Does Education Aid Flow to the Schools That Need It the Most? Low-Performing Schools and the Need for Better Local Spending Data. Policy Brief

The link between education funding levels and student outcomes is a matter of continuing debate, including in New York State. State education aid in New York follows a progressive formula that targets more aid to lower-income, higher-need school districts, yet these districts continue to dominate lists of the state's lowest performing schools. The Center for Education Pipeline Systems Change at the Rockefeller Institute of Government examines various aspects of the education system to pinpoint problems and to identify and grow programs that are improving student outcomes and success. In this brief, education spending and academic performance in New York are examined. The state's more than 4,000 public schools are ranked by academic performance, and measures of those schools' fiscal capacity and wealth and poverty measures are presented. District per pupil spending is highlighted.