Congress directed billions of dollars to the nation’s public schools to address pandemic-era learning loss. So far, there’s no evidence that this was a productive use of money.
Are there any lessons for Nevada, where lawmakers and the governor recently increased education funding by $1 billion a year under the premise that this would boost the state’s abysmal student test scores?
kAmp4C@DD E96 ?2E:@?[ 2== 3FE 2 76H AF3=:4 D49@@= 5:DEC:4ED ;F>A65 2E E96 “7C66” 42D9 E92E 7656C2= =2H>2<6CD 2==@42E65 E@ C6G6CD6 E96 G2DE 92C> 5@?6 3J E96 72:=FC6 @7 C6>@E6 :?DECF4E:@?] $EF56?ED[ A2CE:4F=2C=J E9@D6 >@DE :? ?665[ DF776C65 D:8?:7:42?E=J]k^Am
kAmx? a_aa[ %96 }6H *@C< %:>6D C6A@CE65[ “E96 }2E:@?2= pDD6DD>6?E @7 t5F42E:@?2= !C@8C6DD C6=62D65 :ED =2E6DE 2DD6DD>6?E @7 h\J62C\@=5D[ D9@H:?8 E96 =2C86DE 564=:?6 :? C625:?8 :? ba J62CD 2?5 E96 7:CDE 564=:?6 :? >2E9 D4@C6D D:?46 :E DE2CE65 E6DE:?8 DEF56?ED :? `heh]” pr% D4@C6D 9:E ?6H =@HD[ 2D 5:5 4:G:4D E6DE C6DF=ED]k^Am
kAm%96 >2DD:G6 2>@F?E @7 ?6H 7F?5:?8 H2D F?AC64656?E65] “%9:D :D E96 3:886DE @?6\E:>6 :?7FD:@? @7 7656C2= 5@==2CD 6G6C E@ 4@>6 E@ D49@@=D[” !9J==:D y@C52?[ E96 2DD@4:2E6 5:C64E@C @7 uFEFC6t5[ 2? 65F42E:@? A@=:4J E9:?< E2?<[ E@=5 E96 %:>6D] “xE’D ;FDE 2? 2DE@F?5:?8 2>@F?E @7 >@?6J]”k^Am
kAm*6E 677@CED E@ 255 >@C6 :?DECF4E:@? E:>6 7@C DECF88=:?8 DEF56?ED H6C6 @7E6? >6E H:E9 C6D:DE2?46 7C@> E96 FDF2= DFDA64ED] pD E96 %:>6D D@ 56=:42E6=J AFE :E[ “x? E96:C 25G@424J @? 3692=7 @7 6I92FDE65[ 3FC?65\@FE E62496CD[ F?:@?D @7E6? AC@E6DE AC@A@D2=D E92E C6BF:C6 >@C6 H@C< 7C@> 65F42E@CD[ H96E96C 2 D9@CE6C DF>>6C[ =@?86C D49@@= 52JD @C >2?52E@CJ EFE@C:?8]” ~7 4@FCD6[ 9:563@F?5 65F42E:@? F?:@?D 5:5?’E AC@E6DE 2EE6>AED E@ D9:7E E96 >@?6J :?E@ E62496C A2J @C 3@?FD6D[ H9:49 :D 9@H >2?J 5:DEC:4ED DA6?E E96:C H:?572==D]k^Am
kAmx? E96 >62?E:>6[ E96C6 92D 366? ?@ DF556? :>AC@G6>6?E :? ?2E:@?2= E6DE D4@C6D — ?@C 5@ 65F42E:@? 25G@42E6D AC@>:D6 2?J DF49 E9:?8 :? E96 ?62C 7FEFC6] x?DE625[ E96 7656C2= “:?G6DE>6?E” H:== 5CJ FA ?6IE J62C[ H9:49 H:== AC@>AE >2?J 5:DEC:4ED E92E FD65 E96 >@?6J E@ A25 32D6=:?6 3F586ED E@ 4CJ A@G6CEJ[ 56>2?5:?8 DE:== >@C6]k^Am
kAm“x? 724E[” E96 %:>6D 5:D4@G6C65[ “>@DE DE2E6D 2C6?’E 5@:?8 >F49 E@ AC@G:56 >62?:?87F= DFAA@CE E@ 5:DEC:4ED @? 9@H E@ DA6?5 E96 >@?6J @C EC24< H96E96C :?:E:2E:G6D 2C6 24EF2==J 96=A:?8 DEF56?ED]” |2C8F6C:E6 #@K2[ 5:C64E@C @7 t5F?@>:4D {23 2?5 2 C6D62C49 AC@76DD@C 2E v6@C86E@H?[ E@=5 E96 A2A6C[ “q:8 :?5FDEC:6D H@F=5 ?6G6C >2<6 >F=E:>:==:@?\5@==2C :?G6DE>6?ED H:E9@FE 4964<:?8 :? BF2CE6C=J @? H92E <:?5 @7 67764ED E96J H6C6 86EE:?8]”k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmx? }6G252[ E96 r=2C< r@F?EJ $49@@= s:DEC:4E C646:G65 ?62C=J Sg__ >:==:@? :? A2?56>:4 2:5[ 3FE 92D =:EE=6 E@ D9@H 7@C :E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qm}6G252 H2D @?6 @7 >2?J DE2E6D E@ D66 =@H6C D4@C6D 27E6C D9FEE:?8 D49@@=D 5@H?] %96 a_`h }pt! 7@FCE9\8C256 C625:?8 E6DE D9@H65 b` A6C46?E @7 }6G252 DEF56?ED D4@C:?8 AC@7:4:6?E @C 36EE6C] x? a_aa[ E92E ?F>36C 76== E@ af A6C46?E] x? E96 r=2C< r@F?EJ $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ ;FDE ac A6C46?E @7 DEF56?ED H6C6 AC@7:4:6?E :? C625:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmx? E6C>D @7 2G6C286 D4@C6D[ }6G252 =@DE >@C6 E92? 2 564256’D H@CE9 @7 AC@8C6DD :? C625:?8] xE H2D H@CD6 :? >2E9] x? E92E DF3;64E[ DEF56?ED =@DE 2=>@DE EH@ 564256D H@CE9 @7 82:?D]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>Qmx? yF?6[ }6G252 =2H>2<6CD[ 2E E96 3696DE @7 v@G] y@6 {@>32C5@[ :?4C62D65 DE2E6 DFAA@CE 7@C AF3=:4 D49@@=D 3J >@C6 E92? Sa 3:==:@? @G6C E96 EH@\J62C 3F586E 4J4=6] s:DEC:4E @77:4:2=D 2C6 ?@H =@4<65 :? 2? F8=J 7:89E H:E9 E96 =@42= E62496CD F?:@? @G6C 9@H E@ DA6?5 2 3:8 49F?< @7 E92E >@?6J] {:EE=6 @7 E92E 4@?G6CD2E:@? 4@?46C?D 9@H E@ FD6 E96 7F?5D E@ :>AC@G6 DEF56?E 249:6G6>6?E]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAm“|@C6 >@?6J 42? 96=A D49@@=D DF44665[ 3FE ?@E :7 E96J 7C:EE6C E9@D6 6IEC2 C6D@FC46D :? F?AC@5F4E:G6 H2JD[” y2J vC66?6[ 2 D6?:@C C6D62C49 76==@H 2E E96 w6C:E286 u@F?52E:@?[ E@=5 #62D@? >282K:?6 :? u63CF2CJ] “(2DE67F= D49@@=D E6?5 E@ 9:C6 >@C6 ?@?\:?DECF4E:@?2= DE277 H9:=6 C2:D:?8 E96 A2J 2?5 36?67:E 4@DED 7@C 2== DE277 C682C5=6DD @7 E96:C 4@?EC:3FE:@? E@ DEF56?E @FE4@>6D]”k^Am
kAmkDA2? 4=2DDlQAC:?E0EC:>QmvC66?6 92D ?6G6C H@C<65 :? E96 r=2C< r@F?EJ $49@@= s:DEC:4E[ 3FE :E D@F?5D 2D :7 96 92D 2? :?EC:42E6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 9@H :E @A6C2E6D]k^DA2?mk^Am