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A Think Twice Review of:

Weighted Student Formula Yearbook 2009

Think Twice - May 13, 2009

Publisher/Think Tank - Reason Foundation

Author(s) -

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.


Reviewer(s) - Bruce Baker, Rutgers University

The Baker review of the report finds that it cherry-picks evidence, lumps many different strategies under a single reform umbrella, ignores contradictory findings, and in one-third of its examples credits the reforms for outcomes that actually preceded the reforms themselves. Baker concludes that the report is reckless and irresponsible.