If You Can't Measure It, Can You Improve It?
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| Title: | If You Can't Measure It, Can You Improve It? |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | William Henson, Manhattan Institute (MI) |
| Source: | Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 2026. |
| Availability: | Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Tel: 212-599-7000; Fax: 212-599-3494; Web site: http://www.manhattan-institute.org |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 38 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Elementary Secondary Education Higher Education Postsecondary Education High Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Educational Finance, Elementary Secondary Education, Outcomes of Education, Models, Public Schools, School Taxes, Measurement, Expenditure per Student, Low Income Students, Academic Persistence, Academic Achievement, College Enrollment, Educational Attainment, College Graduates, High School Graduates, Special Education, General Education |
| Geographic Terms: | New York, New York (New York) |
| Abstract: | In 2023, the U.S. dedicated nearly $1 trillion in combined state, local, and federal funding to K-12 education, more than any other program aside from major entitlements. Across municipalities ranging from small villages to major cities, education spending dwarfs other essential services such as transportation, housing, sanitation, and law enforcement. Cumulatively, more taxpayer funds are spent on elementary and secondary education than on national defense. Given the scale of our investment in education, a fierce debate is occurring about how the system should function. An enormous array of policies, programs, and perspectives exists on how best to prepare America's young people for higher education and the rapidly evolving modern workplace, as well as their civic role in contemporary society. These practices often conflict and are sometimes mutually exclusive. Depending on what one reads or to whom one listens, the public is told the following: (1) Charter schools are a striking success--or a failed and damaging experiment; (2) Not nearly enough is spent on public education--or way too much; and (3) School choice programs do--or don't--result in fewer resources being available to public school students. Such proclamations inevitably yield confused and frustrated parents, educators, and taxpayers. Precious resources are squandered; most significantly, opportunity is diminished for countless students. It is not easy to evaluate the benefit from this massive investment. Despite the abundance of data on K-12 education, little empirical analysis is publicly available about how well education funds are managed. Nor is there a commonly accepted methodology to evaluate how spending strategies or other policies translate into academic outcomes and broader student development. This report presents a new, easily understood, framework--Educational Return on Investment (EROI)--which can be used to evaluate which primary and secondary educational options offer the public, students, and other stakeholders the best return on their K-12 educational investment. Using the EROI framework, this report evaluates several existing K-12 systems in New York State, and it offers recommendations as to how this framework should be broadly and deeply deployed--and what is needed to do so. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | ED679639 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | In 2023, the U.S. dedicated nearly $1 trillion in combined state, local, and federal funding to K-12 education, more than any other program aside from major entitlements. Across municipalities ranging from small villages to major cities, education spending dwarfs other essential services such as transportation, housing, sanitation, and law enforcement. Cumulatively, more taxpayer funds are spent on elementary and secondary education than on national defense. Given the scale of our investment in education, a fierce debate is occurring about how the system should function. An enormous array of policies, programs, and perspectives exists on how best to prepare America's young people for higher education and the rapidly evolving modern workplace, as well as their civic role in contemporary society. These practices often conflict and are sometimes mutually exclusive. Depending on what one reads or to whom one listens, the public is told the following: (1) Charter schools are a striking success--or a failed and damaging experiment; (2) Not nearly enough is spent on public education--or way too much; and (3) School choice programs do--or don't--result in fewer resources being available to public school students. Such proclamations inevitably yield confused and frustrated parents, educators, and taxpayers. Precious resources are squandered; most significantly, opportunity is diminished for countless students. It is not easy to evaluate the benefit from this massive investment. Despite the abundance of data on K-12 education, little empirical analysis is publicly available about how well education funds are managed. Nor is there a commonly accepted methodology to evaluate how spending strategies or other policies translate into academic outcomes and broader student development. This report presents a new, easily understood, framework--Educational Return on Investment (EROI)--which can be used to evaluate which primary and secondary educational options offer the public, students, and other stakeholders the best return on their K-12 educational investment. Using the EROI framework, this report evaluates several existing K-12 systems in New York State, and it offers recommendations as to how this framework should be broadly and deeply deployed--and what is needed to do so. |
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