Close
facebook linkedin twitter

A Think Twice Review of:

Shortchanging Disadvantaged Students: An analysis of intra-district spending patterns in Ohio

Think Twice - Oct 17, 2007

Publisher/Think Tank - Buckeye Institute

Author(s) -

This report argues that funding disparities in high-poverty Ohio schools are the fault of school districts, not the state. Districts, the report contends, have adequate funds but don’t allocate them properly to high-poverty schools under their jurisdiction. The report’s central claim is that district-level policies are responsible for continued spending and achievement gaps.


Reviewer(s) - Bruce Baker, University of Kansas

Baker’s review finds that the report’s authors fail to provide evidence to support their central claim. Further, the report contains weak methodology and a scant review of existing relevant research. Baker concludes that the report “is built on the weakest of foundations” and suggests that if taken seriously, “the Buckeye Institute report will only misguide policymaking. The report’s claims are further undermined by a technical appendix presenting Baker’s analysis of Ohio data.