Research Briefs

These reports and briefs are written by the SFID team and present analyses of SFID data. They include the state profiles that are published every year with the annual report and database. In addition to the profiles, we try to publish at least one additional report or brief every year.

The Adequacy of School District Spending in the U.S.

An analysis of our new District Cost Database, which provides measures of the adequacy of funding in 12,000 public school districts.

Authors: Bruce D. Baker, Matthew Di Carlo, and Mark Weber

Publication date: March 2021

Published by the School Finance Indicators Database

State School Finance Profiles 2017-18

One page profiles summarizing the adequacy and fairness of each state’s public K-12 finance system (published with 2021 annual report).

Authors: Bruce D. Baker, Matthew Di Carlo, Lauren Schneider, and Mark Weber

Publication date: January 2021

Published by the School Finance Indicators Database

State School Finance Profiles 2016-17

One page profiles summarizing the adequacy and fairness of each state’s public K-12 finance system (published with 2020 annual report).

Authors: Bruce D. Baker, Matthew Di Carlo, Lauren Schneider, and Mark Weber

Publication date: October 2020

Published by the School Finance Indicators Database

The Coronavirus Pandemic and K-12 Education Funding

This report examines the implications of the coronavirus pandemic for K-12 education funding, and lays out state and federal policy recommendations.

Authors: Bruce D. Baker and Matthew Di Carlo

Publication date: April 2020

Published by the Albert Shanker Institute (external link)

School Finance and Teacher Pay Competitiveness

An analysis of wage gaps between teachers and comparable non-teacher professionals, and the relationship between these gaps and state school spending and fiscal effort.

Authors: Bruce D. Baker, Matthew Di Carlo, and Mark Weber

Publication date: July 2019

Published by the School Finance Indicators Database