
Publication Date
April 14, 2020
Authors
Christian Barnard; David R. Garcia, Arizona State University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report begins by describing how Arizona's lowest-income school districts receive less funding from state and local sources than higher-income school districts. As is the case in many states, Arizona's school districts with lower property wealth have higher tax rates and generate less revenue than higher property wealth school districts. The report then sets forth the 16 far-ranging policy recommendations that its author argues will improve the "transparency, equity, and effectiveness of Arizona's school finance system. . ." Collectively, these recommendations would amount to a fundamental overhaul of Arizona's school finance system.
Investing for “Impact” or Investing for Profit? Social Impact Bonds, Pay for Success, and the Next Wave of Privatization of Social Services
Publication Date
February 4, 2020
Authors
Martin Carnoy, Stanford University; Roxana Marachi, San José State University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; School Choice & Vouchers; School Climate & Student Support; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Is there a role for private investors in public social policy? In the past decade, we have seen the rise of new financial structures entering the social services arena, with corresponding legislation now poised to change how social services are delivered and who delivers them. While different programs use different terms—including, for example, Pay for Success or Results-Based Financing—the umbrella term encompassing these new financing models is the "Social Impact Bond" (SIB).
Call for Lawmakers to Loosen School Advertising Restrictions Overlooks Real Costs to Students
Publication Date
November 19, 2019
Authors
Peter Murphy; William S. Koski, Stanford Law School
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Empire Center recently released a brief making the persuasive legal case that current policy and legal guidance from state education officials in New York severely restricts the ability of school districts to allow any form of commercial advertising. Because of this, the brief argues, it is more difficult than it should be for these districts to raise revenues from advertising, sponsorships, and naming rights deals
Report about Homeschooling Overreaches on Claims
Publication Date
November 7, 2019
Authors
Kerry MacDonald; Robert Kunzman, Indiana University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Cato Institute recently released a report arguing that homeschoolers should support school choice proposals because greater educational freedom empowers parents to provide richer learning opportunities for their children.
Manhattan Institute Report Fails to Muster Solid Evidence to Support Vouchers
Publication Date
October 22, 2019
Authors
Ashley Rogers Berner, Johns Hopkins University; Joel Westheimer, University of Ottawa
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent Manhattan Institute report argues that the idea of what constitutes a "public" school should be expanded to include private schools that receive public funding. The report also contends that public funding for education should in fact be divided between traditional district public schools, charter schools, and private schools, with funding decisions based on student enrollment. Expansion of funding, it concludes, will result in greater choice for all students and will improve the quality of education.
Fixing the Morass of Special Education Funding
Publication Date
June 25, 2019
Authors
Tammy Kolbe, University of Vermont
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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Charter Schools and District Enrollment Loss Do Charter Schools Cause Fiscal Distress in School Districts Do the Costs of California Charter Schools Outweigh the Benefits
Publication Date
May 30, 2019
Authors
Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), based at the University of Washington, Bothell, recently released a series of three policy briefs on the financial impact of charter schools on nearby school districts in California. The briefs are intended to inform ongoing debates over charter school financing and expansion in the state of California.
The Effects of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program on College Enrollment and Graduation: An Update
Publication Date
March 28, 2019
Authors
Matthew Chingos, Tomas Monarrez, and Daniel Kuehn; Jaekyung Lee, of the University at Buffalo, SUNY
Research Areas
General / Needs Review; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from Urban Institute has been widely trumpeted as documenting college attainment benefits for students receiving a neovoucher through the Florida Tax Credit scholarship program.
Report Advocating for More Charter School Facilities Funding Offers Scarce Rationale for Doing So
Publication Date
March 12, 2019
Authors
Mark Weber, Rutgers
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A recent report from Bellwether Education Partners contends that more funding should be given for charter school facilities. Focusing on a series of Idaho case studies, the report argues that charter schools are unfairly denied funding for the construction and renovation of their school buildings. These arguments, while focused on Idaho in this particular report, have been made with regard to charter school policies across the U.S.
How School Privatization Opens the Door for Discrimination
Publication Date
December 6, 2018
Authors
Julie F. Mead, University of Wisconsin Suzanne E. Eckes, Indiana University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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Everything You Know About State Education Rankings Is Wrong/Fixing the Currently Biased State K-12 Education Rankings
Publication Date
November 27, 2018
Authors
Stan J. Liebowitz and Matthew L. Kelly; Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; School Funding; Assessment & Accountability
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
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Money for Nothing: The Relationship Between Various Types of School Spending and Academic Outcomes
Publication Date
October 11, 2018
Authors
Will Flanders; William J. Mathis
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Money for Nothing lacks a theoretical or practical base and uses superficial and inaccurate methods that render it useless for policymaking purposes.
Fiscal and Education Spillovers from Charter School Expansion
Publication Date
October 4, 2018
Authors
Matt Ridley and Camille Terrier; Clive Belfield
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The paper reaches three key findings. First, due to a subsidy provided by Massachusetts law, per-pupil expenditures in the impacted public schools increased as charter schools expanded. Second, these districts appeared to respond to competitive pressures from charter schools by moving funding to inputs directly related to instruction. Third, test scores in math and English language arts in the existing public schools increased very slightly. All three of these impacts, however, disappear after six years of initial charter school expansion.
The State of Education Savings Account Programs in the United States
Publication Date
January 23, 2018
Authors
Oscar Jimenez-Castellanos, Arizona State University, and William J. Mathis and Kevin G. Welner, University of Colorado Boulder.
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A new policy brief from the National Education Policy Center (NEPC) explores the research on Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), a form of private-school vouchers first adopted in Arizona in 2011. Through December 2017, ESA laws have been enacted in six states and have been strongly promoted by school voucher advocates. The brief examines ESA policies, their similarities and differences with other voucher approaches, and examines the legal issues created by these programs. The authors conclude, “policymakers should be extremely wary of adopting or expanding an ESA program. When considering ESAs, policymakers from all perspectives must carefully weigh the evidence on their impact on key elements of U.S. education.”
Student-Centered State Funding: A How-to Guide for State Policymakers
Publication Date
January 9, 2018
Authors
Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; Teacher Workforce; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) attempted to illustrate and explain how state policymakers could design fairer and more transparent state funding systems where monies ‘follow the child’ through parental choice. The school finance systems promoted in the report allow for all state and local tax dollars to flow freely to local district, charter, or private and religious schools. The central premise of the report is: “that adopting ‘student-centered’ funding to enable parental choice of schools necessarily leads to a fairer and more transparent system for financing children’s schooling.”
Charter School Funding: Inequity in New York City
Publication Date
October 11, 2017
Authors
Larry D. Maloney and Patrick J. Wolf; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York (CUNY)
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from the Department of Education Reform (EDRE) at the University of Arkansas claimed that charter schools in NYC were not being fairly funded because of a funding gap favoring district schools. The authors of the report also asserted that certain co-located schools had fiscal advantages over other charters. Unfortunately, an academic review of the report finds it to be dated and of little use for policymakers or researchers.
Assessing the Fiscal Impact of Wisconsin’s Statewide Voucher Program
Publication Date
October 5, 2017
Authors
Ellie Bruecker, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
A peer-reviewed policy memo produced by the National Education Policy Center for the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice explores the financial effects of Wisconsin’s expanded statewide Parental Choice Program (WPCP). The memo describes how the voucher program alters the relative share of public education spending borne by the state and by local districts and estimates the differential impact of the program on Wisconsin school districts. The author, Ellie Bruecker, University of Wisconsin-Madison, finds that the program will likely exacerbate school funding inequities for public schools in Wisconsin.
The Tax-Credit Scholarship Audit: Do Publicly Funded Private School Choice Programs Save Money?
Publication Date
August 24, 2017
Authors
Martin F. Lueken; Luis A. Huerta and Steven Koutsavlis, Teachers College, Columbia University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A 2016 report from EdChoice asserted that tax credit scholarship programs through Scholarship Tuition Organizations (STOs) have saved state treasuries billions of dollars since 1998. Twenty-one programs in 17 states now distribute scholarships to students via STO tax credit programs sometimes called “neovouchers.” The programs allow individuals and corporations to contribute to a nonprofit organization that distributes the money in the form of scholarships. According to the authors of the report, states can save money as a result of students leaving public schools and entering private schools.
Hidden Money: The Outsized Role of Parent Contributions in School Finance
Publication Date
June 15, 2017
Authors
Catherine Brown, Scott Sargrad, and Meg Benner; Maia Cucchiara, Temple University
Research Areas
General / Needs Review; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) investigated private fundraising by parent groups, a source of inequality in education that receives scant attention. The report called on district leaders to take actions to address funding disparities between wealthy and low-income schools. The report found that while affluent students receive additional funding for additional resources from parent groups, low-income students (disproportionately children of color) must spend public dollars to obtain the same resources.
Squeezing the Public School Districts: The Fiscal Effects of Eliminating the Louisiana Scholarship Program / Two recent papers from the Department of Education Reform (DER) at the University of Arkansas predicted the budgetary consequences of ending the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP). The two closely allied papers concluded that terminating the LSP would not relieve pressure on public spending in Louisiana. The first paper uses an economic model to conclude that terminating the LSP would increase costs. While, the second paper confirms the findings from the first paper and advances that the findings would apply to almost all school districts in Louisiana.
Publication Date
September 29, 2016
Authors
Corey A. DeAngelis & Julie R. Trivitt; Clive Belfield, Queens College, City University of New York
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
Two recent papers from the Department of Education Reform (DER) at the University of Arkansas predicted the budgetary consequences of ending the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP). The two closely allied papers concluded that terminating the LSP would not relieve pressure on public spending in Louisiana. A new review of the papers says that the findings are reasonable, but they fail to make a convincing case.
ESEA Reauthorization: How Can We Build upon No Child Left Behind’s Progress for Students with Disabilities in a Reauthorized ESEA
Publication Date
June 8, 2015
Authors
Chelsea Straus; Edward Fierros & Katherine Cosner, Villanova University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
A report from the Center for American Progress (CAP) links benchmarks for inclusion in state testing and stringent accountability with improved educational outcomes for students with disabilities. While noting that causal claims could not be made, the report then proceeded to try to convince readers of exactly such claims. The report compared 2000 to 2013 NAEP test scores along with NCES national-level data and found increased test scores, decreased dropout rates, and increased graduation rates for students with disabilities, as well as improved outcomes for Black and Hispanic students with disabilities.
Federal School Finance Reform: Moving Toward Title I Funding Following the Child
Publication Date
November 6, 2014
Authors
Katie Furtick & Lisa Snell; Gail L. Sunderman, University of Maryland
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report provided an overview of federal Title I funding, and attempted to examine problems with current funding. The report highlights two bills introduced during the 113th U.S. Congress, which promote portability – allowing funding to follow the child.
Charter School Funding: Inequity Expands Department of Education Reform (DER) at the University of Arkansas
Publication Date
May 20, 2014
Authors
Meagan Batdorff, Larry Maloney, Jay F. May, Sheree T. Speakman, Patrick J. Wolf, Albert Cheng; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The authors of the report claim large and growing inequities between district funding provided through state, local, federal and other sources and charter school revenues from those same sources, even after accounting for differences in student needs.
Review of The Economic Benefits of New York City’s Public School Reforms, 2002-2013
Publication Date
March 31, 2014
Authors
Robert J. Shapiro, Sonecon, Inc. & Kevin A. Hassett, American Enterprise Institute (AEI); Sean P. Corcoran, New York University
Research Areas
Governance & Public Education; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
An estimated $74 billion impact was attributed to the reforms (based on earnings of students who graduated under the reforms – who might not have otherwise – and on property values). The report assumes that higher graduation rates and charter school availability increased residential property values in the city.
Should Charter Schools Pay Rent? Implications for Staffing and Growth
Publication Date
February 20, 2014
Authors
Stephen Eide; Bruce Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report from the Manhattan Institute examined the potential impact of requiring co-located charter schools to pay rent in NYC. The report reflects concerns of charter advocates and operators regarding potential policy changes under Bill de Blasio, New York's new mayor. The report claims that charging rent to co-located charters in NYC would have triggered an average budget deficit of 10.7 percent at those schools. The report also proposes that paying rent could cripple the co-located charters' growth in NYC.
Determining Funding for Online Schools
Publication Date
October 15, 2013
Authors
Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University Justin Bathon, University of Kentucky
Research Areas
School Funding; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
How much do online schools cost? A new brief investigates the funding of online education and virtual schools and provides a new, unified conceptual approach to funding online education. As supplemental online education and full-time virtual schools become more prominent in education, policymakers must address the key challenge of determining a fair and effective way to allocate funds for these institutions. Policymakers should develop new funding formulas based on the actual costs of operating virtual schools and link funding to accountability so cost-effectiveness can be determined. Bruce Baker of Rutgers University and Justin Bathon of the University of Kentucky provide tenets of a reformed online school financing system, designed to serve as a practical guide for state and local subsidies. Model legislation, based on their recommendations, is also provided.
Weighted Student funding for California
Publication Date
June 18, 2013
Authors
Dr. Bruce D. Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
Assessment & Accountability; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The Reason Foundation, a Libertarian think tank, recently issued a brief on California Gov. Jerry Brown’s school finance reform plan, which endorses Brown’s proposal and then uses it to advance its own ideas for reducing the role of school districts and for giving school principals greater autonomy over spending.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking – Effective School Expenditures
Publication Date
February 7, 2013
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research on effective school expenditures. This three-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking—Public Funding of School Choice
Publication Date
December 13, 2012
Authors
William Mathis, University of Colorado-Boulder
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Dr. William Mathis, managing director of the National Education Policy Center, summarizes current relevant findings in education policy research and describes important issues and questions policymakers should consider in determining public funding of alternatives to conventional public schools. This three-page brief is part of Research-Based Options for Education Policymaking, a multipart brief that takes up a number of important policy issues and identifies policies supported by research.
New York State Special Education Enrollment Analysis Center on Reinventing Public Education
Publication Date
December 6, 2012
Authors
Bruce Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report finds that differences in charter and district school special education enrollment rates are far smaller than is claimed in recent federal reports and other literature. It finds disparities between elementary and secondary enrollment patterns, and variation among charter authorizers. The report argues against one-size-fits-all 'enrollment targets.'
The Costs of Online Learning
Publication Date
March 6, 2012
Authors
Jennifer King Rice, University of Maryland
Research Areas
School Funding; Technology & AI
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report analyzes the cost drivers of virtual and blended-learning schools compared to traditional brick-and-mortar schools and determines that it's far cheaper for students to be education online.
Spend Smart: Fix Our Broken School Funding System
Publication Date
April 14, 2011
Authors
Bruce Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report asserts that the Connecticut system for public school funding is broken and should be fixed by adopting a very simple weighted student funding formula where the money follows the student to whatever type of school he/she attends.
Adding Up the Spending: Fiscal Disparities and Philanthropy among New York City Charter Schools
Publication Date
January 27, 2011
Authors
Bruce Baker and Richard Ferris, Rutgers
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
Adding Up the Spending: Fiscal Disparities and Philanthropy Among New York City Charter Schools analyzes the financial resources available to charter schools and also looks at their performance on state standardized tests. The study concludes that while NYC charter spending varies widely and seems to depend upon access to private donations, they are not underfunded compared with traditional public schools. Further, on average NYC charters are not out-performing traditional public schools and there doesn’t appear to be a connection between charter funding and test scores.
An Analysis of Arizona Individual Income Tax-credit Scholarship Recipient's Family Income, 2009-10
Publication Date
November 18, 2010
Authors
Casey D. Cobb, University of Connecticut
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report attempts to counter claims made by two AZ newspapers that the state's tuition tax credit voucher program has failed to increase private school access for low-income families.
Equal or Fair? A Study of Revenues and Expenditures in American Charter Schools
Publication Date
June 29, 2010
Authors
Gary Miron and Jessica L. Urschel Western Michigan University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This report is the most comprehensive to date on the question of whether charter schools are inadequately funded compared with traditional public schools. Miron and Urschel find that though charter schools typically do get less funding than traditional public schools, this is primarily because traditional schools have additional obligations including special education, student support services, food and transportation services which charter schools do not provide (or spend less on).
They Spend WHAT? The Real Cost of Public Schools
Publication Date
May 5, 2010
Authors
Vaughn Altemus, University of Vermont
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report contends that the figures most commonly associated with spending on K-12 public education do not include all relevant expenditures, and that the real costs are much higher than reported.
Fix the City Schools: Moving All Schools to Charter-Like Autonomy
Publication Date
April 15, 2010
Authors
Katrina E. Bulkley, Montclair State University
Research Areas
Charter Schools; School Funding; Governance & Public Education
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report argues for the decentralization of urban school districts and cites increased student achievement in post-Katrina New Orleans as support for city schools moving toward a "portfolio" of schools model.
Private Schooling in the U.S.: Expenditures, Supply, and Policy Implications
Publication Date
August 18, 2009
Authors
Bruce D. Baker Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
This policy brief makes the case for schools across the country to put an end to policies that cast off students into unchallenging, low-track classrooms. The authors recommend a clear process for the phasing out of curricular stratification in grades K-10, beginning with the lowest track and granting meaningful access to AP and IB courses to all students. The brief includes model statutory language to implement its recommendations.
Private Schooling in the U.S.: Expenditures, Supply, and Policy Implications
Publication Date
August 18, 2009
Authors
Bruce D. Baker Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Policy Brief
Summary
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Evaluation of the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program: Impacts After Three Years
Publication Date
May 21, 2009
Authors
Martin Carnoy, Stanford University
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report finds that after three years, students in the D.C. voucher program showed modestly higher reading scores, but no significant difference in math scores when compared with a control group of students who didn’t get vouchers.
Weighted Student Formula Yearbook 2009
Publication Date
May 13, 2009
Authors
Bruce Baker, Rutgers University
Research Areas
School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
The report examines 14 city school systems and one statewide one - Hawaii- that the report presents as reflecting "best practices" in implementing what it calls Weighted Student Funding reforms. The report is based on two underlying premises: (1) school budgets should be allocated directly to schools within a district, with the amount based on each child's needs; and (2) school principals should have full discretion on how to allocate those funds.
The Fiscal Impact of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program: 2009 Update
Publication Date
April 27, 2009
Authors
Christopher Lubienski, University of Illinois
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report examines issues concerning the funding formula used for the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program and finds that it generates a net savings to taxpayers in Wisconsin but imposes a large fiscal burden on taxpayers in Milwaukee.
When Private Schools Take Public Dollars: What’s the Place of Accountability in School Voucher Programs?
Publication Date
April 15, 2009
Authors
Ernest House, University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Areas
School Choice & Vouchers; School Funding
Publication Type
Think Twice
Summary
This report examines the opinions of experts who are school choice advocates regarding accountability issues for private schools that accept public monies (vouchers).
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