Foreword

Paul D. Planchon

Associate Commissioner
Elementary and Secondary Education Division

The (NCES) constantly reevaluates its efforts in the field of school finance by commissioning papers from distinguished members of the school finance research community, asking them to assess the data needs of the profession. Even when these data needs have been satisfied, a number of difficult statistical and measurement questions arise when conducting empirical and quantitative research. The papers presented here were commissioned by NCES to address the twin concerns of what additional school finance information NCES should collect and report, and how extant data might be analyzed to address interesting questions faced by the profession.

This report is the second in the renewal of this series, which previously was discontinued in 1977. The papers are intended to promote the exchange of ideas among researchers and policymakers. Because the views are those of the authors, the papers may provoke discussions, replications, replies and refutations. If so, the publication will have accomplished its task. There would be nothing so satisfying to the Center as promoting and contributing to the field of school finance.