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Recipe for High-Impact Research

2023-08-09T23:43:59+00:00

In this blog, the Edunomics Lab team shares lessons learned about making research more useful for practitioners, including designing visualizations and other tools around user needs that can make data accessible, actionable, and impactful.


Recipe for High-Impact Research2023-08-09T23:43:59+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Districts now have more staff than ever. And fewer students. What happens next?

2023-09-14T19:05:58+00:00

With the end of ESSER looming, and tighter state budgets, districts know they can’t afford their expanded labor force. Is now the time to rethink the age-old strategy that the best way to serve students is to add more staff?


30-Min Webinar: Districts now have more staff than ever. And fewer students. What happens next?2023-09-14T19:05:58+00:00

Educators Beware: As budget cuts loom, now is NOT the time to quit your job

2023-06-08T22:52:51+00:00

The staffing-enrollment mismatch spells financial trouble for school districts, and an end to the hiring spree of the last few years, write Katie Silberstein and Marguerite Roza at The 74.


Educators Beware: As budget cuts loom, now is NOT the time to quit your job2023-06-08T22:52:51+00:00

A Guide for SEA-led Resource Allocation Reviews

2023-05-01T19:04:24+00:00

Resource allocation reviews (RARs) in districts that serve low-performing schools offer a new opportunity to examine the connection between resource allocation and academic outcomes. We've created guidance documents, templates, and tips to help SEAs prepare for and conduct RARs.


A Guide for SEA-led Resource Allocation Reviews2023-05-01T19:04:24+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Make it or break it! This spring’s district budget choices matter tremendously for the years ahead.

2023-09-14T19:11:36+00:00

Never before have district leaders faced such competing priorities: spend down relief dollars in ways that bring value for students, while also bracing for budget gaps unlike any in history. In this webinar we share what we're seeing in district balance sheets, and outline key issues for this spring's budget discussions.


30-Min Webinar: Make it or break it! This spring’s district budget choices matter tremendously for the years ahead.2023-09-14T19:11:36+00:00

The Massive ESSER Experiment: Here’s what we’re learning.

2023-04-06T17:31:59+00:00

With 18 months to go before ESSER ends, Katherine Silberstein and Marguerite Roza take stock of how school districts have spent their funds so far, at Education Next.


The Massive ESSER Experiment: Here’s what we’re learning.2023-04-06T17:31:59+00:00

Districts face deep financial pain in the next two years. Decisions made this spring will determine how it all plays out.

2023-03-17T00:09:14+00:00

Marguerite Roza suggests keeping an eye on six critical issues during this spring's district budget discussions, as decisions made there will determine what happens on teacher layoffs, school closings, program cuts, and more.


Districts face deep financial pain in the next two years. Decisions made this spring will determine how it all plays out.2023-03-17T00:09:14+00:00

The Stakes Are Only Getting Higher For Pandemic School Aid Spending

2023-02-25T18:16:11+00:00

Higher spending in the final months of ESSER makes for deeper cuts come the 2024-25 school year, writes Marguerite Roza in Forbes. Meanwhile, students are still far behind where they should be.


The Stakes Are Only Getting Higher For Pandemic School Aid Spending2023-02-25T18:16:11+00:00

Federal Data: Schools Have Been Adding Teachers Even As They Serve Fewer Students

2023-02-25T18:16:12+00:00

For schools to improve their services and respond to student needs, it’s important to be precise about the exact staffing challenges they face, writes Chad Aldeman at The 74.


Federal Data: Schools Have Been Adding Teachers Even As They Serve Fewer Students2023-02-25T18:16:12+00:00

Let’s Pay Parents to Help With Learning Recovery

2023-02-25T18:16:13+00:00

Some school districts are flush with cash, but can’t find enough people to fill their open roles. In this Education Week commentary Chad Aldeman asks: what if schools engage families to help make headway on student recovery efforts?


Let’s Pay Parents to Help With Learning Recovery2023-02-25T18:16:13+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Is it too late for districts to redirect ESSER commitments to tackle learning gaps?

2023-09-14T19:12:36+00:00

The school year had already started when test scores emerged showing deep gaps in learning. Is it too late for districts to adjust their ESSER commitments to boost recovery efforts? In this webinar we share our latest look at ESSER spending and suggest ways that districts can redirect, and in some cases refocus, their federal relief funds to respond to emerging data on what students need most.


30-Min Webinar: Is it too late for districts to redirect ESSER commitments to tackle learning gaps?2023-09-14T19:12:36+00:00

Time to Change the District Budget Dance

2023-02-25T18:16:15+00:00

Getting maximum value from available dollars is imperative, and may require some changes to the traditional budget process, writes Marguerite Roza in School Business Affairs Magazine.


Time to Change the District Budget Dance2023-02-25T18:16:15+00:00

Why Are Fewer People Becoming Teachers?

2023-02-25T18:16:15+00:00

What caused the decline in teacher-preparation enrollments and completions? Until we diagnose the problem accurately, we won’t be able to devise solutions to fix it, writes Chad Aldeman in Education Next.


Why Are Fewer People Becoming Teachers?2023-02-25T18:16:15+00:00

Public Education Missed the Data Revolution. It’s Time to Catch Up

2023-02-25T18:16:16+00:00

Data-free schooling means the system can’t learn as it goes and improve on what it does. It means students aren’t getting the full value from the nation’s investment in public schooling, write Marguerite Roza and Chad Aldeman. What can be done to chip away at this data desert?


Public Education Missed the Data Revolution. It’s Time to Catch Up2023-02-25T18:16:16+00:00

On a Per-Student Basis, School Staffing Levels Are Hitting All-Time Highs

2023-02-25T18:16:17+00:00

Schools in 46 states effectively lowered their teacher-student ratios by continuing to hire while enrollment has dropped, writes Chad Aldeman at The 74.


On a Per-Student Basis, School Staffing Levels Are Hitting All-Time Highs2023-02-25T18:16:17+00:00

Financial Innovations During COVID Show Schools Can Be Nimble When They Have To

2023-02-25T18:16:18+00:00

When districts break out of deeply ingrained expenditure habits, it's a big deal. Roza & Silberstein share four financial practices that emerged during the pandemic that we hope will last.


Financial Innovations During COVID Show Schools Can Be Nimble When They Have To2023-02-25T18:16:18+00:00

4 Ways State Leaders Can Lower Teacher Pension Costs

2023-02-25T18:16:18+00:00

State and district leaders could simultaneously reduce retirement costs and improve benefits for teachers, writes Chad Aldeman.


4 Ways State Leaders Can Lower Teacher Pension Costs2023-02-25T18:16:18+00:00

What Goes Wrong When Some School Board Members Don’t Understand District Finances?

2023-02-25T18:16:19+00:00

A lack of school board financial expertise is especially problematic as members wrestle with the pressures of enrollment declines, inflation, and the temporary nature of federal relief funds, writes Marguerite Roza in Forbes.


What Goes Wrong When Some School Board Members Don’t Understand District Finances?2023-02-25T18:16:19+00:00

30-Min Webinar: The financial forecast is in! School district budgets are headed for a wild ride.

2023-02-25T18:16:20+00:00

School district budgets are about to be hit by a powerful wave of financial pressures. In this webinar we walk through a mix of factors, explain how - and when - they're likely to hit district budgets, and discuss how district and state leaders can make smart decisions now to prepare.


30-Min Webinar: The financial forecast is in! School district budgets are headed for a wild ride.2023-02-25T18:16:20+00:00

ESSER is fueling one-size-fits-all strategies. Let’s use data to deliver more targeted efforts.

2023-02-25T18:16:21+00:00

The pandemic left schools with mammoth challenges. Using data to zero in on problem hotspots makes tackling them much more manageable. That should happen now, write Marguerite Roza and Ellie Roza, while federal relief money is still on the table.


ESSER is fueling one-size-fits-all strategies. Let’s use data to deliver more targeted efforts.2023-02-25T18:16:21+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:16:21+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?2023-02-25T18:16:21+00:00

New Learning Loss Calculator Estimates COVID Slide, Costs of Catching Kids Up, in 8,000 School Districts

2023-02-25T18:16:22+00:00

The Edunomics Lab team used the results from new research to build a calculator tool that estimates lost learning time in more than 8,000 school districts and what it will cost to get students back on track. In this commentary published by The 74, the authors urge district leaders to take stock of where their students are, and invest federal relief dollars now in ways that work for students.


New Learning Loss Calculator Estimates COVID Slide, Costs of Catching Kids Up, in 8,000 School Districts2023-02-25T18:16:22+00:00

Opinion: The N.Y. Legislature’s big class size mistake

2023-02-25T18:16:23+00:00

In this New York Daily News op ed, Chad Aldeman argues that across-the-board class size caps in New York City may not benefit all students and will limit other spending that might be more effective, for example on extracurriculars or counselors or higher salaries for teachers.


Opinion: The N.Y. Legislature’s big class size mistake2023-02-25T18:16:23+00:00

What Are Districts Using Their Federal Relief Money for? How Fast Are They Spending It? How Much Is Left? New Interactive Database Has Answers

2023-02-25T18:16:24+00:00

Because Congress directed federal relief funds to flow through states, districts file for reimbursement as the funds go out the door. In an analysis published by The 74, the Edunomics Lab team shares early results of tracking the actual spending data, district by district.


What Are Districts Using Their Federal Relief Money for? How Fast Are They Spending It? How Much Is Left? New Interactive Database Has Answers2023-02-25T18:16:24+00:00

Inflation Will Put Districts in a Pickle

2023-02-25T18:16:25+00:00

With contract negotiations pending and federal relief funds complicating the labor market, how can school districts respond to rising inflation pressures? In this Education Next commentary, Marguerite Roza suggests options to help mitigate long-term fiscal impacts.


Inflation Will Put Districts in a Pickle2023-02-25T18:16:25+00:00

ESSER Spending: Connecting Investments and Outcomes

2023-02-25T18:17:33+00:00

In this National Comprehensive Center webinar, Edunomics Lab shared an “investment tool” to help SEAs and LEAs assess their ESSER III investments and finalize spending plans to do the most for students.


ESSER Spending: Connecting Investments and Outcomes2023-02-25T18:17:33+00:00

Responding to a Tight Teacher Labor Market

2023-02-25T18:17:34+00:00

In this article in School Business Affairs Magazine, the authors outline the types of innovative compensation strategies some districts are using to attract and retain talent in response to a tight labor market.


Responding to a Tight Teacher Labor Market2023-02-25T18:17:34+00:00

Opinion: Pause HISD’s plan to centralize school funding

2023-02-25T18:17:35+00:00

In this Houston Chronicle op ed, Jessica Swanson and Marguerite Roza urge the Houston school board to take the time to ensure a full public vetting of the superintendent's proposal to centralize school funding.


Opinion: Pause HISD’s plan to centralize school funding2023-02-25T18:17:35+00:00

A year ago, school districts got a windfall of pandemic aid. How’s that going?

2023-02-25T18:17:36+00:00

In this Brookings Chalkboard blog, Marguerite Roza and Katherine Silberstein look at the magnitude of federal relief fund spending and conclude that districts need to up the pace at which money goes out the door each month.


A year ago, school districts got a windfall of pandemic aid. How’s that going?2023-02-25T18:17:36+00:00

Talking about ESSER: Ways to Build Community Trust and Keep the Focus on Results for Students

2023-02-25T18:17:37+00:00

Laura Anderson and Marguerite Roza map six ways district leaders can communicate about and help make the most of their ESSER investments.


Talking about ESSER: Ways to Build Community Trust and Keep the Focus on Results for Students2023-02-25T18:17:37+00:00

Marguerite Roza discusses how school districts should use federal COVID-19 relief funds to improve student outcomes

2023-02-25T18:17:38+00:00

In an interview with Jude Schwalbach at Reason Foundation, Marguerite Roza urges leaders to stay laser-focused on the federal relief funds’ true purpose: ameliorating learning loss and getting kids back on track.


Marguerite Roza discusses how school districts should use federal COVID-19 relief funds to improve student outcomes2023-02-25T18:17:38+00:00

Punishment for Making Hard Choices in a Crisis: Federal Prison

2023-02-25T18:17:38+00:00

In this Education Next commentary, Marguerite Roza explains why every education leader should care about what happened to Julia Keleher.


Punishment for Making Hard Choices in a Crisis: Federal Prison2023-02-25T18:17:38+00:00

Setting Student Progress as a North Star Would Be a Game Changer

2023-02-25T18:17:39+00:00

Shifting the focus from what districts are purchasing with ESSER funds to what progress students are making would be a game changer, writes Marguerite Roza in The 74.


Setting Student Progress as a North Star Would Be a Game Changer2023-02-25T18:17:39+00:00

Do Districts Using Weighted Student Funding Formulas Deliver More Dollars to Low-Income Students?

2023-02-25T18:17:40+00:00

This working paper examines how equitably 20 WSF districts distribute dollars to their schools as measured against a cohort of 20 comparable districts that use a traditional, centralized staffing model.


Do Districts Using Weighted Student Funding Formulas Deliver More Dollars to Low-Income Students?2023-02-25T18:17:40+00:00

Leading Thoughtful Conversations on Resource Equity Using School-By-School Spending Data

2023-08-02T20:24:48+00:00

This resource guides leaders in using data visualizations to foster thoughtful conversations with different stakeholder groups about financial strategy and management, equity and using dollars to do the most for students.


Leading Thoughtful Conversations on Resource Equity Using School-By-School Spending Data2023-08-02T20:24:48+00:00

There Is No ‘Big Quit’ in K-12 Education. But Schools Have Specific Labor Challenges That Need Targeted Solutions

2023-02-25T18:17:42+00:00

There is no 'Big Quit' in K-12 education. But schools have specific labor challenges that need targeted solutions, writes Chad Aldeman in The 74.


There Is No ‘Big Quit’ in K-12 Education. But Schools Have Specific Labor Challenges That Need Targeted Solutions2023-02-25T18:17:42+00:00

Focus On Student Outcomes, Not How Federal Funds Are Spent

2023-02-25T18:17:42+00:00

Congress attached few strings to federal relief funds and will have to trust school districts to spend the money wisely. Chad Aldeman writes in Forbes that the Feds could now help clarify what the money was for by focusing on the student outcomes that matter most.


Focus On Student Outcomes, Not How Federal Funds Are Spent2023-02-25T18:17:42+00:00

How COVID-19 Ushered in a Wave of Promising Teacher Pay Reforms

2023-02-25T18:17:44+00:00

This brief outlines the types of teacher pay innovations popping up in the midst of the pandemic, explains why they matter, and highlights some of the districts trying them. It remains to be seen whether some of these innovations may live on beyond the pandemic if district leaders find them effective.


How COVID-19 Ushered in a Wave of Promising Teacher Pay Reforms2023-02-25T18:17:44+00:00

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Spending COVID-Relief Funds

2023-02-25T18:17:45+00:00

With $190 billion in federal relief funds going to schools, Marguerite Roza shares likely spending mistakes districts will make and some prescriptions for how to prevent them.


5 Mistakes to Avoid When Spending COVID-Relief Funds2023-02-25T18:17:45+00:00

An Idea For This Moment: Districts Can Pay Families To Help Get Students And Schools Back On Track

2023-02-25T18:17:46+00:00

Sharing a portion of federal relief funds with families offers school districts a chance to re-engage students and parents and sends a message that they are valued partners in solving problems that directly affect them, writes Marguerite Roza in Forbes.


An Idea For This Moment: Districts Can Pay Families To Help Get Students And Schools Back On Track2023-02-25T18:17:46+00:00

The scarcity mindset that plagues education news

2023-02-25T18:17:47+00:00

Education finance is a messy topic for journalists, and this last year has made it especially hard to neatly summarize the issues. Chad Aldeman cautions that reporters who focus exclusively on questions of scarcity may perpetuate a false narrative and miss the biggest education finance story of the last decade: How are district leaders spending their new financial windfalls, and what effect is it having on students?


The scarcity mindset that plagues education news2023-02-25T18:17:47+00:00

Decrease in Student Enrollment: Forcing Tough Decisions

2023-02-25T18:17:48+00:00

While the infusion of federal relief aid has temporarily protected most school districts from the fiscal impact of enrollment losses, this article in School Business Affairs magazine highlights why it's important to proactively plan now for how to maintain services once those supplemental funds are gone.


Decrease in Student Enrollment: Forcing Tough Decisions2023-02-25T18:17:48+00:00

NAEP scores are down. Funding is up. Wait, wut?

2023-02-25T18:17:49+00:00

NAEP scores are going down or flat. People have different takes on why. In this Eduwonk blog, Marguerite Roza takes a look at the question of money.


NAEP scores are down. Funding is up. Wait, wut?2023-02-25T18:17:49+00:00

Existing Federal Provisions Can – If Given Appropriate Attention – Advance Within-District Financial Equity

2023-08-02T20:28:39+00:00

Four existing federal provisions have potential, if made a priority, to work together to foster within-district financial equity, write Marguerite Roza and Hannah Jarmolowski.


Existing Federal Provisions Can – If Given Appropriate Attention – Advance Within-District Financial Equity2023-08-02T20:28:39+00:00

There’s a fiscal cliff coming, and some districts appear hell-bent on making it worse

2023-02-25T18:17:51+00:00

Districts are right to worry about a fiscal cliff when federal relief aid runs out, cautions Marguerite Roza, but leaders have options beyond handwringing.


There’s a fiscal cliff coming, and some districts appear hell-bent on making it worse2023-02-25T18:17:51+00:00

From Paying Parents to Transport Their Kids to School to Calling Out the National Guard — Innovating in the Face of a Bus Driver Shortage

2023-02-25T18:19:08+00:00

How districts react to unusual labor challenges like the bus driver shortage may tell us whether they can adapt to meet the moment and which, if any, will consider adopting innovations common in industries outside of education.


From Paying Parents to Transport Their Kids to School to Calling Out the National Guard — Innovating in the Face of a Bus Driver Shortage2023-02-25T18:19:08+00:00

Districts Like San Diego Could Be Locking Themselves Into Painful Cuts Down the Road

2023-02-25T18:19:09+00:00

Rather than making long-term commitments that can lead to financial stress down the road, Chad Aldeman suggests there are other ways for districts to both raise pay and build capacity.


Districts Like San Diego Could Be Locking Themselves Into Painful Cuts Down the Road2023-02-25T18:19:09+00:00

What will MoEquity mean for district budgets?

2023-02-25T18:19:11+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?2023-02-25T18:19:11+00:00

Wise Spending of Your Federal Relief Funds

2023-02-25T18:19:12+00:00

As school districts decide how to spend their flexible federal relief funding, Marguerite Roza and Chad Aldeman offer five key questions to help ensure they make the most of it for students.


Wise Spending of Your Federal Relief Funds2023-02-25T18:19:12+00:00

5 Ways Principals Can Make Federal Relief Money Matter More For Their Students

2023-02-25T18:19:12+00:00

Marguerite Roza and Laura Anderson map five ways principals can help make the most of the American Rescue Plan dollars, in a blog published by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.


5 Ways Principals Can Make Federal Relief Money Matter More For Their Students2023-02-25T18:19:12+00:00

Will the American Rescue Plan’s ‘Meaningful Consultation’ Requirement Usher in Community Participation in School Budgets?

2023-02-25T18:19:14+00:00

In Forbes, Marguerite Roza writes that the federal requirement for “meaningful consultation” on the use of ARP funds sounds like a call for participatory budgeting, and wonders whether it could prompt a new level of civic engagement in school spending.


Will the American Rescue Plan’s ‘Meaningful Consultation’ Requirement Usher in Community Participation in School Budgets?2023-02-25T18:19:14+00:00

Congress Provided Billions To Schools. Will Districts Spend It Creatively?

2023-02-25T18:19:14+00:00

In this Forbes commentary, Chad Aldeman explains how the American Recovery Plan differs from past federal relief efforts for schools, and what that means for state and district leaders looking to make these one-time dollars count.


Congress Provided Billions To Schools. Will Districts Spend It Creatively?2023-02-25T18:19:14+00:00

Smart ways to cover the coming ‘year of ed finance’

2023-02-25T18:19:15+00:00

Marguerite Roza offers six tips for reporters on covering how school districts choose to spend $122 billion in flexible American Rescue Plan funds, the biggest onetime federal payout to schools ever.


Smart ways to cover the coming ‘year of ed finance’2023-02-25T18:19:15+00:00

Early Analysis of State ARP Plans

2023-02-25T18:19:16+00:00

Using a financial lens, the Edunomics Lab team offers an early analysis of state education agency plans for using ARP funds.


Early Analysis of State ARP Plans2023-02-25T18:19:16+00:00

Let Schools, Not District Offices, Decide How to Spend Some Federal Aid

2023-02-25T18:19:17+00:00

In this Education Next commentary, Marguerite Roza and Jessica Swanson suggest that districts give a portion of federal relief dollars directly to schools to decide how best to spend on behalf of their students.


Let Schools, Not District Offices, Decide How to Spend Some Federal Aid2023-02-25T18:19:17+00:00

Teacher Dissatisfaction May Be High, But So Are Retention Rates

2023-02-25T18:19:17+00:00

Across Washington state, public schools retained a higher percentage of teachers last year than they do in normal years. That's important information for school district leaders as they decide how to spend the windfall of federal relief funds headed their way.


Teacher Dissatisfaction May Be High, But So Are Retention Rates2023-02-25T18:19:17+00:00

Billions of Federal Funds Are Coming to Schools. How Should They Spend Them?

2023-02-25T18:19:18+00:00

Adding staff has been the main “big bet” in public education for decades. With new federal relief aid heading to schools, will district leaders meet the moment with new and different ideas for what students need now?


Billions of Federal Funds Are Coming to Schools. How Should They Spend Them?2023-02-25T18:19:18+00:00

By Paying Stipends to Schools’ Teaching Staff, Districts Can Add Learning Time Without Breaking the Bank

2023-02-25T18:19:20+00:00

In this commentary at The 74, Chad Aldeman shows how offering current teachers stipends to take on more hours could provide students with additional learning time without locking districts into long-term financial obligations.


By Paying Stipends to Schools’ Teaching Staff, Districts Can Add Learning Time Without Breaking the Bank2023-02-25T18:19:20+00:00

Best- and worst-case scenarios for how school stimulus dollars will be spent

2023-02-25T18:19:20+00:00

Will an unprecedented federal infusion of money lead to an unprecedented recovery effort? In this Thomas B. Fordham Institute blog, Chad Aldeman considers the range of possibilities.


Best- and worst-case scenarios for how school stimulus dollars will be spent2023-02-25T18:19:20+00:00

With federal relief dollars on the way, districts face big decisions

2023-02-25T18:19:21+00:00

In this Education Next commentary, Marguerite Roza and Chad Aldeman suggest that it's a good time for leaders to employ the classic "would you rather" test to help explore spending tradeoffs and think through the cost and value of competing investments. 


With federal relief dollars on the way, districts face big decisions2023-02-25T18:19:21+00:00

Desired Features of a State Funding System

2023-02-25T18:19:22+00:00

This decision tree describes the desired features of a state education funding formula and walks policymakers through key decisions and considerations around balancing efficiency, equity and trade-offs in particular contexts.


Desired Features of a State Funding System2023-02-25T18:19:22+00:00

A way to ease student loan debt without sticking taxpayers with the bill: How about a trade?

2023-02-25T18:19:22+00:00

In this Forbes commentary, Marguerite Roza proposes a way for the federal government to provide student debt relief while putting SS/Medicare back on a financially sustainable path.


A way to ease student loan debt without sticking taxpayers with the bill: How about a trade?2023-02-25T18:19:22+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Teacher Labor Market Trends and What They Mean For District Budgets

2023-02-25T18:19:23+00:00

In this webinar, we share what we're learning from the data on teacher turnover and discuss how the current fiscal conditions should inform staffing and salaries as districts navigate budget and hiring season.


30-Min Webinar: Teacher Labor Market Trends and What They Mean For District Budgets2023-02-25T18:19:23+00:00

Remote or in Person? Underspending or Running Deficits? What School Reopening Decisions Mean for District Budgets

2023-02-25T18:19:24+00:00

An Edunomics Lab analysis finds that while many districts are struggling financially, those that have remained mostly or entirely virtual have actually been able to save money. Some are even on pace to run surpluses this year.


Remote or in Person? Underspending or Running Deficits? What School Reopening Decisions Mean for District Budgets2023-02-25T18:19:24+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Open Or Remote? What It Means For School District Budgets

2023-02-25T18:19:24+00:00

In this webinar we explore how district spending varies depending on whether schools are remote or in-person (is the financial focus on remediation? or on reopening?), and look at what new federal relief dollars could mean for district finances.


30-Min Webinar: Open Or Remote? What It Means For School District Budgets2023-02-25T18:19:24+00:00

During the pandemic, lost education jobs aren’t what they seem

2023-02-25T18:19:25+00:00

In this Brookings Chalkboard blog, Chad Aldeman digs into BLS data to find that recent public education job losses stem from a slowdown in hiring, not layoffs or a surge in worker turnover.


During the pandemic, lost education jobs aren’t what they seem2023-02-25T18:19:25+00:00

Lessons from Spanish Flu — Babies Born in 1919 Had Worse Educational, Life Outcomes Than Those Born Just Before or After. Could That Happen With COVID-19?

2023-02-25T18:19:26+00:00

Chad Aldeman shares an analysis of the life trajectories of babies born during the Spanish Flu, and possible implications for the economic impacts of COVID-19.


Lessons from Spanish Flu — Babies Born in 1919 Had Worse Educational, Life Outcomes Than Those Born Just Before or After. Could That Happen With COVID-19?2023-02-25T18:19:26+00:00

School Spending Data: A New National Data Archive

2023-08-02T20:26:23+00:00

This paper introduces a new national data archive that will capture year-over-year school-by-school spending figures reported by each state and enable easier cost-benefit analysis and new research on equity, innovation, and productivity at the school level.


School Spending Data: A New National Data Archive2023-08-02T20:26:23+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Impacts of Enrollment Shifts and Learning Loss on District Finances

2023-02-25T18:19:28+00:00

In this webinar we look at the implications of enrollment losses and state revenue declines for school district budget decisions, including hold harmless policies that protect districts from losing state funds. We also consider different district investment options to address learning loss with new federal funds.


30-Min Webinar: Impacts of Enrollment Shifts and Learning Loss on District Finances2023-02-25T18:19:28+00:00

30-Min Webinar: The New Federal Aid Package

2023-02-25T18:19:28+00:00

In this webinar we answer early questions about the new federal relief funds for education and share the latest financial updates and what they mean for state and district leaders in the coming months. 


30-Min Webinar: The New Federal Aid Package2023-02-25T18:19:28+00:00

Financial Leadership: Meeting This Moment

2023-02-25T18:20:43+00:00

This article in School Business Affairs magazine illuminates the critical need to develop district leaders' strategic finance skills.


Financial Leadership: Meeting This Moment2023-02-25T18:20:43+00:00

Variation Is the Norm: A Landscape Analysis of Weighted Student Funding Implementation

2023-02-25T18:20:45+00:00

This cross‐district comparison of 19 districts finds commonly cited reasons for adopting weighted student funding (equity, transparency, and school‐level spending flexibility). However, there is no standard WSF formula and districts are implementing it quite differently.


Variation Is the Norm: A Landscape Analysis of Weighted Student Funding Implementation2023-02-25T18:20:45+00:00

How Federal Education Aid Can Tackle The K-Shaped Learning Recovery: Let’s start with $3000 Per Disengaged Student.

2023-02-25T18:20:46+00:00

In this op-ed, Marguerite Roza proposes a separate, flexible sum targeted at helping students for whom pandemic schooling isn't working.


How Federal Education Aid Can Tackle The K-Shaped Learning Recovery: Let’s start with $3000 Per Disengaged Student.2023-02-25T18:20:46+00:00

Analysis: California Gives Districts Extra Money for Highest-Needs Students. But It Doesn’t Always Get to the Highest-Needs Schools

2023-02-25T18:20:47+00:00

In this analysis, Katie Silberstein and Marguerite Roza studied whether funds allocated by California's Local Control Funding Formula actually made it to the highest-needs schools.


Analysis: California Gives Districts Extra Money for Highest-Needs Students. But It Doesn’t Always Get to the Highest-Needs Schools2023-02-25T18:20:47+00:00

Use caution, district leaders: Even in a pandemic, there’s no immunity from financial missteps

2023-02-25T18:20:47+00:00

In this Thomas B. Fordham Institute article, Marguerite Roza warns that district leaders may be at a higher risk for accusations of financial missteps.


Use caution, district leaders: Even in a pandemic, there’s no immunity from financial missteps2023-02-25T18:20:47+00:00

Lessons Learned: Weighted Student Funding

2023-02-25T18:20:48+00:00

This brief summarizes findings from a three-year, U.S. Department of Education-funded research study analyzing the use of weighted student funding (WSF) at the district and state level.


Lessons Learned: Weighted Student Funding2023-02-25T18:20:48+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:20:49+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 funding2023-02-25T18:20:49+00:00

Taking Stock of Principals’ Role in Weighted Student Funding Districts

2023-02-25T18:20:50+00:00

In this brief, based upon a 2017-18 survey of 639 principals in 14 school districts implementing weighted student funding, we find that principals are actively engaged in the budget process and utilize their flexibilities, but often do not come into their role with the financial leadership training to carry out those tasks.


Taking Stock of Principals’ Role in Weighted Student Funding Districts2023-02-25T18:20:50+00:00

ED Surprises SEAs with New Data Release

2023-02-25T18:20:50+00:00

In this blog, Marguerite Roza discusses efforts to make new school-by-school spending data easier to find, interpret, and use.


ED Surprises SEAs with New Data Release2023-02-25T18:20:50+00:00

When it Comes to School Funds, Hold-Harmless Provisions Aren’t “Harmless”

2023-02-25T18:20:51+00:00

In this Education Next article, Marguerite Roza and Hannah Jarmolowski share how state leaders can address budget shortfalls without making disproportionate cuts to high-poverty districts.


When it Comes to School Funds, Hold-Harmless Provisions Aren’t “Harmless”2023-02-25T18:20:51+00:00

Analysis: Pandemic-Fueled Financial Turbulence Is Hitting School Districts Across the Country. Here’s What to Watch for

2023-02-25T18:20:52+00:00

In this analysis, Marguerite Roza and Katie Silberstein discuss how districts across the country have been making budget decisions in the midst of the pandemic and evolving reopening scenarios.


Analysis: Pandemic-Fueled Financial Turbulence Is Hitting School Districts Across the Country. Here’s What to Watch for2023-02-25T18:20:52+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Updated Financials, and State and District Responses

2023-02-25T18:20:54+00:00

As shortfalls in state budgets take shape, the financial outlook for public education is changing rapidly. In this webinar we share the latest implications for district finances and staffing, and a round-up of how states and districts across the country are responding.


30-Min Webinar: Updated Financials, and State and District Responses2023-02-25T18:20:54+00:00

The financial landscape and what it means for public education

2023-06-15T21:04:24+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 education2023-06-15T21:04:24+00:00

Straight Talk In Financially Uncertain Times: How District Leaders Can Communicate About The Messy Financial Landscape Coming Their Way

2023-02-25T18:20:55+00:00

In this guest blog post, Laura Anderson and Marguerite Roza share how district leaders can best communicate financial decisions to their staff and communities in order to build trust.


Straight Talk In Financially Uncertain Times: How District Leaders Can Communicate About The Messy Financial Landscape Coming Their Way2023-02-25T18:20:55+00:00

How Lawmakers Can Raise Teacher Pay Without Decimating Pension Funds

2023-02-25T18:20:56+00:00

In this op-ed, Marguerite Roza analyzes how making any near-term teacher raises non-pensionable could impact state governments and K-12 teachers and students.


How Lawmakers Can Raise Teacher Pay Without Decimating Pension Funds2023-02-25T18:20:56+00:00

Waiting for Congress to Bail Out Schools Is a Risky Game of Chicken. Time for Districts to Come Up With Plan B — and for States to Help

2023-02-25T18:20:58+00:00

In this commentary published by The 74, Marguerite Roza worries that a $200 billion ask for a federal bailout for schools seems to be an incomplete strategy, and argues that districts need to work now on the cost side of the equation as well.


Waiting for Congress to Bail Out Schools Is a Risky Game of Chicken. Time for Districts to Come Up With Plan B — and for States to Help2023-02-25T18:20:58+00:00

A free college plan that pays for itself

2023-02-25T18:20:58+00:00

In this op ed published by The Hill, Marguerite Roza proposes a way for the federal government to pay for college without boosting federal debt or burdening taxpayers.


A free college plan that pays for itself2023-02-25T18:20:58+00:00

New Financial Data Spotlight the District Role in Distributing Dollars Across Schools

2023-02-25T18:21:00+00:00

In this Education Next article, Marguerite Roza and Laura Anderson share what we’re learning from early explorations of the data and the opportunities it provides for education leaders.


New Financial Data Spotlight the District Role in Distributing Dollars Across Schools2023-02-25T18:21:00+00:00

How the coronavirus shutdown will affect school district revenues

2023-02-25T18:21:01+00:00

In this Brookings Chalkboard blog, Marguerite Roza discusses what a larger state role in education funding means for districts during an economic downturn.


How the coronavirus shutdown will affect school district revenues2023-02-25T18:21:01+00:00

30-Min Webinar: Projections, Stimulus, and Typical District Actions

2023-02-25T18:21:02+00:00

What will the financial turmoil will mean for public education? In this webinar we share what we are learning about the economic outlook, CARES Act, other stimulus efforts, and what states and districts might consider as they make financial plans for the coming weeks and year.


30-Min Webinar: Projections, Stimulus, and Typical District Actions2023-02-25T18:21:02+00:00

30-Min Webinar: What Will the Financial Turmoil Mean for Public Education?

2023-02-25T18:21:02+00:00

In response to numerous inquiries on how school systems will be affected by the economic turmoil, this short interactive webinar shares what we are learning about the financial outlook, and what states and districts might consider as they make financial plans for the coming weeks and year.


30-Min Webinar: What Will the Financial Turmoil Mean for Public Education?2023-02-25T18:21:02+00:00

How States Can Put Students at the Center of Their School Funding Formulas

2023-02-25T18:15:24+00:00

In this Hunt Institute "Making Sense of NC School Funding" blog, Marguerite Roza provides a national perspective on how states approach school funding.


How States Can Put Students at the Center of Their School Funding Formulas2023-02-25T18:15:24+00:00

The Big Bet on Adding Staff to Improve Schools Is Breaking the Bank

2023-02-25T18:21:03+00:00

By going all-in on staffing, we’ve crowded out other potential investments­ that can positively impact student learning. In this paper, Marguerite Roza writes that competing strategies should be viewed through the lens of which can do the most for students with the limited dollars at hand.


The Big Bet on Adding Staff to Improve Schools Is Breaking the Bank2023-02-25T18:21:03+00:00

Edunomics Lab against the tide: Yes, eliminate CRDC finance elements

2023-02-25T17:29:05+00:00

When the U.S. Department of Education proposed significant changes to the Civil Rights Data Collection, we broke with many of our peer organizations to write in support of eliminating the school finance portion.


Edunomics Lab against the tide: Yes, eliminate CRDC finance elements2023-02-25T17:29:05+00:00

Leaders Ignored Teacher Pension Debt. Now There’s Less Money for Teacher Salaries and Students

2023-02-25T18:12:57+00:00

This brief quantifies, in per pupil and per teacher terms, the magnitude of the crowd-out that pension debt creates for six states: CA, IL, LA, SC, TX, and VT. The goal is to help education leaders grasp the relationship between their pension debt bills and their aspirations for spending on schooling inputs, including teacher salaries.


Leaders Ignored Teacher Pension Debt. Now There’s Less Money for Teacher Salaries and Students2023-02-25T18:12:57+00:00

Chicago’s Teachers Union Agreed to Give Spending Control to Principals. Now, the Union Is Striking to Take It Away

2023-02-25T18:12:59+00:00

Chicago teacher contract negotiations stalled over who controls staffing decisions in schools. In this commentary, Marguerite Roza explains why principals should be entrusted to make the spending decisions that best serve their students.


Chicago’s Teachers Union Agreed to Give Spending Control to Principals. Now, the Union Is Striking to Take It Away2023-02-25T18:12:59+00:00

The “Would You Rather?” Test

2023-02-25T18:13:00+00:00

Education spending always involves choices, and smart choices require understanding value for the dollar. This paper uses the "would you rather" exercise to explore tradeoffs in school spending and think through the value of various cost-equivalent investments.


The “Would You Rather?” Test2023-02-25T18:13:00+00:00

Funding for Students’ Sake: How to Stop Financing Tomorrow’s Schools Based on Yesterday’s Priorities

2023-02-25T18:13:01+00:00

Student-based allocation (also known as weighted student funding) provides the most equitable, efficient, and flexible path toward increased productivity. This brief explains why it is a good idea to allocate resources on the basis of students, and measures several states' progress toward doing so.


Funding for Students’ Sake: How to Stop Financing Tomorrow’s Schools Based on Yesterday’s Priorities2023-02-25T18:13:01+00:00

Webinar: The Changing Role of Education Finance Leadership

2023-02-25T18:13:02+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 Leadership2023-02-25T18:13:02+00:00

A Way to Get School Finances Back Under Control

2023-02-25T18:13:03+00:00

This commentary lays out why it may be time for states to establish agencies modeled on the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) to certify school district obligations before they take effect and push districts into financial crisis.


A Way to Get School Finances Back Under Control2023-02-25T18:13:03+00:00

Training School Leaders to Spend Wisely

2023-02-25T18:13:03+00:00

This article in Education Next shines a light on the pressing need to better support district and school leaders in their work on the spending side of the equation.


Training School Leaders to Spend Wisely2023-02-25T18:13:03+00:00

Understanding school finance is one thing. Being effective in communicating about it is another skill entirely

2023-02-25T18:13:04+00:00

This article provides tips for school, district, and state leaders to communicate effectively about school finance issues—whether the topic is a state funding formula, a local tax levy, teacher salaries, or spending on athletics—and build much-needed trust and understanding in the process.


Understanding school finance is one thing. Being effective in communicating about it is another skill entirely2023-02-25T18:13:04+00:00

L.A. District Is Asking for a $500 Million Parcel Tax. In Return, Let the Schools Decide How to Spend Their New Funds

2023-02-25T18:13:05+00:00

In this commentary The 74, Marguerite Roza and Anthony Drew note that many of the country’s largest school districts have shifted to a decentralized funding model, allocating funds to schools based on student needs, and boosting equity and transparency in the process. They urge LAUSD leaders to follow suit.


L.A. District Is Asking for a $500 Million Parcel Tax. In Return, Let the Schools Decide How to Spend Their New Funds2023-02-25T18:13:05+00:00

Weighted Student Funding Is On The Rise. Here’s What We Are Learning

2023-02-25T18:13:05+00:00

In this blog, Marguerite Roza discusses initial findings from our IES-funded research study that seeks to document the range of WSF formulas and detail how they are being implemented in school systems around the nation.


Weighted Student Funding Is On The Rise. Here’s What We Are Learning2023-02-25T18:13:05+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:06+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 Data2023-02-25T18:13:06+00:00

DeVos Proposed $50 Million for Districts to Decentralize Federal Money, to Put Schools in the Driver’s Seat. It’s a Smart Idea

2023-02-25T18:13:07+00:00

In this commentary in The 74, Marguerite Roza urges legislators to consider a proposed pilot program to give school leaders and staff a say in how federal resources are used in their schools


DeVos Proposed $50 Million for Districts to Decentralize Federal Money, to Put Schools in the Driver’s Seat. It’s a Smart Idea2023-02-25T18:13:07+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:08+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 sorry2023-02-25T18:13:08+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:09+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?2023-02-25T18:13:09+00:00

Webinar: An Introduction to Student-Based Allocation

2023-02-25T18:13:09+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 Allocation2023-02-25T18:13:09+00:00

Equipping School Leaders to Spend Wisely

2023-02-25T18:13:10+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 Wisely2023-02-25T18:13:10+00:00

A Checklist to Guide Data-Visualization Decisions

2023-02-25T18:13:11+00:00

This checklist will help SEAs determine what they hope to accomplish with their financial transparency reporting and which data elements to include in order to answer a range of critical questions.


A Checklist to Guide Data-Visualization Decisions2023-02-25T18:13:11+00:00

Interstate Financial Reporting

2023-02-25T18:13:12+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 Reporting2023-02-25T18:13:12+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:12+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?2023-02-25T18:13:12+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:13+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.2023-02-25T18:13:13+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:14+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?2023-02-25T18:13:14+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:15+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 students2023-02-25T18:13:15+00:00

Analyzing early impacts of California’s Local Control Funding Formula

2023-02-25T18:13:15+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 Formula2023-02-25T18:13:15+00:00

College credit in high school: Doing the math on costs

2023-02-25T18:13:16+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 costs2023-02-25T18:13:16+00:00

Student Based Allocation District Collaborative Meeting

2023-02-25T18:13:17+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 Meeting2023-02-25T18:13:17+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:18+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 Expenditures2023-02-25T18:13:18+00:00

School Level Finance Survey Converter Tool

2023-02-25T18:13:19+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 Tool2023-02-25T18:13:19+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:20+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?2023-02-25T18:13:20+00:00

Financial Transparency & Equity

2023-02-25T18:13:20+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 & Equity2023-02-25T18:13:20+00:00

Financial Transparency Reporting Requirement: Where to start

2023-02-25T18:13:21+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 start2023-02-25T18:13:21+00:00

School-level spending: Financial transparency coming to every community in 2018

2023-02-25T18:13:22+00:00

At the Education Writers Association National Seminar on June 2nd, hosted at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Marguerite Roza presented on new school spending reports emerging under the federal ESSA financial transparency requirement.


School-level spending: Financial transparency coming to every community in 20182023-02-25T18:13:22+00:00

The Productivity Opportunity: A Role-Playing Activity to Engage Leaders in Financial and Outcomes Data

2023-02-25T18:13:23+00:00

This document offers a set of exercises designed to help education leaders better understand the relationship between spending and student performance—and position them to use emerging data to explore opportunities for productivity in their day-to-day work improving education.


The Productivity Opportunity: A Role-Playing Activity to Engage Leaders in Financial and Outcomes Data2023-02-25T18:13:23+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:13:24+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 Ages2023-02-25T18:13:24+00:00

Productivity Improvements Paper Series

2023-02-25T18:13:24+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 Series2023-02-25T18:13:24+00:00

The Equity Problem in Teacher Pensions

2023-02-25T18:13:25+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 Pensions2023-02-25T18:13:25+00:00

New Era of School Finance

2023-02-25T18:13:26+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 Finance2023-02-25T18:13:26+00:00

Are public universities neglecting in-state students?

2023-02-25T18:11:15+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?2023-02-25T18:11:15+00:00

Productivity is sometimes seen as a dirty word in education

2023-02-25T18:11:15+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 education2023-02-25T18:11:15+00:00

The Productivity of Rural Schools

2023-02-25T18:11:16+00:00

Remote rural districts are often more expensive and yield lower student outcomes than urban and suburban districts. Yet some rural districts generate higher-than-expected learning results without proportionately higher spending. Based on interviews with leaders in 30 rural remote districts, Marguerite Roza identifies six factors that make some districts “productivity superstars."


The Productivity of Rural Schools2023-02-25T18:11:16+00:00

Advancing System Productivity Webinar Series

2023-02-25T18:11:17+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 Series2023-02-25T18:11:17+00:00

Meeting the ESSA Financial Transparency Reporting Requirement

2023-08-02T22:11:34+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 Requirement2023-08-02T22:11:34+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:11:19+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 dollar2023-02-25T18:11:19+00:00

Highly Productive Rural Districts: What is the Secret Sauce?

2023-02-25T18:11:21+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?2023-02-25T18:11:21+00:00

Promoting Productivity: Lessons from Rural Schools

2023-02-25T18:11:22+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 Schools2023-02-25T18:11:22+00:00

Paying the Best Teachers More to Teach More Students

2023-02-25T18:11:26+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 Students2023-02-25T18:11:26+00:00

Innovation Amid Financial Scarcity: The Opportunity in Rural Schools

2023-02-25T18:11:27+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 Schools2023-02-25T18:11:27+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:11:27+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 Adaptation2023-02-25T18:11:27+00:00

Student Based Allocation 101

2023-02-25T18:11:28+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 1012023-02-25T18:11:28+00:00

Can decentralization improve Seattle schools?

2023-02-25T18:11:30+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?2023-02-25T18:11:30+00:00

The Real Deal on K-12 Staffing

2023-02-25T18:11:30+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 Staffing2023-02-25T18:11:30+00:00

Building SEA Productivity

2023-02-25T18:11:31+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 Productivity2023-02-25T18:11:31+00:00

Denver Public Schools: Making More Money Follow Students

2023-02-25T18:11:32+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 Students2023-02-25T18:11:32+00:00

What Portion of District Funds Follow Students?

2023-02-25T18:11:32+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?2023-02-25T18:11:32+00:00

Boston Public Schools: Weighting What Matters

2023-02-25T18:11:33+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 Matters2023-02-25T18:11:33+00:00

A State Information System to Support Improvements in Productivity

2023-02-25T18:11:34+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 Productivity2023-02-25T18:11:34+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:11:34+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 Priorities2023-02-25T18:11:34+00:00

SEA of the Future: Building the Productivity Infrastructure

2023-02-25T18:11:35+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 Infrastructure2023-02-25T18:11:35+00:00

Webinar: Training Principals for Budgeting at the School Level

2023-02-25T18:11:36+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 Level2023-02-25T18:11:36+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:11:36+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?2023-02-25T18:11:36+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:11:37+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 Pay2023-02-25T18:11:37+00:00

Civic Vitality and Public Education Productivity: The Harbormaster Mayor

2023-02-25T18:11:38+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 Mayor2023-02-25T18:11:38+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:11:38+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 Productivity2023-02-25T18:11:38+00:00

Taking Off the Heat

2023-02-25T18:08:05+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 Heat2023-02-25T18:08:05+00:00

VisionSBA: K-12 Financial Modeling Tool

2023-02-25T18:08:07+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 Tool2023-02-25T18:08:07+00:00

Options for NY State in an Era of Constrained Resources

2023-02-25T18:08:08+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 Resources2023-02-25T18:08:08+00:00

The SEA of the Future: Prioritizing Productivity

2023-02-25T18:08:08+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 Productivity2023-02-25T18:08:08+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:08:09+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 Chiefs2023-02-25T18:08:09+00:00

The Case Against High School Sports

2023-02-25T18:08:11+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 Sports2023-02-25T18:08:11+00:00

The High Price of Excess Credits

2023-02-25T18:08:12+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 Credits2023-02-25T18:08:12+00:00

More Students, More Degrees, More Dollars

2023-02-25T18:08:12+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 Dollars2023-02-25T18:08:12+00:00

Funding Phantom Students

2023-02-25T18:08:14+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 Students2023-02-25T18:08:14+00:00

How Current Education Governance Distorts Financial Decisionmaking

2023-02-25T18:08:14+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 Decisionmaking2023-02-25T18:08:14+00:00

Student-Based Allocation to Enable School Choice

2023-02-25T18:08:15+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 Choice2023-02-25T18:08:15+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:08:16+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 Savings2023-02-25T18:08:16+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:08:17+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 Washington2023-02-25T18:08:17+00:00

What Happens to Teacher Salaries During a Recession?

2023-02-25T18:08:18+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?2023-02-25T18:08:18+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:08:20+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 Compensation2023-02-25T18:08:20+00:00

Rethinking State Education Finance Toward Greater Productivity

2023-02-25T18:08:21+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 Productivity2023-02-25T18:08:21+00:00

The Promise of Cafeteria-Style Benefits for Districts and Teachers

2023-02-25T18:08:23+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 Teachers2023-02-25T18:08:23+00:00

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

2023-02-25T18:08:24+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 Subjects2023-02-25T18:08:24+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:46:37+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 Education2023-02-25T17:46:37+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:46:13+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?2023-02-25T17:46:13+00:00

Breaking Down School Budgets: Following the Dollars into the Classroom

2023-02-25T17:46:03+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 Classroom2023-02-25T17:46:03+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:45:52+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 Students2023-02-25T17:45:52+00:00

Educational Economics: Where Do School Funds Go?

2023-02-25T17:45:43+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?2023-02-25T17:45:43+00:00

K–12 Job Trends Amidst Stimulus Funds: Early Findings

2023-02-25T17:45:33+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 Findings2023-02-25T17:45:33+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:45:21+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 Schools2023-02-25T17:45:21+00:00

Have States Disproportionately Cut Education Budgets During ARRA? Early Findings

2023-02-25T17:44:56+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 Findings2023-02-25T17:44:56+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:44:48+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 Education2023-02-25T17:44:48+00:00

Seniority-Based Layoffs Will Exacerbate Job Loss in Public Education

2023-02-25T17:44:23+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 Education2023-02-25T17:44:23+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:44:14+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 Types2023-02-25T17:44:14+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:44:04+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 Equity2023-02-25T17:44:04+00:00

How Districts Shortchange Low-Income and Minority Students

2023-02-25T17:43:56+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 Students2023-02-25T17:43:56+00:00

Pennywise and Pound Foolish in Education

2023-02-25T17:43:47+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 Education2023-02-25T17:43:47+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:43:32+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 Schools2023-02-25T17:43:32+00:00

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

2023-02-25T17:43:22+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 Budgeting2023-02-25T17:43:22+00:00