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A large body of recent research shows that investing wisely in schools improves a range of student outcomes. The schools that receive less funding are usually those with large populations of students from low-income families, students of color, and students with disabilities. Those funding disparities lead to disparities in educational outcomes. Research from the Learning Policy Institute and others identifies the causes, impacts, and solutions to address inequitable school funding.

Funders
The Learning Policy Institute’s research in this area of work is funded in part by the Raikes Foundation. Core operating support for LPI is provided by the Sandler Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.

Partner
National Conference of State Legislatures

Featured Resources

How Money Matters for Schools
Report

How Money Matters for Schools

Dec 13 2017
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For decades, some politicians and pundits have argued that “money does not make a difference” for school outcomes. While it is certainly possible to spend money poorly, this viewpoint is strongly contradicted by a large body of evidence from rigorous empirical research. This document presents a brief explanation of the goal of school finance reforms, followed by summaries of the main bodies of evidence that illustrate how equitable and adequate school funding improves student outcomes.
Money and Freedom: The Impact of California’s School Finance Reform
Brief

Money and Freedom: The Impact of California’s School Finance Reform

Feb 02 2018
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This study of California’s recent major school finance reform, the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), is among the first to provide evidence of LCFF’s impacts on student outcomes. We found that LCFF-induced increases in school spending led to significant increases in high school graduation rates and academic achievement, particularly among children from low-income families. The evidence suggests that money targeted to students’ needs can make a significant difference in student outcomes and can narrow achievement gaps.
Blog

Why Our Education Funding Systems Are Derailing the American Dream

Feb 18 2019
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We live in an era of extreme income inequality and one of the places it’s hitting hardest is in our schools. That’s because inequity is hard-wired into our school-funding systems. Linda Darling-Hammond and Jeff Raikes explain the hard wiring and discuss what we can do to shift direction and ensure that every child receives a quality education.