Websites

National School Finance Statistics for 2007 -- a report that includes median per pupil expenditure amounts for the top and bottom 5% of school districts in every state -- data are presented that clearly document continuing inequalities in school funding.

Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card -- a 2010 report by the Education Law Center of Newark, NJ that reports that 80% of the states are doing a poor job of funding their schools fairly, which, by definition, means that generally the poorest schools are not receiving what they need, in comparison to wealthier districts.

U.S. Public Education Statistics, 2007 -- Good overview data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

What Research Says About Unequal Funding for Schools in America -- an excellent research synthesis by Bruce Biddle and David Berliner, 2003.

Aid Disparities in Needy Schools Seen as Rising -- a 2004 report about how the gap in school funding between wealthy and poor districts is growing in most states.

Education Finance Statistics Center -- national statistics for the U.S., by state, at the National Center for Education Statistics.

"Savage Inequalities" Revisited -- an article relating the 2002 study, "The Funding Gap," by the Education Trust, to Jonathan Kozol's 1990 research and book, "Savage Inequalities."

The Return to Separate and Unequal -- an article about funding inequalities and related racial discrimination in Wisconsin and Milwaukee.

Money Makes a Difference -- a recent research report from a federal educational research organization.

Study Calls for Tightly Tying School Funding to Strategic Goals -- an article about a six year study, completed in 2008, that argues for reforming the way we finance schools and connecting this reform to improved and more effective ways to spend education money.

Funding Student Learning: How to Align Education Resources with Student learning Goals -- a national study that concludes, "The bottom line is that education finance needs to be redesigned to support student performance.” The researchers argue that school finance systems must be reformed and education money must be more clearly directed at funding policies and practices that produce student learning.

Public School Review -- a site with information, including per-pupil expenditure rates, for almost every public school in the country.

The Alliance for Quality Education -- an activist group in New York State working to achieve equality in education funding in New York -- they provide lots of useful data and ideas for reform, for New York State.

Texas School Finance Disparities -- an article about a 1998 report in Texas.

Fair Funding for Texas School Children -- a 2003 essay about attempts to address funding inequalities in Texas -- some progress has been made, but significant inequalities remain.

Reconsidering No Child Left Behind -- A news radio program about how some school officials, especially in rural areas, say the federal mandate is inflexible and their school systems cannot meet the demands. Several states are considering opting out of federal funds just to escape the federal mandate. Includes lots of links to related stories and issues.

Some Good Books & Articles

Adams, J. (Ed.). 2010.  Smart Money: Using Educational Resources to Accomplish Ambitious Learning Goals. Harvard Education Press.

Biddle, B. 1997. Foolishness, Dangerous Nonsense, and Real Correlates of State Differences in Achievement. Phi Delta Kappan, 79(1): 8-13.

Biddle, B. & Berliner, D. 2002. Small Class Sizes and Its Effects. Educational Leadership, 59(5): 12-23.

Biddle, B. & Berliner, D. 2002. Unequal School Funding in the United States. Educational Leadership, 59(8), 48-59.

Elliot, M. 1998. School Finance and Opportunity to Learn: Does Money Well Spent Enhance Students' Achievement? Sociology of Education, 71(3): 223-245.

Firestone, W. 1997. From Cashbox to Classroom. Teachers College Press.

Greenwald, R. Hedges, L. & Laine, R. 1996. The Effect of School Expenditures on School Achievement. Review of Educational Research, 66(3): 361-396.

Hess, F. and Osberg, E. (Eds.) 2010. Stretching the School Dollar: How Schools and Districts Can Save Money While Serving Students Best. Harvard Education Press.

Karp, S. et al., 1997. Funding for Justice: Money, Equity and the Future of Public Education. Rethinking Schools.

Khadaroo, S. 2010. Economic Segregation Rising in U.S. Public Schools. May 27, Christian Science Monitor.

Kozol, J. 1991. Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools. Harper.

Kozol, J. 2005. The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in the America. Crown.

Maxwell, L. 2010.  New R.I. School Funding Formula Aims at Equity. Education Week, 29(37), July 19.

Monk, D. & Brent, B. 1997. Raising Money for Education: A Guide to Property Tax. Corwin Press.

Payne, K. & Biddle, B. 1999. Poor School Funding, Child Poverty, and Mathematics Achievement. Educational Researcher, 28(6): 4-13.

Slavin, R. 1999. How Can Funding Equity Ensure Enhanced Achievement? Journal of Education Finance, 24(4): 519-528.

Wenglinsky, H. 1997. How Money Matters: The Effect of School District Spending on Academic Achievement. Sociology of Education, 70(3): 221-237.

Films & Videos​​​​​​​

Children in America's Schools. 1997 -- a powerful documentary about school funding inequalities and their consequences, in Ohio.