Public expenditures and the production of education

Abstract

The relationship between public education expenditures and student outcomes remains an important concern for policy analysts, educational administrators, and the public at large. While previous studies have failed to identify a consistent relationship between public investments in education and positive student outcomes, most analyses have not accounted for the different educational goals associated with various instructional expenditure categories. This study builds on prior research by using Pennsylvania’s public school districts to test proposed improvements in model specification for the traditional education production function. Using longitudinal, fixed-effects models, a detailed disaggregation of instructional expenditures is undertaken in order to account for the likelihood that different instructional subcategories (i.e. regular programming, special education, and vocational instruction) influence student outcomes in varying ways. The results suggest that the impact of expenditures may be understated in previous studies based on a failure to account for these distinctions, particularly in the case of Mathematics education.

An Assessment of Funding Management Strategies in ‘’No Fee’’ Schools in Cape Town: With Specific Reference to Selected Primary Schools.

“…This persistent poor performance is particularly noticeable in the area of strategic management (Naicker & Ncokwana, 2016). According to Neely & Diebold (2016), a common suggestion to address school performance is adequate funding; however, policymakers and educators do not seem to believe that adequate resources will improve school performance. Neely & Diebold (2016) have shown that the concept of resourcing is central to many funding models.…”

“…According to Neely & Diebold (2016), a common suggestion to address school performance is adequate funding; however, policymakers and educators do not seem to believe that adequate resources will improve school performance. Neely & Diebold (2016) have shown that the concept of resourcing is central to many funding models. One might assume that the concept of resourcing is central to the education strategies of the South African government.…”

“…Thus, explaining organizational structure and behavior helps us to track more specific associations between organizational achievements and input variables such as funds. Since 1965, theories of finance and success have suggested that good performance is directly influenced by financial management strategies (Neely & Diebold, 2016). Mort (1960) argues that it is clear that institutions with superior educational expenditure management strategies will benefit more from the educational outcomes desired by many in society.…”

“…In the early 20th century, the assumption that money directly affects performance was supported by the view of closed systems of organization and leadership (Neely et al, 2016). Thus, closed systems theories have suggested that an organization's activities include factors such as structure, leadership, and task behavior, and that these factors are controlled almost entirely by dynamic internal processes.…”

Inequalities in Albanian Education: Evidence from Large-Scale Assessment Studies

“…Researchers have evidenced an association between variations of the districts in educational resources with the variations of the districts in student outcomes (Fowler & Walberg, 1991;Sander, 1993). Literature on education production function in the USA (e.g., Neely & Diebold, 2016), which looks at the association between input and student outcome, has long found a positive relationship between education spending at district level and achievement, albeit not consistent across studies (Hanushek, 1989). While spending as input may also be considered an index of quality of education (Rizzuto & Wachtel, 1980), the socioeconomic status of the districts also has an effect on the learning outcomes (Fowler & Walberg, 1991).…”