Study Spotlights School Districts' "Educational Productivity."

Education Week (1/19, Samuels) reported, "A report from a progressive think tank measuring the 'educational productivity' of more than 9,000 school districts around the country shows that districts getting the most for their money tend to spend more on teachers and less on administration, partner with their communities to save money, and have school boards willing to make potentially unpopular decisions, like closing underenrolled schools. The study, from the Washington-based Center for American Progress, attempts to measure district productivity nationwide, according to its authors." According to Education Week, "The analysis is intended to encourage a more sophisticated discussion rather than just suggesting district funding should be cut in the name of encouraging efficiency, said Ulrich Boser, a senior fellow at the center and the report's author."