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Study finds limited, mostly non‑significant links between school waivers and outcomes; resource waivers linked to small spending uptick
Summary
APA consultants told the Senate Education Committee that regression analysis of Act 1240 waiver schools found mostly non‑significant differences in achievement and expenditures compared with non‑waiver schools; resource waivers were associated with about a $613 increase in total spending per pupil and a 1.2-percentage-point change in literacy in one test, but presenters cautioned this is correlation, not proven causation.
APA consultants updated the Senate Education Committee on their analysis of state waiver policies and school finances, focusing on schools that accessed waivers under the Act 1240 waiver pathway. Amanda Brown said the team compared 2015–16 (pre‑waiver) and 2018–19 (post‑waiver) data for waiver schools against a control group of non‑waiver schools and used regression models to control for baseline differences such as free and reduced‑price lunch (FRL) share, special education, English‑learner status, school type and enrollment.
The consultants reported that most instructional and resource waiver areas produced non‑statistically significant results and generally trended positive. "Most of those instructional…
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