Money matters in education, especially for students from families that are struggling financially. Increasing school funding not only leads to improved school completion rates and higher achievement in low-income school districts, but over the long-term it can increase educational attainment, wages, and family incomes for children from low-income…

Math scores of Texas 8th graders rose to lead the nation in 2011, but they have been dropping ever since. This report examines plausible explanations for this rise and fall, ranging from the family income of students to funding cuts by the Texas Legislature. [This document was prepared by the Center for Public Policy Priorities for the Texas…

Test-score data show that both low-income and racial-minority children score lower, on average, on states' elementary-school accountability tests compared with higher-income children or white children. This report explores the relationship between racial and socioeconomic test-score gaps in New England metropolitan areas and two factors associated…

The 2023 edition of the Annual Condition of Education Report (COE) marks the 34th edition of the report. For over 30 years, the Department has published the COE in order to provide education stakeholders critical data about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2023 COE includes a wide variety of content including information about Iowa's…

The goal of this article is to explore the heterogeneity of state investments in elementary and secondary education over the period from 1993 to 2013, evaluating both the level of funding over time and the extent to which funding is targeted to districts serving high-poverty populations. This paper then explores a) whether those levels and…

The 2022 edition of the Annual Condition of Education Report (COE) marks the 33rd edition of the report. For over 30 years, the Department has published the COE in order to provide education stakeholders critical data about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2022 COE includes a wide variety of content including information about Iowa's…

America's education system, from kindergarten through the state university, is designed to produce college graduates. Those who stop short of at least a community-college diploma are widely regarded as failures, or at least victims of a failed system. Yet most Americans fall into this category, and current trends offer little hope for improvement.…

This briefing was prepared for the 2016 Virginia Education Summit. The report is comprised of questions and answers in the following sections: (1) K-12; (2) Workforce; and (3) Postsecondary. The K-12 section addresses the following questions: (1) What does the K-12 landscape look like in the Commonwealth? (2) How are students performing in…

This report provides comparisons between Kansas and relevant state groups on key demographic variables. It is a companion piece to the "KASB Comparing Kansas 2017" report that helps show how factors outside of school funding may have an impact on student outcomes for each state. In addition, the Appendix contains the detailed tables…

The 2021 edition of the Annual Condition of Education Report (COE) marks the 32nd edition of the report. For over 30 years, the Department has published the COE in order to provide education stakeholders critical data about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2021 COE covers a wide variety of content including information about Iowa's…

Arizona has grown rapidly over the years and our education system has grown in step with the population. But increasing the total budget for education doesn't mean that we have directed more resources to each student. The numbers show that Arizona has one of the lowest per-pupil funding rates in the country. Parties of one faction or another argue…

"Ohio Education by the Numbers" offers busy policy makers, journalists, and civic and business leaders simple and easy-to-use vital statistics about Ohio's schools and the students they serve. The facts and figures contained within offer an overview of Ohio's students; where they go to school; their achievement on national and state…

This past year has been unlike any in recent history. In March, the global COVID-19 pandemic forced Illinois to shift suddenly to remote learning for all students. This adjustment exposed the digital divide as a stark reality. One bright spot in the year occurred in May, when the Illinois' plan for career and technical education (CTE) received…

For over 30 years, the Department has published the Annual Condition of Education (COE) report in order to provide education stakeholders quality information about the status of Iowa's education system. The 2020 COE covers a wide variety of content from information about Iowa's students, schools, educators, administrators, performance and school…

This paper is in response to a request from the California State Board of Education and the California Advisory Commission on Special Education. Its sections include a national overview of special education funding and provision, special education in California compared to the nation, a more detailed examination of state-level special education…