Introduction: Why the Focus on Does Money Matter?

When policy makers make decisions about the amount, type, and distribution of revenues, they are faced with the issue of educational productivity. Given limited resources, multiple goals, and a wide range of possible approaches, policy makers must choose a course of action. Questions such as the following are key considerations in policy debates: How do we ensure that we getting the most for our educational dollar? How do we target resources to help students achieve at higher levels? What are the best strategies for better educating those students who are not being well-served by our schools? How do we eliminate existing inequities in the distribution of resources? What have we learned from prior efforts to allocate resources effi ciently and effectively?