NEPC Review: The Effect of Constitutional Provisions on Education Policy and Outcomes (Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, April 2021)
A report published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis examines the potential effects of amending the education clauses contained in states’ constitutions. The apparent intent of this report is to provide an empirical justification for amending the education clause of Minnesota’s constitution. Specifically, the report lays out four independent empirical analyses in an attempt to advance a theory of action for improving education quality. Unfortunately, the analyses use methods and models that exceed the capacity and quality of the data. In addition, these methods and models are inadequately linked to one another or to the theory of action. Ultimately, the report provides little evidentiary basis for the proposed theory of action or for the current campaign to amend the Minnesota constitution.