School Finance Reforms (SFRs) and English Language Learner Outcomes in American Public Schools

Abstract

This paper utilizes the random timing of School Finance Reforms (SFRs) implemented between 2002 and 2019 to study the impacts of changes in education funding on English Language Learner - non English Language Learner math and reading proficiency rate gaps. I compare proficiency rate gaps in states where SFRs were implemented with student proficiency rate gaps in other states that did not implement SFRs to find that SFRs lead to small, significant decreases (2.6% to 6.2%) in ELL - non ELL 4th grade math proficiency rate gaps, seven to nine years after the implementation of SFRs. There is also evidence that shows that SFRs lead to small, insignificant decreases in 4th grade non ELL math proficiency rates. Lastly, SFRs also lead to small, positive, statistically insignificant increases in the number of ELLs as a percentage of the total student population enrolled in public schools in a given state.