PSTC Sociologist Emily Rauscher has received funding from the Gilead Foundation to study how specific uses of school funds affect education and health outcomes. This grant will allow Professor Rauscher, her co-investigator Professor Susanna Loeb, and their team to identify which types of spending are most beneficial for student well-being. The Project titled, “Targeting School Funds to Increase Health Prosperity through Educational Equity” will examine near-random funding increases and employ mixed methods and rigorous analyses to evaluate the impact of school funds on education and health, particularly among Black and Latinx students and schools.

“The support from the Gilead Foundation is transformational for this project,” explains Dr. Rauscher. “The grant allows us to gather qualitative evidence, including interviews and surveys, to learn from superintendents, principals, teachers, and parents about why certain types of spending may matter more for Black and Latinx students. This valuable mixed methods approach would not be possible otherwise.”

Professors Rauscher and Loeb will use this rich qualitative data to better understand why money matters for students, especially Black and Latinx students, and identify targeted funding strategies that build on local strengths and increase student well-being through equity.