The study examined the relationship between expenditures and student achievement in Ohio school districts for the years 2015 through 2019. Data were analyzed for categorical district expenditures correlated to student achievement. Operating and instructional expenditure categories, along with typology demographics, comprised the independent…

In April 2024, the School Finance Indicators Database released new estimates of school district funding gaps, which refer to the difference between how much per-pupil funding each district "receives" and how much per-pupil funding each district "needs." Linking these estimates to Texas Education Agency (TEA) student achievement…

This study uses a concurrent embedded mixed-methods design to assess the impact of additional funding on student outcomes in a large, urban school district in the Southeastern United States. The district implemented student-based budgeting (SBB), which allocates dollars to schools based on student characteristics using a weighted student funding…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational predictive study is to examine if and to what extent average district total funding and school adequacy predict district performance through student achievement in reading and mathematics in public school districts in the State of Arizona for the fiscal year 2023. The research focused on the…

In 2022, Tennessee overhauled its education funding formula to improve outcomes for the 1 million students in the state. The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA) was designed to simplify the existing funding formula and more equitably allocate resources to schools. Bellwether's case study, "After the Policy Win: First-Year…

School gardens must overcome a range of challenges to be successful but are often lauded for fostering hands-on education and real-world learning. This thematic literature review synthesises 22 journal articles and two book chapters, extending on previous reviews by amassing their themes into one singular reference point for scholars, while…

Ohio's students deserve a world-class education, including safe and well-resourced schools that are staffed with teachers who are well trained and fairly paid. However, the combined effects of the COVID pandemic and Ohio's legacy of inadequate, inequitable funding have weakened the role school plays as a foundational public institution. Ohio ranks…

This book offers a novel and up-to-date exploration of the common belief that increasing conventional school resources will increase academic achievement and help close gaps between various advantaged and disadvantaged students. Taking the scholarship around this question, such as James S. Coleman's 1965 report on the Equality of Educational…

This dissertation examines whether Tennessee's adoption of PBF as part of base appropriations for public higher education institutions in 2010 is associated with changes in STEM degree production patterns at public four-year universities. The study investigates the policy impact on the total number of degrees awarded, the number and proportion of…

As state and federal governments place an increasing emphasis on academic outcomes, should they be used to determine adequate funding for students with disabilities (SWD)? Although adequacy is determined through a political process, it requires an understanding of cost -- the expenditure required to reach a specific outcome. Therefore, with the…

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the school budgeting process factors into the financial stability of a district, that ultimately impacts academic achievement. Best practices as defined by methods that allow for greater transparency, cost effectiveness, and overall success in the passing of school budgets. School funding is an…

This qualitative instrumental multicase study described and explored dual enrollment policies in three states: Colorado, Indiana, and Virginia. Student outcomes from dual enrollment participation are positive, yet access to these programs is uneven within and across states. Colorado, Indiana, and Virginia have similar educational governance…

Implementing and scaling up targeted interventions can be challenging. This Spotlight will help readers learn about the most common interventions for academic recovery; dive into research on implementing effective learning recovery programs; investigate strategies for making intensive tutoring sustainable; discover how districts are tackling…

This document contains the technical appendix for the report, "Understanding the Effects of School Funding." Contents include supplementary tables and figures. [Research support for this report was provided by Joseph Herrera. For the full report, see ED623529. For the Policy Brief, see ED623531.]

Homestead exemptions for senior and disabled homeowners disproportionally erode rural tax bases but may still stimulate local educational spending. This article examines one such exemption in Kentucky. Two-stage generalized method of moments is used to estimate the demand for local education spending, then spending in the absence of the exemption…