Finance and Productivity

Unlike traditional school finance research, which tracks how funds are distributed among school districts, we focus on how money is used at the district and school levels, and how different uses of funds affect children’s learning opportunities. We hope to help district and school leaders see the consequences of current and possible alternative ways of spending money, and to help educators use every dollar to the maximum benefit of students. Further, we aim to explain the connections between policy at all levels and the ways in which resources are ultimately brought to bear on students.

Blended Learning Models
Blended learning promises to dramatically customize student learning. Understanding how schools can use technology, dollars, and teacher time in innovative ways will be key to the expansion and success of blended learning models. Our new study examines financial and resource allocation implications of these models by analyzing the financials of 30 K-12 blended learning schools. The results will help remove barriers to innovation by providing timely analysis and knowledge management about how these cost structures differ from each other and from traditional school funding models.