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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?
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
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  Data: If You Can't Measure It, Can You Improve It?
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  Data: 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
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+York%22">New York</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22New+York+%28New+York%29%22">New York (New York)</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: 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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    Languages:
      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 38
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Educational Finance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Models
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School Taxes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Measurement
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      – SubjectFull: Expenditure per Student
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      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
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      – SubjectFull: Academic Persistence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Enrollment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
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      – SubjectFull: College Graduates
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      – SubjectFull: High School Graduates
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Special Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: General Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: New York
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      – SubjectFull: New York (New York)
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      – TitleFull: If You Can't Measure It, Can You Improve It?
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