Expanding Policy Priorities Through Data Integration and Extreme Case Analysis: Evidence From a School Finance Study

This multistage mixed methods study investigated the outcomes of a state’s new K-12 weighted student funding formula, which aimed to better support students with additional needs: English Learners and students experiencing poverty. Intentional data integration throughout the study produced new areas for hypothesis testing and data analysis. Our initial quantitative strand deductively relied on education production function models to determine the efficacy of the weighted funding formula. Qualitative analyses explored the consequences of the funding model from the perspectives of school and district administrators, identifying an extreme case among rural participants. Further quantitative analyses compared outcomes in urban and rural schools. Using a mixed methods approach, we uncovered unforeseen policy priorities for the state and enhanced a study of education production.