report evaluates district productivity

A new report evaluates the productivity of nearly every major school district in the United States. The report, which defines “productivity” as achievement produced relative to a district’s educational spending, found that low productivity costs the national system as much as $175 billion a year. The study found that many school districts could boost student achievement without increasing spending if they used their money more productively. Low productivity costs the nation’s school system as much as $175 billion a year. Without controls on how additional school dollars are spent, more education spending will not automatically improve student outcomes, the study said.
Center for American Progress, 2011, Return on Educational Investment: a district-by-district of U.S. educational productivity