OVERVIEW
Policy
analysis and research provide crucial information that links education advocates
and school funding litigators and supports their efforts in pursuit of equal educational
opportunity and a quality education for all students. Because education policy
has traditionally been a state issue, many policy organizations are state-based,
such as the California Budget Project, the Center for Public Policy Priorities,
and the Fiscal Policy Institute. There
is also a growing interest in the federal role in education policy and school
funding, and the Government Accounting Office (GAO) and the National Center on
Educational Statistics (NCES) both analyze data on the local, state and national
levels. Moreover, the Regional Education Laboratories work to ensure that those
involved in educational improvement at all levels have access to the best available
information from research and practice. Much
of the fundamental research on education and school finance is conducted by faculty
at schools of education and schools of public administration (for example Syracuse
University's Maxwell School), many of whom are members of the American Educational
Research Association or the American Education Finance Association. An on-line
collection of much of this research is available at the ERIC, information center.
Important findings have been documented (and research continues) on such critical
education issues as: effective programs and school districts, teacher quality,
class size, standards-based reform, early childhood education, urban education,
rural education and facilities. Recent
Developments Among
the many significant recent developments in policy analysis affecting education
reform and school funding reform are: The
emergence of costing-out studies as the basis for adequate school funding, such
as in Maryland; a
greater emphasis on closing achievement gaps; and a
better understanding of programs that work for "at-risk" students, including
programs at Department of Defense (DOD) schools..
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