• I. Introduction and Background.-
• Chapter 1 Why do Economists Study Education Policy?.-
• Chapter 2 The Structure and History of Education Markets in the US.-
• Chapter 3 Empirical Tools of Education Economics.- II. The Foundations of Education Production and Investment.-
• Chapter 4 The Human Capital Model.-
• Chapter 5 The Signaling Model: An Alternative to the Human Capital Framework.-
• Chapter 6 The Returns to Education Investment.-
• Chapter 7 How Knowledge is Produced: The Education Production Function.- III. Elementary and Secondary Education Policy.-
• Chapter 8. The Financing of Local Public Schools.-
• Chapter 9 Does Money Matter? The Effect of Resource and Input-Based Policies.-
• Chapter 10 School Choice: A Market-based Approach to Education Reform.-
• Chapter 11 Test-Based School Accountability Programs.-
• Chapter 12 Teacher Labor Markets.-
• Chapter 13 Market Dimensions of Higher Education.-
• Chapter 14 Student Aid Policy and Collegiate Outcomes.-
• Chapter 15 The Economics of College Admission and College Life.- Appendix: Description of Data Sets Commonly Used in the Economics of Education.- Glossary.- References.- Index.
• (source: Nielsen Book Data)

While there are many great research articles, good books, and provocative policy analyses related to the economics of education, these materials are often written to influence the policy process and not necessarily for students with limited knowledge of the underlying policies and the economic framework. This textbook is intended to serve as a foundation for a broad-based course on the economics of education. Its goal is to provide an overview of economics of education research: to lay out the evidence as clearly as possible, note agreements, disagreements, and unresolved points in literature, and to help students develop the tools necessary to draw their own conclusions.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)

How do we ensure that waste and inefficiency do not undermine the mission of publicly funded schools? Derek Neal writes that economists must analyze education policy in the same way they analyze other procurement problems. Insights from research on incentives and contracts in the private sector point to new approaches that could induce publicly funded educators to provide excellent education, even though taxpayers and parents cannot monitor what happens in the classroom. Information, Incentives, and Education Policy introduces readers to what economists know--and do not know--about the logjams created by misinformation and disincentives in education. Examining a range of policy agendas, from assessment-based accountability and centralized school assignments to charter schools and voucher systems, Neal demonstrates where these programs have been successful, where they have failed, and why. The details clearly matter: there is no quick-and-easy fix for education policy. By combining elements from various approaches, economists can help policy makers design optimal reforms. Information, Incentives, and Education Policy is organized to show readers how standard tools from economics research on information and incentives speak directly to some of the most crucial issues in education today. In addition to providing an overview of the pluses and minuses of particular programs, each chapter includes a series of exercises that allow students of economics to work through the mathematics for themselves or with an instructor's assistance. For those who wish to master the models and tools that economists of education should use in their work, there is no better resource available.
(source: Nielsen Book Data)