Investments That Pay Off: Pre-Pandemic Spending, Working Conditions, and Teacher Staffing in Low-Performing Schools During COVID-19.

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Title: Investments That Pay Off: Pre-Pandemic Spending, Working Conditions, and Teacher Staffing in Low-Performing Schools During COVID-19.
Authors: Pham, Lam D.1 (AUTHOR), Sengstaken, Nicholas1 (AUTHOR), Kho, Adam2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Journal of Education Human Resources. Apr2026, Vol. 44 Issue 2, p268-314. 47p.
Subject Terms: *Educational finance, *COVID-19 pandemic, *School budgets, *Teacher recruitment, *Student well-being, *Education policy, *Disadvantaged schools, Work environment
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: This study examines relationships between pre-pandemic spending, working conditions, and teacher staffing in low-performing U.S. schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to examine whether school spending before the start of the pandemic helped low-performing schools to better support teachers at its onset. We use multivariate regression models on nationally representative survey and administrative data capturing working conditions and teacher staffing. Results suggest that, within low-performing schools, increased spending was associated with teachers reporting more resources and higher levels of well-being during the pandemic. The findings are driven by results in the spring of 2020, when schools first closed due to the pandemic. These results provide evidence that the effect of spending is heterogeneous because low-performing schools benefited more from increased spending, relative to higher performing schools. This suggests that future school finance policies should consider strategic funding formulae that account for school performance and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Education Human Resources is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Investments That Pay Off: Pre-Pandemic Spending, Working Conditions, and Teacher Staffing in Low-Performing Schools During COVID-19.
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  Data: This study examines relationships between pre-pandemic spending, working conditions, and teacher staffing in low-performing U.S. schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to examine whether school spending before the start of the pandemic helped low-performing schools to better support teachers at its onset. We use multivariate regression models on nationally representative survey and administrative data capturing working conditions and teacher staffing. Results suggest that, within low-performing schools, increased spending was associated with teachers reporting more resources and higher levels of well-being during the pandemic. The findings are driven by results in the spring of 2020, when schools first closed due to the pandemic. These results provide evidence that the effect of spending is heterogeneous because low-performing schools benefited more from increased spending, relative to higher performing schools. This suggests that future school finance policies should consider strategic funding formulae that account for school performance and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Education Human Resources is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.3138/jehr-2024-0045
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      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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        PageCount: 47
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      – SubjectFull: School budgets
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      – SubjectFull: Teacher recruitment
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      – SubjectFull: Student well-being
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      – SubjectFull: Education policy
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      – SubjectFull: Disadvantaged schools
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      – SubjectFull: Work environment
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      – SubjectFull: United States
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      – TitleFull: Investments That Pay Off: Pre-Pandemic Spending, Working Conditions, and Teacher Staffing in Low-Performing Schools During COVID-19.
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            NameFull: Pham, Lam D.
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            NameFull: Sengstaken, Nicholas
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              Text: Apr2026
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              Y: 2026
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