Equal Resources, Equal Outcomes? The Distribution of School Resources and Student Achievement in California by Julian R. Betts

by Julian R. Betts

Court decisions and unrelated legislation emanating from voter initiatives such as Proposition 13 have centralized the funding of California's public school system. A common perception is that this centralization has equalized spending across districts, but the latest research shows that this is not the case. The authors examine the effects of variations in resources across districts in great detail, addressing two principal First, how do school resources-measured in terms of teachers' education, credentials, and experience; class size; and curriculum-vary between schools? Second, do existing inequalities in school resources create inequalities in student achievement? In their analyses of the distribution of school resources and of the link between student achievement and resources, the authors take account of the separate and possibly confounding influences of students' socioeconomic status and school location.

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First published February 1, 2000