Laura Anderson, Author at Edunomics Lab

NERD$ Lessons Learned

Laura Anderson2023-09-08T22:11:30+00:00

Why NERD$? For decades, large financial datasets captured only district-level spending data. But districtwide averages, whether for performance, spending, teacher salaries, or other data points, mask variation at the school level within districts. As with many other industries and policy areas, the use of aggregated and/or average data in education finance obscures the factors that may be more relevant in explaining

NERD$ Lessons LearnedLaura Anderson2023-09-08T22:11:30+00:00

Tools & Infographics

ELab-U: Smart Money for School Leaders

Laura Anderson2023-06-13T22:06:37+00:00

Smart Money for School Leaders is a collection of education finance instructional modules developed by Edunomics Lab, Georgetown University designed to provide hands-on finance skills for school leaders.

ELab-U: Smart Money for School LeadersLaura Anderson2023-06-13T22:06:37+00:00

30-Min Webinar: How can districts measure learning loss recovery costs?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:16:21+00:00

In this webinar we share “The Calculator,” a new tool that estimates lost learning time in more than 8,000 school districts and how much a district would need to invest to get students back on track.

30-Min Webinar: How can districts measure learning loss recovery costs?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:16:21+00:00

Webinars

Fewer students are attending public schools. What does that mean for the future of school district finances?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:17:50+00:00

This analysis compares the amount of money school districts will receive from the two largest federal COVID relief packages (ESSER II and III) versus their projected budgetary declines due to enrollment losses.

Fewer students are attending public schools. What does that mean for the future of school district finances?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:17:50+00:00

What will MoEquity mean for district budgets?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:19:11+00:00

In this webinar Marguerite Roza and Chad Aldeman discuss the new guidance for the maintenance of equity provision and what it would mean for districts faced with implementing it.

What will MoEquity mean for district budgets?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:19:11+00:00

Webinars

School Finance for Equity and Innovation

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:20:45+00:00

On December 9, 2020 Marguerite Roza participated in California Charter Schools Association's 2020 Education Symposium. She discussed leveraging data to lead efforts to improve equity and productivity, and how leaders can enable systems to navigate the financial turmoil ahead.

School Finance for Equity and InnovationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:20:45+00:00

Webinars

Spending patterns, equity and achievement in districts using weighted student funding

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:20:49+00:00

Edunomics Lab's findings from a three-year, Institute of Education Sciences study titled "How do Spending Patterns Change with Weighted Student Funding (WSF), and What's Happening to Equity and Achievement, Particularly for Poor and At-Risk Students?"

Spending patterns, equity and achievement in districts using weighted student fundingLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:20:49+00:00

Articles & Publications

The financial landscape and what it means for public education

Laura Anderson2023-06-15T21:04:24+00:00

In this series of 30-minute webinars, Marguerite Roza shares what we are learning as the financial outlook for public education evolves and implications for states and districts as they make financial plans for the coming weeks and year.

The financial landscape and what it means for public educationLaura Anderson2023-06-15T21:04:24+00:00

Webinars

Webinar: Financial Turmoil for Public Education: Projections, stimulus, and what superintendents and principals can expect

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:21:00+00:00

Webinar with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, on what the financial turmoil will mean for public education and what superintendents and principals should expect.

Webinar: Financial Turmoil for Public Education: Projections, stimulus, and what superintendents and principals can expectLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:21:00+00:00

Webinars

Engaging principals in school-level financial data to boost student achievement

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:12:58+00:00

During the Council of Great City School's fall conference in 2019, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and Edunomics Lab shared insights using school-by-schools spending data and a framework for engaging school leaders in leveraging dollars for the greatest outcomes possible.

Engaging principals in school-level financial data to boost student achievementLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:12:58+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Webinar: The Changing Role of Education Finance Leadership

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:02+00:00

This webinar explores connections and opportunities with ESSA's financial transparency requirement, the new Supplement-not-Supplant requirement for a district “resource allocation methodology” and “resource allocation reviews,” and what each means for states and districts.

Webinar: The Changing Role of Education Finance LeadershipLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:02+00:00

Webinars

Webinar: Taking Stock as SEAs Begin Releasing Per-Pupil Spending Data

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:06+00:00

In this webinar, Marguerite Roza and Katie Hagan examine school-by-school expenditures in states where data are available. They share how leading states are incorporating financial transparency data in school and district report cards and discuss what can be learned from these early adopters.

Webinar: Taking Stock as SEAs Begin Releasing Per-Pupil Spending DataLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:06+00:00

Webinars

New Education Department guidance on supplement-not-supplant: Sorry not sorry

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:08+00:00

In this Brookings Chalkboard blog post, Marguerite Roza discusses new U.S. Department of Education guidance on monitoring the “supplement-not-supplant” (SNS) provision of Title I.

New Education Department guidance on supplement-not-supplant: Sorry not sorryLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:08+00:00

Articles & Publications Opinion

Dear districts: These are the glory days. Are you ready for tomorrow’s financial pain?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:09+00:00

In this commentary, Marguerite Roza writes that districts have a chance to strategically prepare for the inevitable economic downturn by reducing recurring costs and resisting more hiring; shifting budget choices to schools, allowing them to protect what matters most; and building trust around money and engaging community in tradeoffs.

Dear districts: These are the glory days. Are you ready for tomorrow’s financial pain?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:09+00:00

Articles & Publications

Webinar: An Introduction to Student-Based Allocation

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:09+00:00

Designed for district and community leaders, this webinar shares how student-based allocation (SBA) works, why districts use SBA, what SBA formulas look like, and what steps and resources districts can take and tap to move toward SBA.

Webinar: An Introduction to Student-Based AllocationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:09+00:00

Webinars

Equipping School Leaders to Spend Wisely

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:10+00:00

In this article in the National Association of State Boards of Education journal, The Standard, Marguerite Roza writes that financial transparency presents state boards of education with a timely opportunity to turn the tide on local leader training.

Equipping School Leaders to Spend WiselyLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:10+00:00

Articles & Publications

Interstate Financial Reporting

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:12+00:00

Interstate Financial Reporting (IFR) was created by states, for states, to meet the financial data reporting requirement under ESSA—and maximize the value of their efforts. Based on a set of voluntary, minimal reporting criteria, IFR is designed to produce data that have common meaning and can be used to make valid, apples-to-apples comparisons of school-level per-pupil expenditures across states nationwide.

Interstate Financial ReportingLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:12+00:00

Articles & Publications

Taking stock of California’s weighted student funding overhaul: What have districts done with their spending flexibility?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:12+00:00

In 2013 California adopted the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) to drive more resources to students with higher needs, create more spending flexibility, and let districts decide how to spend substantial new dollars. Our analysis examines financial data from nearly all California school systems to clarify how their spending choices changed in the first three years of the new state funding law.

Taking stock of California’s weighted student funding overhaul: What have districts done with their spending flexibility?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:12+00:00

Articles & Publications

CA California

Did districts concentrate new state money on highest-needs schools? Answer: Depends on the district.

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:13+00:00

Our analysis of eight districts takes a first look at whether CA districts did, under LCFF, allocate a larger share of their new funds to their highest-needs schools.

Did districts concentrate new state money on highest-needs schools? Answer: Depends on the district.Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:13+00:00

Articles & Publications

CA

California’s weighted student funding formula: Does it help money matter more?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:14+00:00

As California’s LCFF enters Year 5 of implementation, this brief analyzes whether we are seeing an improved relationship between spending and outcomes.

California’s weighted student funding formula: Does it help money matter more?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:14+00:00

Articles & Publications

CA

Funding Student Types: How states can mine their own data to guide finance policy on high-needs students

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:15+00:00

To help states design effective funding policies to serve high-needs students, this brief by Marguerite Roza helps states ask the right questions, tap their own data, and analyze funding in relation to student outcomes.

Funding Student Types: How states can mine their own data to guide finance policy on high-needs studentsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:15+00:00

Articles & Publications

Delaware Nevada Minnesota

Analyzing early impacts of California’s Local Control Funding Formula

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:15+00:00

In 2013, California adopted the Local Control Funding Formula, shifting control over spending decisions from the state legislature to local school districts and eliminating many state-imposed spending rules. This three-part series analyzes early impacts of the LCFF, one of the nation’s largest weighted student funding (WSF) overhauls to date.

Analyzing early impacts of California’s Local Control Funding FormulaLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:15+00:00

Articles & Publications

California

College credit in high school: Doing the math on costs

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:16+00:00

Many policymakers see providing college credit in high school as a money saver, but little research has examined that belief. This brief helps fill the gap, investigating in three states the costs of taking college classes in high school compared to attaining credit after high school.

College credit in high school: Doing the math on costsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:16+00:00

Articles & Publications

Florida Ohio Georgia

Student Based Allocation District Collaborative Meeting

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:17+00:00

Edunomics Lab hosts a monthly virtual meeting of district finance leaders to share knowledge and solve challenges around student-based allocation practice and collectively produce research that districts need and want. These resources are from an in-person convening of the SBA Network plus other districts interested in learning more.

Student Based Allocation District Collaborative MeetingLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:17+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Four Approaches to Assigning Costs to Central Levels vs. School Levels When Calculating Per-Pupil Expenditures

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:18+00:00

With ESSA requiring states to collect and report school-level per-student expenditures, state education agencies are considering setting statewide rules for assigning expenditures to the district or school level. In this brief, we map four approaches states can take and weigh benefits and considerations for each.

Four Approaches to Assigning Costs to Central Levels vs. School Levels When Calculating Per-Pupil ExpendituresLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:18+00:00

Articles & Publications

School Level Finance Survey Converter Tool

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:19+00:00

This downloadable tool helps states combine data from two existing federal surveys to calculate school-level per-pupil expenditures for all schools and districts in their survey files and meet the new financial transparency requirement under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

School Level Finance Survey Converter ToolLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:19+00:00

Tools & Infographics

Webinar: What does the ESSA financial transparency requirement mean for districts?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:20+00:00

This webinar provides an overview of the financial transparency requirement in the Every Student Succeeds Act, highlight lessons learned from states working toward meeting the requirement, and provide a district lens for thinking about the opportunities this new data can provide.

Webinar: What does the ESSA financial transparency requirement mean for districts?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:20+00:00

Webinars

Financial Transparency & Equity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:20+00:00

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all states to collect and report per-pupil expenditures down to the school level. These four videos may help state education agencies better understand the equity implications of financial transparency as they define and tackle their own financial transparency goals.

Financial Transparency & EquityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:20+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Financial Transparency Reporting Requirement: Where to start

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:21+00:00

In this brief we describe our work with 22 state education agencies to identify data readiness to meet the financial transparency reporting requirement under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and outline the inventory processes so other states can identify their own next steps to meet the requirement.

Financial Transparency Reporting Requirement: Where to startLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:21+00:00

Articles & Publications

With New Data, School Finance Is Coming Out of the Dark Ages

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:24+00:00

In this blog and podcast, Marguerite Roza explains how a sleeper provision in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) will serve up a motherlode of new school-level financial data, offering an unprecedented opportunity to be better equipped to tackle some of education’s most pressing issues.

With New Data, School Finance Is Coming Out of the Dark AgesLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:24+00:00

Articles & Publications Opinion

Productivity Improvements Paper Series

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:24+00:00

These five Rapid Response briefs model the costs of productivity improvements in K-12 education, including changes in staffing ratios, the impact of late-career teacher pay raises on pension debt, and paying the best teachers more to teach more students.

Productivity Improvements Paper SeriesLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:24+00:00

Articles & Publications

The Equity Problem in Teacher Pensions

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:25+00:00

This brief shows how high-minority schools receive fewer dollars in pension wealth than low-minority schools within the same district, and makes the case for pension dollars to be more transparent and included in discussions around K-12 spending equity.

The Equity Problem in Teacher PensionsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:25+00:00

Articles & Publications

California Wisconsin Delaware Pennsylvania

New Era of School Finance

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:26+00:00

In 2016 we convened leading authorities to discuss the complexities of education finance in light of the new Every Student Succeeds Act. Watch Marguerite Roza’s research presentation, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s keynote, and an expert panel discussion of the shifting roles in education finance decisions.

New Era of School FinanceLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:13:26+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Are public universities neglecting in-state students?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:15+00:00

Marguerite Roza responds to an online “Room for Debate” conversation hosted by the New York Times, arguing that chasing after nonresident students threatens the very nature of public universities as institutions that serve the state.

Are public universities neglecting in-state students?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:15+00:00

Articles & Publications Opinion

Productivity is sometimes seen as a dirty word in education

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:15+00:00

This article explores how school systems can improve productivity even when so much of what matters—the human variables and relationships in student learning—can’t be centrally managed and scaled across schools.

Productivity is sometimes seen as a dirty word in educationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:15+00:00

Articles & Publications

Advancing System Productivity Webinar Series

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:17+00:00

Edunomics Lab, in partnership with Council of Chief State School Officers and the Building State Capacity and Productivity Center, convened a Community of Practice to support a group of leaders in all states interested in developing a state-specific framework and strategy set related to the SEA’s role in increasing productivity. This series of five webinars is designed to help Regional Comprehensive Centers support state education agency (SEA) leaders as they explore how they can better support districts and schools to operate in a more productive way.

Advancing System Productivity Webinar SeriesLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:17+00:00

Webinars

Meeting the ESSA Financial Transparency Reporting Requirement

Laura Anderson2023-08-02T22:11:34+00:00

On February 9, 2017 nearly 100 state and district leaders representing 36 states met in Washington, D.C. to explore the opportunities and work ahead to meet the financial transparency reporting requirement in ESSA. Available presentations are linked.

Meeting the ESSA Financial Transparency Reporting RequirementLaura Anderson2023-08-02T22:11:34+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

The Smart Money: Designing a school budget to get the most for your school dollar

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:19+00:00

In this hands-on workshop presented at NAIS national conference in March 2017 school leaders dove into the math of school resource allocation. Dr. Roza shared innovative financial strategies and how leaders could apply the concepts to their own school context.

The Smart Money: Designing a school budget to get the most for your school dollarLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:19+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Breaking tradition: A fixed-dollar pay raise strategy that benefits teachers and school districts

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:20+00:00

In this paper we examine both the degree to which pay systems for teachers are more heavily back-loaded than for many other professions and the ramifications of this steep salary curve for teachers, states and school districts.

Breaking tradition: A fixed-dollar pay raise strategy that benefits teachers and school districtsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:20+00:00

Articles & Publications

ALL

Highly Productive Rural Districts: What is the Secret Sauce?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:21+00:00

In this paper we identify some common themes that makes some remote rural districts “productivity superstars” and describe steps states can take to encourage and support district productivity.

Highly Productive Rural Districts: What is the Secret Sauce?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:21+00:00

Articles & Publications

How the teacher pay raise formula could worsen Seattle’s inequity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:21+00:00

In this oped Marguerite Roza describes one critical issue underlying the fall 2015 Seattle Public Schools teachers' strike that neither the Seattle School District nor the Seattle Education Association.

How the teacher pay raise formula could worsen Seattle’s inequityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:21+00:00

Opinion

Promoting Productivity: Lessons from Rural Schools

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:22+00:00

In this essay addresses the assumption that rural districts are less productive than their urban or suburban peers by discussing rural districts can “beat the odds” by increasing student results without increasing per-pupil expenditures.

Promoting Productivity: Lessons from Rural SchoolsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:22+00:00

Articles & Publications

Turning a Benefits Conundrum into a Potential Opportunity for Teachers and Students

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:23+00:00

This analysis shows how a longer work year could increase teachers’ annual salaries and improve student outcomes.

Turning a Benefits Conundrum into a Potential Opportunity for Teachers and StudentsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:23+00:00

Articles & Publications

ALL

Teachers’ Pensions and the Overgrazed Commons

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:24+00:00

Commentary by Marguerite Roza and Michael Podgursky on how big raises to teachers nearing retirement is a recipe for letting pension debt get out of control.

Teachers’ Pensions and the Overgrazed CommonsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:24+00:00

Opinion

ALL

Is spending more on education the best way to improve schools and teaching?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:24+00:00

Marguerite Roza's response to the NY Times Room for Debate question ~ Is spending more on education the best way to improve schools and teaching?

Is spending more on education the best way to improve schools and teaching?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:24+00:00

Opinion

Title I: Time to Get It Right

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:25+00:00

In this brief on the landmark federal law’s 50th anniversary, we offer five key principles to help policymakers revise Title I so that it fulfills its promise of augmenting funding for poor students.

Title I: Time to Get It RightLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:25+00:00

Articles & Publications

Paying the Best Teachers More to Teach More Students

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:26+00:00

In this analysis we find how allowing our best teachers to teach more students in lieu of hiring additional staff could offer significant teacher bonuses. Findings are modeled state-by-state.

Paying the Best Teachers More to Teach More StudentsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:26+00:00

Articles & Publications

Innovation Amid Financial Scarcity: The Opportunity in Rural Schools

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:27+00:00

In this paper we explore spending and outcomes data of rural schools and highlight policy implications for states seeking improved outcomes for all their districts in the context of limited resources.

Innovation Amid Financial Scarcity: The Opportunity in Rural SchoolsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:27+00:00

Articles & Publications

The Phantom Menace: Policies that Protect Districts from Declining or Low Enrollments, Drive Up Spending and Inhibit Adaptation

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:27+00:00

This paper examines the practice of states funding school districts for students who do not attend school there. Aimed at “protecting” districts from enrollment fluctuations, the practice drives up spending and inhibits adaptation.

The Phantom Menace: Policies that Protect Districts from Declining or Low Enrollments, Drive Up Spending and Inhibit AdaptationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:27+00:00

Articles & Publications

Student Based Allocation 101

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:28+00:00

This one-page infographic explains what student-based allocation is, how it differs from traditional funding formulas and what its primary benefits are.

Student Based Allocation 101Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:28+00:00

Tools & Infographics

How Late-Career Raises Drive Teacher-Pension Debt

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:29+00:00

In this paper we model the impacts of late-term raises on teacher pension obligations showing that on average each dollar raise triggers $10 to $16 in new taxpayer obligations and provide suggestions to mitigate such impacts while improving incentives for early and mid career teachers.

How Late-Career Raises Drive Teacher-Pension DebtLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:29+00:00

Articles & Publications

california New Jersey Illinois

Can decentralization improve Seattle schools?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:30+00:00

In this op-ed, we argue that when the district decides what positions to fund in a school—rather than the school being empowered to decide based on its community priorities—it destroys goodwill and trust in the school system.

Can decentralization improve Seattle schools?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:30+00:00

Opinion

The Real Deal on K-12 Staffing

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:30+00:00

This analysis finds that staffing ratios across K-12 education have risen precipitously over several decades and, despite the impact of the Great Recession, remain at 2004 levels. A state-by-state comparison reveals large disparities across states.

The Real Deal on K-12 StaffingLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:30+00:00

Articles & Publications

Building SEA Productivity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:31+00:00

In this presentation state education chiefs heard about a basic framework for leading the productivity challenge that includes building a productivity data infrastructure, prioritizing flexibility, aligning funds with students, incentivizing innovation, and leading the change.

Building SEA ProductivityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:31+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Denver Public Schools: Making More Money Follow Students

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:32+00:00

This two-page brief outlines how Denver Public Schools has steadily increased the amount of district funds funneled through the student based allocation formula the school system adopted in 2008. In fiscal 2014, the district allocated $3235 million, or approximately 38 percent, of its $865 million budget.

Denver Public Schools: Making More Money Follow StudentsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:32+00:00

Articles & Publications

What Portion of District Funds Follow Students?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:32+00:00

Part of our ongoing study of budgets in systems implementing student based allocation, in this four-page brief we analyze 12 district budgets and find that the systems allocate roughly 24 to 42 percent of their funds through an SBA formula.

What Portion of District Funds Follow Students?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:32+00:00

Articles & Publications

Boston Public Schools: Weighting What Matters

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:33+00:00

In this three-page brief, we analyze the share of district dollars Boston Public Schools funneled through its student based allocation formula, adopted in 2012. In fiscal 2014, the district allocated $3235 million, or approximately 38 percent, of its $865 million budget through the formula.

Boston Public Schools: Weighting What MattersLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:33+00:00

Articles & Publications

A State Information System to Support Improvements in Productivity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:34+00:00

In this paper, we discuss how states can (and why they should) track and share school-level outcomes relative to school-level spending in their online information systems. Some schools are far more productive than others—getting better student results for less money—yet states are not yet routinely identifying such schools.

A State Information System to Support Improvements in ProductivityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:34+00:00

Articles & Publications

Funding for Student’s Sake: How to Stop Financing Tomorrow’s Schools Based on Today’s Priorities

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:34+00:00

Most states make major changes in their allocation models only every two decades or so. In this paper, we explore how states can make the most of their redesign to get better outcomes for the money.

Funding for Student’s Sake: How to Stop Financing Tomorrow’s Schools Based on Today’s PrioritiesLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:34+00:00

Articles & Publications

California New Jersey Pennsylvania New York Delaware

SEA of the Future: Building the Productivity Infrastructure

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:35+00:00

This publication introduces the “productivity infrastructure" the building blocks for an SEA committed to supporting productivity, innovation, and performance—from the state chief to the classroom.

SEA of the Future: Building the Productivity InfrastructureLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:35+00:00

Articles & Publications

Webinar: Training Principals for Budgeting at the School Level

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:36+00:00

In this webinar and presentation, we share seven key steps for principals to customize their use of resources based on student outcomes goals and needs. This includes concrete budget strategies and hands-on exercises to help principals understand and weigh cost and tradeoff scenarios.

Webinar: Training Principals for Budgeting at the School LevelLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:36+00:00

Webinars

How much money follows the student in WSF (aka SBA) districts?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:36+00:00

In this presentation at the annual Association for Education Finance and Policy conference, we share our findings that the percent of total funds allocated via student based allocation (%SBA) ranges from a low of 23 percent to a high of 45 percent among ten urban school districts studied.

How much money follows the student in WSF (aka SBA) districts?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:36+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Rethinking Class Size to Expand Access to Best Teachers and Raise Pay

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:37+00:00

In this presentation at the annual Association for Education Finance and Policy conference, we share our exploration and cost modeling of cost-neutral options to raise teacher pay and give more students access to the best teachers.

Rethinking Class Size to Expand Access to Best Teachers and Raise PayLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:37+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Texas

Civic Vitality and Public Education Productivity: The Harbormaster Mayor

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:38+00:00

In this brief, we argue that mayors, as the person responsible for a municipality’s overall well-being, are uniquely positioned to identify and promote productive school models and advocate for all students, regardless of what type of school they attend.

Civic Vitality and Public Education Productivity: The Harbormaster MayorLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:38+00:00

Articles & Publications

Webinar: Building a State Information System to Support Improvements in Productivity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:38+00:00

On February 26, 2016 Marguerite Roza conducted a webinar for state education agency leaders. This webinar explored how SEAs can build an information system designed to drive productivity – what data are needed, how to compile the data into useful resources for leaders at every level of education and how these stakeholders can use the data to drive decision making and advance productivity.

Webinar: Building a State Information System to Support Improvements in ProductivityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:11:38+00:00

Webinars

Taking Off the Heat

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:05+00:00

On January 29, 2014 Marguerite Roza shared risks and rewards that emerge when districts “decentralize” engagement around financial decisions to the school level with Portfolio School District Network members in Houston, TX.

Taking Off the HeatLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:05+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

VisionSBA: K-12 Financial Modeling Tool

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:07+00:00

VisionSBA provides education leaders with a unique outlook on spending by school level within a district, delivering insight into relative spending across schools adjusted for each school’s actual mix of students. This interactive tool developed by Marguerite Roza and Jim Simpkins answers the question: “How much does each school spend relative to all other schools in this district taking into account its particular mix of students?”

VisionSBA: K-12 Financial Modeling ToolLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:07+00:00

Tools & Infographics

Options for NY State in an Era of Constrained Resources

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:08+00:00

At a public symposium of the NY Education Reform Commission, Marguerite Roza presented on "Maximizing Resources for Student and School Success."

Options for NY State in an Era of Constrained ResourcesLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:08+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

New York

The SEA of the Future: Prioritizing Productivity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:08+00:00

In this volume of The SEA of the Future, Marguerite Roza co-authored two essays examining how state leaders, challenged with having to make decisions on how to use limited resources, are faced with an uneasy zero-sum game: every dollar they put into one program is a dollar not spent in another.

The SEA of the Future: Prioritizing ProductivityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:08+00:00

Articles & Publications

Teacher Retirement Benefits: Defining a More Active Role for SEAs and Their Chiefs

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:09+00:00

In this essay from The SEA of the Future Volume 2, Marguerite Roza and Michael Podgursky look in depth at the startling long-term costs of educator pension systems and the counterproductive employment incentives embedded in these systems.

Teacher Retirement Benefits: Defining a More Active Role for SEAs and Their ChiefsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:09+00:00

Articles & Publications

Leveraging Productivity for Progress: An Imperative for States

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:10+00:00

In this essay published in The SEA of the Future Volume 2, Marguerite Roza makes the case for why productivity is essential to improving outcomes for students.

Leveraging Productivity for Progress: An Imperative for StatesLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:10+00:00

Articles & Publications

The Case Against High School Sports

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:11+00:00

In this article published by The Atlantic, author Amanda Ripley draws on Marguerite Roza’s research as she describes the role of high school sports in the American education system, how current resource allocations favor sports over academics, and consequences as American students fall behind in international rankings.

The Case Against High School SportsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:11+00:00

Articles & Publications

The High Price of Excess Credits

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:12+00:00

This brief examines the cost of extra credits earned by students in California, Georgia, and New York, and opportunities for state and university leaders to maximize degree attainment with constrained resources.

The High Price of Excess CreditsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:12+00:00

Articles & Publications

Georgia New York California

More Students, More Degrees, More Dollars

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:12+00:00

Cuts to state support for higher education have prompted some universities to raise tuition, admit more out-of-state students, and increase enrollment to close budget gaps. This analysis compares these three strategies in public flagship universities, first in terms of the relative magnitude needed to close a gap in state funds, and then in terms of the extent to which they contribute to degree production for students in their state.

More Students, More Degrees, More DollarsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:12+00:00

Articles & Publications

ALL

Funding Phantom Students

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:14+00:00

This brief describes a common practice that inhibits both efficiency and productivity: funding students who do not actually attend school in funded districts and how this is often overlooked by state leaders.

Funding Phantom StudentsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:14+00:00

Articles & Publications

How Current Education Governance Distorts Financial Decisionmaking

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:14+00:00

In this chapter, Roza assesses the strengths and weaknesses of what remains of the old in education governance, scrutinizes how traditional governance forms are changing, and suggests how governing arrangements might be further altered to produce better educational outcomes for children.

How Current Education Governance Distorts Financial DecisionmakingLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:14+00:00

Articles & Publications

Student-Based Allocation to Enable School Choice

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:15+00:00

This brief explains the need for student-based allocation to enable student choice and portable funding across schools within districts.

Student-Based Allocation to Enable School ChoiceLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:15+00:00

Articles & Publications

Innovating Toward Sustainability: How Computer Labs Can Enable New Staffing Structures, and New Savings

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:16+00:00

Using wage and staffing data from states, authors project the financial and staffing implications of one innovative school model (the Rocketship lab rotation) to highlight potential impacts on the schooling workforce and total per-student spending.

Innovating Toward Sustainability: How Computer Labs Can Enable New Staffing Structures, and New SavingsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:16+00:00

Articles & Publications

Are Residents Losing Their Edge in Public University Admissions? The Case at the University of Washington

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:17+00:00

This brief examines admissions data at the University of Washington to in order to quantify the effect on admissions standards for residents versus nonresidents, who typically pay higher tuitions.

Are Residents Losing Their Edge in Public University Admissions? The Case at the University of WashingtonLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:17+00:00

Articles & Publications

Washington

What Happens to Teacher Salaries During a Recession?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:18+00:00

This study uses data from Seattle Public Schools to explore actual salary changes amidst rapid changes in economic context and the effect of the recession on teacher pay.

What Happens to Teacher Salaries During a Recession?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:18+00:00

Articles & Publications

The Opportunity Cost of Smaller Classes: A State-By-State Spending Analysis

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:18+00:00

This brief provides a state-by-state context by computing the dollars at stake in marginally raising the number of students per class.

The Opportunity Cost of Smaller Classes: A State-By-State Spending AnalysisLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:18+00:00

Articles & Publications

All

Q&A on the Chicago Teachers Contract Math

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:19+00:00

This brief examines the real numbers on the Chicago teachers contract costs.

Q&A on the Chicago Teachers Contract MathLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:19+00:00

Articles & Publications

Chicago Teacher Salaries in the Regional Chicago Context

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:20+00:00

This brief examines how Chicago teacher salaries compare in regional and national contexts.

Chicago Teacher Salaries in the Regional Chicago ContextLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:20+00:00

Articles & Publications

The Sheepskin Effect and Student Achievement: De-emphasizing the Role of Master’s Degrees in Teacher Compensation

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:20+00:00

This brief dissects the nation’s sizable investment in master’s bumps as a means of highlighting policy obstacles to a more smartly differentiated compensation approach.

The Sheepskin Effect and Student Achievement: De-emphasizing the Role of Master’s Degrees in Teacher CompensationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:20+00:00

Articles & Publications

All

Rethinking State Education Finance Toward Greater Productivity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:21+00:00

This presentation framed how state legislators might think differently about their investment in education to maximize scarce state dollars and improve student achievement.

Rethinking State Education Finance Toward Greater ProductivityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:21+00:00

Presentations & Meetings

Stretching the School Dollar: A Brief for State Policymakers

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:22+00:00

This policy brief lists fifteen concrete ways that states can “stretch the school dollar” in these difficult financial times.

Stretching the School Dollar: A Brief for State PolicymakersLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:22+00:00

Articles & Publications

The Promise of Cafeteria-Style Benefits for Districts and Teachers

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:23+00:00

While typical school district plans offer a one-size-fits-all package of benefits to employees, cafeteria plans allow employees to customize their benefits within a given cost, an option districts may want to consider.

The Promise of Cafeteria-Style Benefits for Districts and TeachersLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:23+00:00

Articles & Publications

Washington State High Schools Pay Less for Math and Science Teachers than for Teachers in Other Subjects

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:24+00:00

This paper examines the reasons why math and science teachers struggle to reach the same salaries as others, concluding that the state-wide salary schedule is in part to blame.

Washington State High Schools Pay Less for Math and Science Teachers than for Teachers in Other SubjectsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T18:08:24+00:00

Articles & Publications

Washington

Curing Baumol’s Disease: In Search of Productivity Gains in Public Education

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:46:37+00:00

The authors discuss several areas in which labor-intensive businesses have improved productivity, but are absent in education. They conclude with a five-step agenda for finding the cure for Baumol’s disease in public education.

Curing Baumol’s Disease: In Search of Productivity Gains in Public EducationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:46:37+00:00

Articles & Publications

A False Dilemma: Should Decisions About Education Resource Use Be Made at the State or Local Level?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:46:13+00:00

The shift in authority from the local to the state level raises several critical questions. In this paper, the authors suggest that the question should be “What obstacles prevent better connections between real dollars and valuable resources for students?”

A False Dilemma: Should Decisions About Education Resource Use Be Made at the State or Local Level?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:46:13+00:00

Articles & Publications

Breaking Down School Budgets: Following the Dollars into the Classroom

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:46:03+00:00

This analysis examines ways in which per-pupil spending in high schools varies by subject and course level, and demonstrates how isolating spending on discrete services can have a variety of benefits.

Breaking Down School Budgets: Following the Dollars into the ClassroomLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:46:03+00:00

Articles & Publications

The Disproportionate Impact of Seniority-Based Layoffs on Poor, Minority Students

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:52+00:00

A study of California's 15 largest districts indicates that "last in, first out" policies disproportionately affect the programs and students in their poorer and more minority schools than in their wealthier, less minority counterparts.

The Disproportionate Impact of Seniority-Based Layoffs on Poor, Minority StudentsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:52+00:00

Articles & Publications

California

Educational Economics: Where Do School Funds Go?

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:43+00:00

This book explains how varied funding streams can prevent schools from delivering academic services that mesh with their stated priorities and offers concrete prescriptions for reform.

Educational Economics: Where Do School Funds Go?Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:43+00:00

Articles & Publications

K–12 Job Trends Amidst Stimulus Funds: Early Findings

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:33+00:00

This brief explores trends in K–12 education jobs—those funded through the stimulus and by other means—to answer the question of what role ARRA played in overall education employment.

K–12 Job Trends Amidst Stimulus Funds: Early FindingsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:33+00:00

Articles & Publications

all

Beyond Teacher Reassignments: Better Ways Districts Can Remedy Salary Inequities Across Schools

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:21+00:00

This brief demonstrates how, contrary to common worry, closing Title I's "comparability provision" loophole would not force districts to mandatorily reassign teachers.

Beyond Teacher Reassignments: Better Ways Districts Can Remedy Salary Inequities Across SchoolsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:45:21+00:00

Articles & Publications

Have States Disproportionately Cut Education Budgets During ARRA? Early Findings

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:56+00:00

This analysis explores how state education spending has changed or will change given the application of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, a policy intended to stabilize state budgets and avert cuts to education.

Have States Disproportionately Cut Education Budgets During ARRA? Early FindingsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:56+00:00

Articles & Publications

Now is a Great Time to Compute the Per-Unit Cost of Everything in Education

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:48+00:00

This paper examines how calculating the per unit costs of what schools or districts can deliver can provide the best insight into the implications of all that spending.

Now is a Great Time to Compute the Per-Unit Cost of Everything in EducationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:48+00:00

Articles & Publications

Seniority-Based Layoffs Will Exacerbate Job Loss in Public Education

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:23+00:00

This brief details why K-12 school districts that lay off personnel according to seniority cause disproportionate damage to their programs and students than if layoffs were determined on a seniority-neutral basis.

Seniority-Based Layoffs Will Exacerbate Job Loss in Public EducationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:23+00:00

Articles & Publications

What is the Sum of the Parts? How Federal, State, and District Funding Streams Confound Efforts to Address Different Student Types

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:14+00:00

The authors demonstrate in greater detail than ever before how America’s methods of school finance work against a single-minded focus on student learning.

What is the Sum of the Parts? How Federal, State, and District Funding Streams Confound Efforts to Address Different Student TypesLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:14+00:00

Articles & Publications

Washington Ohio North Carolina Texas

Understanding Student-Weighted Allocation as a Means to Greater School Resource Equity

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:04+00:00

This study examines Houston ISD and Cincinnati Public Schools, providing evidence that student-weighted allocation can be a means toward greater resource equity among schools within districts.

Understanding Student-Weighted Allocation as a Means to Greater School Resource EquityLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:44:04+00:00

Articles & Publications

How Districts Shortchange Low-Income and Minority Students

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:56+00:00

Dr. Roza's analysis demonstrates that, despite district bookkeeping practices that make funding across schools within the same district appear relatively comparable, substantially less money is spent in high-poverty and high-minority schools.

How Districts Shortchange Low-Income and Minority StudentsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:56+00:00

Articles & Publications

Pennywise and Pound Foolish in Education

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:47+00:00

The authors suggest that weighed student funding would show exactly where the money is going and foster transparency and accountability for performance, thereby potentially closing the gaps in local public service quality between the privileged and the disadvantaged.

Pennywise and Pound Foolish in EducationLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:47+00:00

Articles & Publications

A Cost Allocation Model for Shared District Resources: A Means for Comparing Spending Across Schools

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:32+00:00

It can be difficult to assess how resources are distributed between schools, and whether every school is afforded the same opportunities to meet its educational goals. This paper addresses one key driver of spending variation between schools: shared district resources.

A Cost Allocation Model for Shared District Resources: A Means for Comparing Spending Across SchoolsLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:32+00:00

Articles & Publications

Leveling the Playing Field: Creating Funding Equity Through Student-Based Budgeting

Laura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:22+00:00

This report traces Cincinnati Public Schools' process of moving to a system of student based budgeting: funding children rather than staff members, and weighting the funding according to schools and students' needs.

Leveling the Playing Field: Creating Funding Equity Through Student-Based BudgetingLaura Anderson2023-02-25T17:43:22+00:00

Articles & Publications

Reading District Budget Packets

Laura Anderson2020-04-08T22:34:10+00:00

This activity guides participants through reading and understanding district budgets.

Reading District Budget PacketsLaura Anderson2020-04-08T22:34:10+00:00

Tools & Infographics

K-12 Financial Landscape

Student-Based Allocation

School-by-School Spending

About Laura Anderson