The short answer to the perennial question of whether “money matters” in education is “yes,” writes Bruce Baker, an education professor at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J.
In a new report for the Albert Shanker Institute, Mr. Baker looks at district-level, peer-reviewed studies on the impact of money on public education. Mr. Baker addresses three questions: Does the amount of money schools spend matter? Does spending money on schooling resources such as smaller classes matter? And do state school finance reforms matter?
He argues that while public debate has increasingly dismissed the positive impact of increased funding in schools, thoughtful increases in funding lead to increased student performance, especially for students from minority groups.
