Educational outcomes in New York reflect the academic performance of students in elementary and secondary schools relative to the state’s nation-leading per-pupil spending. This page covers CBC’s work on school aid allocation, performance management systems, accountability standards, targeted funding for high-need districts, and the effectiveness of educational investments.
This page was created with AICBC Insights uses AI to group, analyze and present data and recommendations from CBC's publications. Always reference the cited sources to verify important details..
New York needs to restrain State education spending to make it affordable and better targeted to high-need districts.
The State should take more steps to ensure New Yorkers are getting better educational outcomes for their nation-leading per-student spending.
The State should eliminate the STAR program because it directs more per-student funding to high-wealth districts.
The Governor and the Legislature should set the State on a path to sustainable school funding and direct aid to the districts that need it most.
The State should take a more active role in promoting performance, increasing transparency, and improving accountability in education.
Key Data
New York's elementary and secondary school spending per student is 91 percent above the national average, reaching $36,293 per student in the 2024-25 school year.
As of December 2024, the State sends over $2 billion annually to wealthy school districts that already have sufficient local and federal resources to provide a sound basic education.
Mayoral candidates emphasize that improving educational outcomes requires more than just increased per-student spending, with many advocating for better resource allocation, reduced bureaucracy, and targeted investments in elementary proficiency. While some candidates support higher funding to improve student outcomes, others argue that current spending levels are sufficient and that leadership and efficiency reforms are the primary drivers of academic success.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
Candidates should prioritize increasing resources for elementary schools with the lowest proficiency rates in reading and math to reach an 80% proficiency goal within four years.
The city must improve the Department of Education's efficiency by addressing corruption, waste, and bureaucratic bloat to ensure funds reach the classroom.
Future education policy should focus on targeted investments like expanding 3-K and reading tutors for struggling children rather than relying solely on increased per-pupil spending.
The city should leverage per-student spending to reflect community diversity and create equity in access to opportunity and resources.
Policymakers should prioritize better mental health support, stronger IEP services, and universal after-school programs to improve student outcomes.
Key Data
$38K
— Amount currently spent per student in New York City public schools.
80%
— Target proficiency rate for reading and math in elementary schools within four years.
14%
— Current share of capital spending allocated to Education in the Ten-Year Capital Strategy.
New York State spends the most per student in the nation, yet student performance remains average and lower than neighboring states that spend less. The state should prioritize improving oversight, technical assistance, and accountability systems to ensure that its significant financial investment actually translates into better student outcomes.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should conduct more rigorous analyses to identify the reasons behind New York’s lackluster student performance.
The State should ramp up its efforts to examine the relationships between human and fiscal resources, curriculum, student needs, accountability systems, and achievement.
The State should rigorously examine and, as beneficial, reform its accountability system, including the needs assessments developed for poor-performing schools, the interventions intended to improve performance, and methods it uses to hold districts accountable.
The State should identify and implement ways to enhance its support and technical assistance to promote and spread best practices.
Resources should be better targeted based on need, shifting funds from wealthy districts to low-wealth, poor-performing districts.
Key Data
$36,293
— New York's per-student spending in the 2024-25 school year.
21%
— Increase in per-student spending since the 2020-21 school year.
91%
— Amount by which New York's per-student spending exceeds the national average.
$2.8 Billion
— Amount of state aid provided to wealthy school districts in the 2023-24 school year that already fully fund a sound basic education.
$89 Billion
— Total amount New York school districts are set to spend in the 2024-25 school year.
18.5
— New York's average ranking across the four NAEP tests after statistically adjusting for student demographics.
New York spends more per student than any other state, yet student performance remains middle-of-the-pack, necessitating a shift toward sustainable funding that targets high-need districts. The current system sends over $2 billion annually to wealthy districts that already provide a sound basic education, highlighting the need for reforms to improve accountability and educational outcomes.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
New York needs to restrain State education spending to make it affordable and better targeted to high-need districts.
The State should take more steps to ensure New Yorkers are getting better educational outcomes for their nation-leading per-student spending.
The State should eliminate the STAR program because it directs more per-student funding to high-wealth districts.
The Governor and the Legislature should set the State on a path to sustainable school funding and direct aid to the districts that need it most.
The State should take a more active role in promoting performance, increasing transparency, and improving accountability in education.
Key Data
$40 billion
— Annual State education spending that needs to be restrained to make it affordable and better targeted.
$2 billion
— Annual amount sent to districts that already provide a sound basic education with their own and federal resources.
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New York State's school aid has reached record levels, with spending per pupil hitting $35,095, yet student performance metrics have not improved commensurately with this high investment. The state should reform its aid allocation formulas to better target high-need districts and implement a comprehensive performance management system to ensure fiscal outlays drive better educational outcomes.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should reduce or reallocate aid to wealthy districts to help stabilize the State’s ongoing finances and better target aid to high-need districts.
The State should implement a comprehensive performance management system for school districts that uses robust metrics to track activities and results, identifies and spreads best practices, and appropriately holds districts accountable.
To balance the budget, the State should rein-in spending growth, as poorly targeted school aid is a reasonable option for spending control.
New York’s aid allocations, performance, and programming should be prioritized for proactive improvement to ensure spending drives better educational outcomes.
Key Data
$85 billion
— Total spending on elementary and secondary education for the 2023-24 school year.
$35,095
— Total spending per pupil for the 2023-24 school year.
$2.8 billion
— State aid directed to districts that already fund a Sound Basic Education with local and regular federal resources.
8.8 percent
— Increase in State school aid for the 2023-24 school year.
10.2 percent
— Increase in per-pupil State aid for the 2023-24 school year.
$9.6 million
— Total revenue shortfall for the five districts statewide that lack adequate resources to provide a Sound Basic Education.
New York State Budget Fiscal Year 2024 Major Actions and Fiscal Risks As of First Quarter Update New York City Fiscal Year 2024 Adopted Budget and Outlook
New York State continues to increase school aid despite declining enrollment and high per-pupil spending that exceeds the national average without delivering superior academic results. The state lacks a robust system to monitor performance and hold districts accountable, while continuing to direct billions in aid to wealthy districts that already possess sufficient local resources.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should stop increasing aid to wealthy districts that fund a Sound Basic Education through local revenue and regular federal aid.
The State should consider freezing aid to better-off districts which already receive State aid in excess of the amount needed for a Sound Basic Education.
The State should reform both Foundation Aid and many of the expense-based aids to direct more of the funds to high-need districts.
The State should identify and spread best practices and implement a robust performance management system to track outcomes, quality, and efficiency of services across districts.
The State should require under-performing districts to implement action plans to improve their performance.
Key Data
$34.4 billion
— Total state school aid for the school year.
$3.1 billion
— Amount of state aid directed to 176 districts that already fund a Sound Basic Education with local and regular federal resources.
$10.5 billion
— Amount of state aid provided to districts in amounts exceeding what is needed to fund a Sound Basic Education.
$14.7 million
— The funding shortfall for the only four districts remaining below the level needed to provide a Sound Basic Education.
$32,757
— Average per-pupil spending from local, state, and federal funds in school year 2022-23.
$8,750
— The amount more per pupil that districts in the wealthiest decile spend compared to the least wealthy in 2023.
New York City's proposed mandate to reduce class sizes would require significant, unfunded spending and fails to focus on broader educational outcomes or accountability. Instead of prescribing a single strategy, policy should prioritize evidence-based interventions and universal accountability systems that allow districts to tailor approaches to student needs.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The Governor should veto A.10498/S.9460, which would set class size limits in New York City public schools.
Accountability systems should focus on outcomes and not prescribe one education strategy, allowing each district to choose a portfolio of evidence-based interventions.
Accountability systems should be universal and not treat one district differently, providing the flexibility to assess districts based on their different needs.
State efforts should focus on improving performance and accountability to ensure the state's education spending delivers high achievement and equitable education.
Key Data
$500 million
— The preliminary estimate of the annual operating cost for reducing class size to the new limit in just grades kindergarten to five.
$18 million
— The amount the City has already dedicated to a class size reduction pilot in 72 schools.
2.6 million
— The total number of students in New York State that the education system serves.
New York schools are receiving approximately $13 billion in one-time federal COVID aid, necessitating a rigorous performance management process to ensure these funds effectively address learning loss and reduce educational disparities. Future school aid increases should be strictly targeted toward the districts and students with the greatest needs to ensure measurable improvements in student achievement.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should use a rigorous performance management process to oversee school aid spending to ensure it has a commensurate impact on student learning.
The State should monitor how funds are used, set goals, monitor results against those goals, and reallocate resources and change programs when results are unsatisfactory.
Goals and results should focus on measuring and reversing pandemic-related learning loss, accelerating achievement compared to prior achievement and national benchmarks, and reducing education disparities.
Initiatives should be evaluated to identify what works so programs and learning strategies can be either replicated or terminated.
Any future increases in school aid should only be targeted to districts, schools, and students with the highest needs.
Key Data
$13 Billion
— One-time federal COVID aid provided to New York schools.
New York City public schools spend more per student than most large urban districts, yet many students fail to meet proficiency standards in math and English language arts. To improve outcomes, the city should optimize resource allocation, implement need-based funding, and enhance teacher accountability systems.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The City should critically assess how resources—including federal aid for school reopening—are allocated across schools to maximize student achievement and reduce educational disparities.
Providing every school its Fair Student Funding amount, a student need-based weighted funding formula, is an excellent first step to improve educational outcomes.
The City should evaluate the allocation of resources within schools to determine if certain approaches improve school effectiveness, such as the allocation between the classroom and outside-of-class enrichment or remediation.
The City should focus on how better to assess teacher performance and improve the system of accountability, as quality teachers are the most important school-based factor for student achievement.
The Department of Education should determine if the funds allocated to central administration and district offices are the appropriate amount and spent on the appropriate functions to maximize educational outcomes.
Key Data
47.4%
— Percentage of third to eighth graders meeting or exceeding standards in English Language Arts in fiscal year 2019.
45.6%
— Percentage of third to eighth graders meeting or exceeding standards in math in fiscal year 2019.
50%
— Threshold that less than this percentage of third to eighth graders met or exceeded in either math or English language arts in fiscal year 2019.
New York schools are receiving record levels of state and federal funding, yet this massive investment requires rigorous performance measurement and management to ensure it actually improves student outcomes. To maintain fiscal stability and equity, the state must prioritize directing aid to the highest-need districts while carefully tracking all expenditures to evaluate their effectiveness.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should set goals, track performance, evaluate initiatives, and adjust programs and spending as necessary to ensure that students benefit from the funding increase.
The State should focus funding on districts with the greatest need, and reduce aid and aid increases to wealthy districts.
The Legislature, Division of the Budget, State Education Department, and the Comptroller’s office should work together to ensure that all recurring and one-time aid is tracked and reported in detail.
The State should ensure that this massive school funding increase drives results.
Critical performance and accountability standards and processes should be universal.
Key Data
$11.4 billion
— One-time federal pandemic aid from American Rescue Plan and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Education Stabilization Funds to be spent over four years.
$2.9 billion
— Increase in State school aid from school year 2020-21 to 2021-22.
$32,352
— Total per pupil spending for the school year.
$40 billion
— Projected school aid (including School Tax Relief program) in fiscal year 2025.
$3.5 billion
— The size of the fiscal cliff the State will face once extraordinary federal aid is depleted.
$2.5 billion
— Amount of State aid received by 168 districts that already have sufficient local and federal funding to finance a sound basic education.
New York State is providing record levels of school funding, including $32.5 billion in state aid and $11.4 billion in federal pandemic aid, yet these increases lack sufficient management and accountability to ensure they improve student outcomes. To address this, the state must implement rigorous performance measurement and monitoring to ensure these funds effectively mitigate learning loss and reduce educational disparities.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should take significant steps to ensure that the increases in recurring State and non-recurring federal funds drive substantial improvements in educational outcomes.
For the near term, the State should be tracking and publicly reporting key data and holding districts accountable for addressing the pandemic’s negative impacts, including mitigating learning loss and ensuring a healthy return to school.
On an ongoing basis, the State should manage, expect, and hold districts accountable to improve achievement and reduce educational disparities, using data that it makes publicly available.
In light of these pressures, the State should consider significantly restraining the new funds it provides to wealthy districts.
State leaders should work with districts to set measurable goals to address the disruptions and improve learning outcomes going forward—a process of performance measurement and management that should be applied government-wide.
Key Data
$32.5 billion
— Total state school aid for the 2021-22 school year, representing a $2.9 billion increase over the previous year.
$11.4 billion
— Extraordinary one-time federal education funding allocated to districts to be used over a four-year period.
$25,139
— Total spending per pupil in New York State in 2019, which was 91 percent higher than the national average.
$13,187
— The national average spending per pupil in 2019, significantly lower than New York's spending levels.
$39.8 billion
— Projected total state school aid by the 2024-25 school year, marking a 21 percent increase.
$35.9 million
— The combined funding gap faced by six districts that do not generate sufficient revenue to meet their calculated sound basic education need.
New York State has received $10 billion in one-time federal education funds and a $3 billion increase in state-funded school aid, yet the focus must shift from simply budgeting money to ensuring these funds effectively remediate learning loss and reduce educational disparities. To achieve this, the state must implement transparent, data-driven management systems that track performance, hold school districts accountable, and clearly demonstrate the impact of these investments on student outcomes.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The state should use a robust performance management system to deliver education improvements and ensure accountability for results.
The state should provide the public with the data used to track and manage education funds to hold districts accountable and measure results regarding learning loss and educational disparities.
The state should publicize specific goals for major activities, including education programs, and transparently provide core performance data to enhance public confidence.
Key Data
$10 billion
— One-time federal education funds allocated to New York State.
$3 billion
— Increase in state-funded school aid for the school year.
$212 billion
— Total New York State budget for the fiscal year.
New York State lacks a comprehensive performance management system to track how billions in budget expenditures, including $14 billion for schools, actually impact public services like educational outcomes. Implementing such a system would provide the necessary transparency and accountability to ensure that massive investments in education and other sectors are effectively managed and yield tangible results.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should enact a ten-point framework by statute to promote consistency in reporting across agencies, authorities, and administrations to ensure transparency and accountability.
The State should implement a comprehensive and transparent performance management system to combine managerial action and accountability with key measures of program performance.
The State should measure and manage investments to improve educational outcomes, workforce development, infrastructure conditions, and public health.
Key Data
$212 billion
— The size of the State budget that includes billions of dollars of new federal aid.
$14 billion
— The amount of federal aid allocated for schools.
$12 billion
— The amount of federal aid allocated for direct fiscal support.
$200 billion
— The threshold that the total State budget exceeds for the first time.
$4 billion
— The amount of new tax increases annually.
16,000 is the number of New York City students in Gifted & Talented programs, which the School Diversity Advisory Group recommended phasing out. David Tipson, Executive Director of Appleseed, and City Council Member Robert Cornegy discuss the report’s findings and recommendations.
New York State's current school funding formula, specifically the Foundation Aid, is flawed because it relies on outdated data and political compromises that direct excessive aid to wealthy districts while leaving some districts underfunded. Despite statewide spending exceeding the amount necessary to provide a sound basic education by $13 billion, 29 districts still lack the resources to meet this constitutional requirement.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The state should significantly revamp the Foundation Aid formula and other education aid formulas to properly account for local wealth and actual local funding.
State leaders should eliminate hold-harmless provisions that prevent aid decreases even when enrollment declines or district wealth increases.
The state should eliminate minimal growth rates to ensure aid is not automatically increased for overfunded districts.
Policymakers must use the most up to date data available when calculating aid requirements.
The state should target school aid to those districts that need it to provide a sound basic education.
Key Data
$13 billion
— Amount New York will spend more than necessary to fund a sound basic education in school year 2019-2020.
$83 million
— Total funding needed to bring the 29 districts that lack resources up to the level required for a sound basic education.
$1.9 billion
— Amount the wealthiest decile of districts are on track to spend more than needed to fund a sound basic education in school year 2020.
$20 billion
— Increase in total school district revenues between school year 2006-2007 and 2016-2017.
$223 million
— Additional State aid specifically targeted to wealthy districts through High Tax Aid.
$240 million
— Annual total of Library, Textbook, and Software Aids that do not account for district wealth.
New York State's education funding formula fails to ensure a sound basic education for all students because it relies on outdated poverty measures and poorly targeted aid that ignores actual local wealth. Despite significant increases in total education spending, 29 school districts remain underfunded while wealthy districts continue to receive aid regardless of need.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
Poorly targeted forms of school aid, including High Tax, Library, Textbook, and Software Aids, should be folded into a reformed Foundation Aid formula that uses current data—including actual local funding and student enrollment.
The arbitrary floors, ceilings, phase-ins and add-ons to the Foundation Aid formula should be eliminated.
Key Data
$62.6 billion
— Estimated cost for school districts in New York State to provide a sound basic education to all students in school year 2020.
29
— Number of school districts identified that will not have sufficient funding to provide a sound basic education.
$83 million
— Amount by which the 29 underfunded school districts are collectively short of the funding needed to provide a sound basic education.
$223 million
— Additional State aid specifically targeted to wealthy districts through High Tax Aid.
$240 million
— Annual total of Library, Textbook, and Software Aids that do not take account of district wealth.
$961 million
— Increase in total formula-based school aid in the enacted Fiscal Year 2020 Budget.
New York State could ensure all school districts have the resources to provide a sound basic education by increasing aid by $164 million and specifically targeting the 32 underfunded districts. Current school district spending is estimated at $72.0 billion, which is $9.4 billion more than the $62.6 billion calculated as necessary to meet the state's constitutional education mandate.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should ensure all districts have the resources to provide an SBE by increasing aid by $164 million and targeting it to 32 of the state’s 674 districts that are underfunded.
Policymakers should prioritize this allocation during budget negotiations and ensure that State aid above this amount is targeted to educational needs and balanced with the State’s fiscal realities.
Key Data
$164 million
— The amount by which state aid needs to increase to ensure all districts have the resources to provide a sound basic education.
$62.6 billion
— The total amount needed in 2020 to provide a sound basic education for New York’s students.
$72.0 billion
— The estimated amount school districts will spend in 2020.
$9.4 billion
— The amount by which estimated 2020 spending exceeds what is necessary to fund a sound basic education.
$956 million
— The amount the Governor’s Executive Budget proposes to increase school aid.
$20 billion
— The increase in school district revenues between school year 2006-2007 and school year 2016-2017.
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New York spends nearly double the national average per pupil on education, yet graduation rates trail the national average and student performance rankings remain stagnant or mixed. Despite significant increases in state school aid and higher education subsidies, the state's educational outcomes have not kept pace with its high level of spending.
Key Data
$22,366
— New York's per pupil spending in school year 2016, compared to the national average of $11,762.
80.4%
— New York's graduation rate in school year 2015-2016, which increased from 77 percent but saw the state's rank fall from 30 to 38.
35
— New York's rank on grade 8 reading in school year 2016-2017, which remained unchanged despite increased spending.
25
— New York's rank on grade 8 math in school year 2016-2017, an improvement from 30.
$10,130
— State support per full-time equivalent student for SUNY and CUNY in 2015-2016, compared to the national average of $7,120.
$7,940
— Annual tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities in New York in academic year 2017-2018, compared to the national average of $9,970.
New York's Foundation Aid formula currently distributes excess aid to wealthy districts while shortchanging poorer ones due to outdated demographic data and arbitrary funding floors. Reforming this formula by streamlining calculations and eliminating guaranteed increases would allow the state to fully fund a sound basic education using existing resources.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
Fixing the existing Foundation Aid formula would require streamlining the local share calculation, repealing arbitrary floors and ceilings, updating demographic data regularly and repealing any guaranteed amounts or increases.
New York’s leaders should direct state aid where it is needed most by students, not politicians.
The state should repeal arbitrary floors and ceilings within the Foundation Aid formula.
The state should update demographic data regularly to ensure the Foundation Aid formula accurately reflects current student needs.
The state should repeal any guaranteed amounts or increases in Foundation Aid to prevent excess aid from being sent to wealthy districts.
Key Data
$26.4 billion
— Executive budget school aid proposal for the 2018-2019 school year.
$769 million
— Increase in the executive budget school aid proposal.
3 percent
— Percentage increase in the executive budget school aid proposal.
$338 million
— Increase in Foundation Aid for the 2018-2019 school year.
2 percent
— Percentage increase in Foundation Aid.
$17.5 billion
— Total Foundation Aid for the 2018-2019 school year.
In a 2017 survey of New York City residents, 48.0% of respondents rated public K-12 education as excellent or good, while 42.1% gave the same positive rating to public after-school programs. These findings reflect resident perceptions of city services, with nearly one-fifth of participants rating K-12 education as poor and nearly one-quarter rating after-school programs as poor.
Key Data
48.0%
— Proportion of residents who rated public K-12 education as excellent or good.
42.1%
— Proportion of residents who rated public after-school programs as excellent or good.
19.3%
— Proportion of residents who rated public K-12 education as poor.
23.9%
— Proportion of residents who rated public after-school programs as poor.
New York State must reform its school aid distribution formula to ensure constitutional obligations for a sound basic education are met in all districts. By fixing the Foundation Aid formula and redirecting $2.7 billion to needy districts, the state can achieve its goals with only $569 million in additional funding rather than the billions requested by advocates.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The state should transform how the funds are distributed by adopting a new formula to better aid districts like Buffalo.
The state should return Foundation Aid to its intended purpose of directing aid to the neediest districts.
The state should fix the Foundation Aid formula and redirect $2.7 billion to needy districts to minimize the need for additional funding.
Key Data
$4.3 billion
— Amount advocates say is needed for additional education funding next year.
$2.1 billion
— Amount proposed by the Board of Regents for additional education funding.
$24 billion
— Existing annual aid provided to local school districts by the state.
$569 million
— Additional funding needed if the state fixes the Foundation Aid formula.
$2.7 billion
— Amount that should be redirected to needy districts under a fixed formula.
$15 million
— Amount of Foundation Aid that would be lost by Orchard Park under the proposed formula.
The 2016 Competitiveness Scorecard evaluates the New York City metro area's ability to attract talent, utilizing metrics such as educational institution density and student proficiency in reading and math to assess human capital. While these indicators are included as benchmarks for the region's performance, the analysis does not provide specific data or policy recommendations regarding educational outcomes.
The fiscal year 2016 Mayor's Management Report evaluates various city services, but it does not provide data or recommendations regarding educational outcomes, as those metrics are scheduled for release in a future report.
New York City public high school four-year graduation rates rose from 62.7 percent in fiscal year 2009 to 70.5 percent in fiscal year 2015, while the share of students graduating ready for college and careers increased to 34.6 percent. Despite a $1.2 billion increase in Department of Education funding for the 2015-2016 school year, these additional resources were primarily allocated to universal pre-kindergarten and special education expansion rather than high school graduation or preparedness initiatives.
Key Data
62.7 percent
— Four-year graduation rate in New York City public high schools in fiscal year 2009.
70.5 percent
— Four-year graduation rate in New York City public high schools in fiscal year 2015.
34.6 percent
— Share of high school students who graduated ready for college and careers in fiscal year 2015.
$1.2 billion
— Increase in Department of Education funding for the 2015-2016 school year.
2,734
— Number of new staff hired by the Department of Education for the 2015-2016 school year.
The proposed $2 billion bond referendum for school technology lacks a statewide needs assessment and fails to demonstrate that such investments improve student achievement. Instead of funding these potentially obsolete technology purchases, the state should prioritize its limited borrowing capacity for critical infrastructure projects with proven returns on investment.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
New York State should prioritize capital spending on high-priority needs with a proven return on investment rather than funding school technology.
A statewide needs assessment must be conducted to judge the adequacy and priority of investments before committing $2 billion in debt.
Any list of capital needs to be funded with state-supported debt should be established through the new statewide capital planning process.
The state should reserve borrowing capacity for critical infrastructure investments rather than using it for one-time technology purchases.
New Yorkers should reject the Smart Schools Bond Act.
Key Data
$2 billion
— The total amount of general obligation bonds authorized by the Smart Schools Bond Act to fund school technology infrastructure and programs.
$19,552
— The average per-pupil spending in New York in school year 2012, which was the highest of any state.
84 percent
— The amount by which New York's average per-pupil spending in 2012 exceeded the national average.
$174 billion
— The total capital needs identified in the state's 10-Year Capital Plan for 48 state agencies and authorities.
$89 billion
— The estimated state and local infrastructure funding shortfall over the next 20 years.
4 percent
— The statutory debt cap limit based on personal income for New York State.
Expanding universal prekindergarten in New York requires significant investment, as current funding levels are insufficient to provide the intensive, high-quality programming that research shows yields the best long-term educational benefits. Policymakers must carefully weigh the high costs of universal expansion against the fiscal realities of the state, particularly given that many upper-income families already access private preschool options.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
New York’s leaders should review the history of such efforts and take stock of some key realities before raising public expectations.
If pre-k is to accomplish the lasting benefits for disadvantaged students, more intensive and expensive programming will be required.
It is questionable whether the significant expenditure necessary to fund pre-k seats in public schools for children from upper-income families should be a priority use of scarce tax dollars.
New York must acknowledge that it will be costly to achieve the ambitious goal of universal pre-k.
Underfunding services for those students who could benefit most for the sake of achieving universality is not good public policy.
Key Data
$12,846
— Average per pupil spending in New Jersey's Abbott districts in 2012.
$3,707
— New York's per pupil spending on pre-k in 2012.
$4 billion
— Estimated cost to make pre-k both richly-resourced and fully universal in New York State.
$2.2 billion
— Cumulative reductions in K-12 education aid in New York from peak to trough during the economic downturn.
$80.60
— Local tax burden per $1,000 of personal income in New York.
New York City maintains a competitive edge in human capital by possessing roughly double the number of residents with master's degrees compared to Los Angeles. To sustain this advantage, the city must continue to support specialized higher education initiatives and advocate for immigration policies that retain foreign-educated talent.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The city should continue to support efforts like the Bloomberg administration's Applied Sciences Initiative that support education in fields where the metro area lacks depth.
Policymakers should advocate for visa protocols that allow foreign students to work and become residents to help retain highly educated talent.
Key Data
twice
— The New York metro area has about twice the number of people with master's degrees as the second-largest city, Los Angeles.
New York City remains a competitive destination for highly-skilled workers due to its robust employment opportunities and higher education institutions, though it faces challenges in entrepreneurship and quality of life. To maintain this position, the city must prioritize policies that expand human capital development, foster emerging industries, and address quality of life issues like housing costs and commute times.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The city must pursue policies to expand human capital development to maintain a competitive position.
The city must foster emerging industries to ensure future economic prosperity.
The city must address weaknesses in quality of life, such as lengthy commutes and high housing costs, to remain a desirable place to live and work.
Key Data
3
— Rank for Percent Proficient on NAEP, Grade 8 Reading among 14 metro areas.
4
— Rank for Percent Proficient on NAEP, Grade 8 Math among 14 metro areas.
1
— Rank for Number of Educational Institutions among 14 metro areas.
1
— Rank for Number of Undergraduate and Graduate Students among 14 metro areas.
1
— Rank for Number of International Students among 14 metro areas.
New York's public education system spends significantly more per student than the national average, yet student achievement remains mediocre with graduation rates ranking 39th in the nation. To improve outcomes, the state should redirect existing funds by reforming aid formulas, modernizing health insurance contributions, and eliminating ineffective special education mandates.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
State leaders should overhaul state aid formulas to base funding on local ability to pay, student need, and regional cost differences rather than outdated 'hold harmless' provisions.
The legislature and the Governor should work together to establish a statutory cap on school district employer contributions at 85 percent for single coverage and 75 percent for family coverage.
School districts should reallocate responsibility for employee and retiree health insurance premium costs to match the arrangements of State of New York employees.
The state should eliminate ineffective special education mandates that drive costs up without improving outcomes.
The legislature could begin reducing costs by passing the pending bill that authorizes multiple mandate relief measures already approved by the State Education Department.
Key Data
73.5 percent
— New York's graduation rate, which ranks 39th in the nation.
$18,825
— Annual per pupil spending in New York, which is the second highest among the 50 states.
$500 million
— Potential annual savings if school districts changed health insurance premium-sharing arrangements to match those of the State of New York.
$11.4 billion
— Statewide special education spending in the decade ending in 2010, an 88 percent increase.
227
— Number of mandates New York State imposes on special education beyond those required by federal law.
$4.7 billion
— Amount spent by school districts in New York State on health insurance for employees and retirees.
New York spends significantly more on public education than the national average, yet student performance remains average and graduation rates are low. To improve outcomes, the state should overhaul aid formulas, require school districts to share health insurance costs, and eliminate burdensome special education mandates.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
State school aid formulas should be overhauled to ensure districts with similar needs and resources receive comparable funding.
School districts should bargain more successfully with teachers’ unions to give employees a greater stake in cost containment through the sharing of health insurance premium costs.
Special education spending should be lowered by eliminating overly burdensome procedural and staffing mandates that exceed federal requirements.
For districts whose funding would change significantly due to redesigned aid formulas, a 3-5 year phase-in schedule could be developed.
The components of the aid formulas that account for pupil need, local ability to pay, and regional costs should be applied to the total amount to be distributed.
Key Data
$17,746
— New York's annual per pupil spending, which is 68% above the U.S. average of $10,590.
73.5 percent
— New York's graduation rate, which ranks 39th in the nation.
$500 million
— The potential annual savings if school districts matched the state's health insurance premium sharing arrangements.
$3,311
— New York's 2009 spending on employee benefits per pupil, more than twice the national average of $1,449.
$4.7 billion
— The amount spent by New York school districts on health insurance for employees and retirees in 2009.
$11.4 billion
— The total state-wide special education spending after an 88 percent increase.
New York's proposed school aid increase is poorly targeted, with wealthier districts set to receive disproportionately higher funding increases compared to the neediest districts. To ensure aid effectively boosts student achievement, the state should prioritize distributing funds through the foundation aid formula while limiting categorical aid and competitive grants that favor better-resourced districts.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The proposed $805 million increase should be highly targeted to the neediest districts by relying heavily on distribution through the foundation aid formula.
Categorical aid should be frozen or subject to a tight growth cap.
The competitive grant program should be much smaller, if not eliminated.
All the formulas for distributing school aid should be reexamined.
A full-on effort to retool the school aid formulas should be launched.
Key Data
$805 million
— Governor’s proposed state aid increase for school districts.
$290 million
— Increase in foundation aid.
$265 million
— Addition of categorical aids.
$250 million
— Funding for new competitive performance grants.
$2.2 billion
— Amount school aid was cut from its $21.7 billion peak in school year 2009-10.
17.6 percent
— Statewide average reduction in foundation aid per student from school year 2009-10 to 2011-12.
New York State's special education system faces unsustainable cost growth, with spending increasing 20 percent faster than general education, largely due to over 200 state-specific mandates. Adopting proposed reforms to align state procedures with federal standards would allow school districts to better tailor services to student needs while controlling expenditures.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The Board of Regents should approve the proposed reforms to bring New York's special education procedures more in line with federal requirements.
The State Legislature should pass the necessary changes to state law to provide school districts with greater flexibility to meet student needs and control spending.
The state should repeal the law requiring specific evaluations for every student, allowing multidisciplinary school committees to determine what evaluations to administer based on each student's needs.
Key Data
$10,874
— Average cost of instruction per general education student in New York State in 2008-09.
$26,551
— Average cost of instruction per special education student in New York State in 2008-09.
7.5 percent
— Average annual rate of instructional spending growth for special education over the past decade.
5.5
— Student-to-staff ratio in New York's special education system.
10.1
— Average student-to-staff ratio for special education in the United States.
New York State's special education system imposes over 200 mandates beyond federal requirements, resulting in instructional costs that are 2.4 times higher per pupil than general education. To address unsustainable spending growth and provide school districts with necessary flexibility, the Board of Regents and the Legislature should approve and enact proposed reforms to align state procedures with federal standards.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The Board of Regents should approve the third round of mandate relief proposals as currently drafted to provide school districts with greater flexibility.
The State Legislature should pass the necessary changes to State law to align New York's special education procedures with federal requirements.
The Board of Regents should repeal the requirement that the Committee on Special Education (CSE) include a school psychologist, a parent of a student with a disability, and a physician to conform membership to federal IEP team standards.
The State should repeal the requirement that each evaluation of a student suspected of having a disability include a physical examination, psychological evaluation, social history, and other specific assessments to adopt the federal standard for initial evaluations.
The State should repeal the requirement that Boards of Education have specific plans and policies for the declassification of students with disabilities, as annual reviews already provide sufficient consideration.
Key Data
$10,874
— Instructional spending per pupil for general education in the 2008-09 school year.
$26,551
— Instructional spending per pupil for special education in the 2008-09 school year, which is 2.4 times greater than general education.
7.5 percent
— Average annual growth rate of instructional spending for special education over the past decade.
5.5
— Number of students per staff person in New York's special education system, compared to the U.S. average of 10.1.
$1.3 billion
— Reduction in state aid for school year 2011-12 compared to the previous year.
New York's education system faces necessary budget cuts, but these reductions should be strategically targeted to protect the neediest districts rather than applied across the board. By reducing state aid to the wealthiest school districts, the state could restore funding to poorer districts and ensure resources are invested more effectively.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
Harm to the neediest districts could be further minimized by even greater targeting of school aid reductions.
The state should halve the $900 million in state aid currently provided to the wealthiest districts to restore funding for districts in the six poorest deciles.
The limited available funding for education should be targeted to the neediest schools and pupils.
New York needs to invest wisely, not profusely, in its education system.
Key Data
$1.1 billion
— The proposed absolute cut in school aid for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
$28,754
— The average per pupil expenditure in the wealthiest 10 percent of school districts in 2006-07.
$16,463
— The average per pupil expenditure in the poorest 10 percent of school districts in 2006-07.
$900 million
— The amount of state aid received by the 136 wealthiest school districts in the state.
$7.5 billion
— The estimated budget gap for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
New York State must address the court-mandated need for a sound basic education by shifting the financial burden from local districts to the state while implementing structural reforms to improve school efficiency. These reforms include establishing a statewide accountability system, optimizing classroom space through rezoning and year-round schedules, and restructuring teacher compensation to prioritize performance and address staffing shortages.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State, rather than local school districts, should be responsible for raising the additional funds needed for a sound basic education.
A new statewide system of accountability for schools should be established.
The classroom space requirements for a sound basic education should be met through a combination of two measures - redistricting of existing schools and operating existing schools on a year-round schedule.
Teachers should be given financial incentives for better performance.
Financial incentives should be used to overcome shortages in selected teaching job titles.
The managerial discretion of principals should be expanded.
Key Data
$2.5 billion to $8.6 billion
— The estimated range of additional annual funding needed to provide a sound basic education.
$12 billion
— The amount of savings in capital expenses achievable through rezoning and year-round school schedules.
$1.225 billion
— The amount of annual savings that can be generated from within the school system through efficiencies.
$2 billion
— The estimated annual revenue that could be raised by authorizing new forms of gambling.
$1.5 billion to $2.6 billion
— The estimated annual revenue yield from restructuring existing taxes.
$4.3 billion
— The amount spent by New York City in fiscal year 2004 on mandated aid to the State for Medicaid.
Research into school finance litigation across seven states reveals that court victories do not guarantee timely or effective policy responses, and increased spending does not automatically lead to improved educational outcomes. Successful reform efforts are more likely when political leaders support court mandates and when additional funding is specifically targeted toward initiatives like early childhood education and smaller class sizes.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
Additional spending is more likely to result in gains in student achievement when the money is well targeted.
The forms of spending most likely to have positive results are expansion of pre-kindergarten opportunities and small class sizes in the early elementary school grades.
Policymakers should ensure that political leaders are supportive of court policy directions to ensure that action can be prompt and effective.
States should recognize that a court victory does not ensure timely or effective policy responses.
States should acknowledge that success in terms of generating additional spending for public schools does not automatically equal success in terms of improved educational outcomes.
Key Data
$12 million
— Cost of the Tennessee STAR program over four years.
480 words
— Vocabulary size of poor children at age 3.
750 words
— Vocabulary size of middle-class children at age 3.
1,100 words
— Vocabulary size of the wealthiest children at age 3.
66%
— Percentage of higher SES children who have attended pre-school.
47%
— Percentage of poorer children who have attended pre-school.
New York State needs to implement a unified, coherent accountability system that measures both the effective use of educational resources and student performance outcomes to ensure that increased funding leads to actual improvements. This system should include clear, consistent standards, value-added assessments of student progress, and a balanced approach of both rewards for high performance and targeted interventions for failing schools.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should develop a single set of accountability tools that are uniform across the State, that are consistent with federal guidelines, and that replace locally-generated systems.
All districts should be required to specify, in advance of receipt of new funds, the uses to which the new money will be put.
Where standardized tests are used for accountability purposes, they should be based on 'value-added' methodologies.
The State accountability system should include measures of the relative efficiency of how resources are used by schools and districts.
The State should include a qualitative assessment program in its accountability system.
Clear and reasonable State-wide sanctions for schools should be developed and implemented consistently.
The State should develop rewards for schools and districts that perform well.
Each District should be required to specify what progress it will achieve in the next four years with the additional funds.
Key Data
40%
— Percentage of all schools in New York City designated as 'schools in need of improvement'.
12 years
— Timeframe given by the federal government under the No Child Left Behind Act for states to meet ambitious student performance goals.
40
— Number of children in a demographic group required to trigger disaggregated reporting and potential school sanctions.
600
— Number of children in an average K-5 school.
32
— Number of community school districts in New York City.
200
— Number of pages in some past District Comprehensive Educational Plans (DCEPs) for certain districts.
Providing a sound basic education to New York City students requires more than just additional funding, necessitating structural reforms in how schools are financed, managed, and staffed. The state must prioritize statewide revenue sources while implementing accountability measures, year-round schooling, and performance-based teacher compensation to ensure resources are used effectively.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The State should provide all additional resources necessary to ensure that New York's students receive a sound basic education through statewide revenues.
The City should restructure the pay schedule to make a larger share of compensation conditioned on job performance and to de-emphasize longevity and graduate educational credits.
The City should use financial incentives to overcome teacher shortages by offering differential pay to qualified teachers in shortage titles who agree to work in schools facing the greatest difficulty.
The City should increase teacher time spent on classroom instruction by reducing preparation and administrative periods and eliminating sabbatical leaves and subsidized time for union activities.
The City should enhance principals' managerial discretion by modifying seniority rules to allow principals to select teachers for given posts from among multiple candidates.
The City should implement an accountability strategy that includes comprehensive planning, public reporting on the use of funds, and meaningful sanctions for unsatisfactory managerial performance.
The City should use redistricting and year-round schooling to meet classroom space requirements in a timely, efficient, and effective manner.
Key Data
$2.5 billion to $8.4 billion
— The estimated range of additional education spending required to provide a sound basic education to New York's children.
48 percent
— The share of non-federal revenues provided by New York State for public primary and secondary education.
57 percent
— The national median state share of non-federal primary and secondary education funding.
171 percent
— The amount New Yorkers pay in local taxes relative to the national average.
13.9
— The number of pupils for each teacher in New York City public schools.
4,250
— The equivalent number of teachers that could be added to the payroll by reallocating teacher time from non-instructional duties.
New York City's special education system is expensive and inefficient, with only one in six students receiving a diploma despite high per-student costs. Restructuring placement policies to move students into less restrictive environments and streamlining support services could improve educational outcomes while generating significant annual savings.
Recommendations related to Educational Outcomes
The City should move enough students (about 30,000) from the most restrictive settings to less restrictive settings to bring its pattern of placements into line with the rest of New York State and reduce the number of students in special private schools about 6 percent.
Application of national best practices in New York would let about 6,400 students receive preventive services in regular classrooms rather than in special education.
Streamlining is possible by eliminating unnecessary administrative personnel, revising evaluation procedures, and changing transportation arrangements to provide support services more efficiently.
Key Data
$18,919
— Annual cost per child for special education in New York City.
$3.2 billion
— Total annual cost of special education in New York City.
168,000
— Number of children reached by special education in New York City.
$6,100
— Average annual cost per student for private busing for special education students.
$267 million
— Annual savings from restructuring special education and streamlining support services.
New York State's labor force quality, measured by educational attainment and standardized test scores, currently ranks in the middle tier compared to other large states. The state's share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 26.8%, while average SAT scores for verbal and mathematics sections are 494 and 506, respectively.
Key Data
26.8%
— New York State's share of the population over age 25 with a bachelor's or higher degree.
494
— New York State's mean verbal score on the SAT I examination.
506
— New York State's mean mathematics score on the SAT I examination.
Collective bargaining between the Board of Education and the United Federation of Teachers serves as a primary mechanism for implementing reforms to improve public school performance. These contract negotiations offer a strategic opportunity to address systemic issues and enhance the quality of education provided to students.
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