Research Briefs
These reports and briefs are written by the SFID team and present analyses of SFID data. The list includes the most recent version of 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.

State School Finance Profiles 2018-19
One page profiles summarizing the adequacy and fairness of each state’s public K-12 finance system (published with 2022 annual report).
Authors: Bruce D. Baker, Matthew Di Carlo, Kayla Reist, and Mark Weber
Publication date: December 2021
Published by the School Finance Indicators Database
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
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
Latest News
NEW RELEASE: SECOND EDITION OF DISTRICT COST DATABASE
February 2022: Evaluate K-12 funding adequacy for 12,000 districts between 2009-19. Download the full dataset or see results for your district with the DCD data visualization tool.
Latest Annual Report
The Adequacy and Fairness of State School Finance Systems (fourth edition)
The fourth edition of our annual report presenting findings on effort, adequacy, and progressivity in state school finance systems. Published December 2021. Read the report.
Latest Research Briefs
RESEARCH BRIEF: One-Page State School Finance Profiles
Profiles presenting the latest data on the K-12 finance systems of all 50 states and D.C. Published December 2021. Download your state’s profile.