To develop and support an effective, diverse educator workforce, education leaders in California are encouraged to coordinate, or braid, state funds, federal funds, and specialized grants. By braiding funds, education leaders can adapt to the ebb and flow of annual budgets to better meet local needs that can improve outcomes for students. This…

California is home to the nation's largest higher education systems which once served as "the model" for access, affordability, and excellence. However, decades of declining state investment and existing policies are "marginalizing the majority" of California students and perpetuating social stratification across the state.…

Courts have been reluctant to fully embrace free exercise or equal protection claims of school choice advocates, but recent rulings may have permanently reversed that trend, potentially compelling governments to provide substantially more resources to parochial schools than ever before. The first section of this article summarizes the origin of…

State financial aid is a critical piece of college affordability for students from low-income backgrounds. Nearly three quarters of all students attend college in their home state - which is typically a requirement for state-based financial aid - and first-generation and students from low-income backgrounds are even more likely than their peers to…

Each year, school systems and lead agencies plan for how to improve student learning in the coming year. This process involves reviewing student achievement and progress data, establishing priorities, and building a budget aligned to these priorities using all available funding sources. Louisiana's 2022-2023 School System Planning Guide (SSPG) is…

The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted education for all students, but has hit students from vulnerable and systemically neglected populations hardest. Beyond interruptions to instruction, many of these students face food insecurity, unreliable access to remote learning technology, reduced access to student supports and education services, and housing…

Public Act 100-0465 or the Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act was signed by Illinois Governor, Bruce Rauner, on August 31, 2017. According to the Illinois State Board of Education's Evidence-Based Funding webpage, "This law enacts evidence-based funding (EBF) and comprehensively changes the way that school districts receive the…

This document to State Title I Directors answers common questions about how the Title I carryover waiver of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) is applied to local educational agencies (LEAs). Questions include: (1) What does a waiver related to the carryover limitation in section 1127(b) of the ESEA allow?; (2) When the…

Education savings accounts (ESAs) are education funding mechanisms that allow for families to receive a deposit of public funds to a government-authorized savings account. Using student-level longitudinal data, this paper examines how families participating in the Florida Gardiner Scholarship Program use education savings account funds. Results…

The U.S. Department of Education has projected enrollment declines over the next decade, leading to budget cuts for school districts, which will be particularly impactful in urban and rural areas serving vulnerable students. As federal COVID-19 funds expire, districts will face challenges in cutting costs, potentially leading to layoffs or school…

California's information about opportunities and outcomes in early learning and care, TK-12 schools, colleges, social services, and employment is currently disconnected. A longitudinal data system can be a powerful tool that allows California to identify bright spots, inequities, and roadblocks in our educational system, especially for students of…

In 2019, California passed legislation that called for the creation of its longitudinal data system, the Cradle-to-Career (C2C) Data System. Since then, the state has allocated $40.52 million in funding to support the agency's efforts. Given the substantial state investment and the potential for more, better, and accessible data to answer critical…

Public colleges and universities depend heavily on state appropriations and legislatures must decide how much to fund higher education. This study applies punctuated equilibrium theory to characterize the distribution of annual changes in higher education appropriations and defines the threshold for a dramatic budget cut. Using data for the 50…

The purpose of this study was to provide a theoretical model for public higher education. Significant financial challenges are affecting the future of the public higher education sector of the United States. With a decline in enrollments in conjunction with minimal increases in state funding sources, many have speculated what the future holds for…

In times of financial crises, it is crucial to understand how district leaders prioritize spending to ensure an adequate and equitable education for all students. This paper examines how districts in Alabama altered spending during the Great Recession. Results demonstrate that expenditure cuts were more intense for high needs student populations,…