Covering such issues as teaching quality, the interface between public and private schooling, and measuring school efficiency, this text addresses the improvement of educational productivity in the USA

Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview, David H. Monk, Penn State University, Margaret C. Wang, Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education and Herbert J. Walberg, University of Illinois at Chicago. Chapter 2: Tax Revolts and School Performance, Thomas Downes, Tufts University and David Figlio, University of Florida and the National Bureau of Economic Research. Chapter 3: State Aid and Education Outcomes, Sheila E. Murray, RAND Corporation. Chapter 4: The Interface Between Public and Private Schooling: Market Pressure and the Impact on Performance, Dan Goldhaber, The Urban Institute. Chapter 5: The Economics of Grade Retention, Eric R. Eide, Brigham Young University. Chapter 6: Teacher Quality: Its Enhancement and Potential for Improving Pupil Achievement, Susanna Loeb, Stanford University. Chapter 7: Measuring School Efficiency: Lessons from Economics, Implications for Practice, Amy Ellen Schwartz, New York University and Leanna Stiefel, New York University. Chapter 8: Examining School- Level Expenditures and School Performance: The Case of New York City, Ross Rubenstein, Georgia State University and Patrice Iatarola, New York University. Chapter 9: The Relationship Between Student Performance and School Expenditures: A Review of the Literature and New Evidence Using Better Data, Corrine H. Taylor, Wellesley College. Chapter 10: What Happens to Performance Inequality Among Students When Average Test Scores Rise? Samid Hussain, Cornerstone Consulting. Chapter 11: Problems in the Estimation of School Effects: Insights from Improved Models, Jens Ludwig, Georgetown University. Chapter 12: Conclusions and Recommendations, Herbert J. Walberg, University of Illinois at Chicago and David H. Monk, Penn State University