Piloting School Funding Equity: How the New Nevada Education Funding Pilot Impacted Student Outcomes
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| Title: | Piloting School Funding Equity: How the New Nevada Education Funding Pilot Impacted Student Outcomes |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Bradley D. Marianno, Sean W. Mulvenon |
| Source: | Education Finance and Policy. 2026 21(1):24-44. |
| Availability: | MIT Press. 55 Hayward Street, Cambridge, MA 02142. Tel: 617-253-2889; Fax: 617-253-1709; e-mail: journals-rights@mit.edu; Web site: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/loi/edfp |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 21 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Educational Finance, Educational Equity (Finance), State Aid, State Programs, Pilot Projects, Resource Allocation, Expenditure per Student, Funding Formulas, English Learners, Lunch Programs, Standardized Tests, Outcomes of Education, Academic Achievement, Language Arts, Mathematics Achievement |
| Geographic Terms: | Nevada |
| DOI: | 10.1162/edfp.a.20 |
| ISSN: | 1557-3060 1557-3079 |
| Abstract: | This study examines the impact of a weighted-student funding pilot program in Nevada, the New Nevada Funding Plan Pilot Program (NNFP), on school expenditures and student academic achievement. The NNFP allocated additional funding to Nevada schools through a weighted-student funding formula that provided an additional $1,200 per pupil above and beyond the basic state funding guarantee for English learner and free or reduced-price lunch-eligible students who scored below the 25th percentile on the state standardized test (i.e., qualifying students). Using event study and difference-in-differences strategies and panel data on expenditures and academic outcomes, the study compares outcomes for students in 103 treated schools to students in nonfunded comparison schools. Results show that NNFP funding led to increased expenditures at treated schools of nearly $700 per pupil and modest increases in achievement of 0.07 standard deviation (SD) in English language arts and 0.056 SD in math. We also uncovered evidence that nonqualifying students outgained qualifying students, particularly in English language arts, leading to some concerns about the appropriate targeting of resources. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1497266 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This study examines the impact of a weighted-student funding pilot program in Nevada, the New Nevada Funding Plan Pilot Program (NNFP), on school expenditures and student academic achievement. The NNFP allocated additional funding to Nevada schools through a weighted-student funding formula that provided an additional $1,200 per pupil above and beyond the basic state funding guarantee for English learner and free or reduced-price lunch-eligible students who scored below the 25th percentile on the state standardized test (i.e., qualifying students). Using event study and difference-in-differences strategies and panel data on expenditures and academic outcomes, the study compares outcomes for students in 103 treated schools to students in nonfunded comparison schools. Results show that NNFP funding led to increased expenditures at treated schools of nearly $700 per pupil and modest increases in achievement of 0.07 standard deviation (SD) in English language arts and 0.056 SD in math. We also uncovered evidence that nonqualifying students outgained qualifying students, particularly in English language arts, leading to some concerns about the appropriate targeting of resources. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1557-3060 1557-3079 |
| DOI: | 10.1162/edfp.a.20 |
