Allan R. Odden

odden
Allan R. Odden
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, School of Education,
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Allan R. Odden is professor emeritus of educational leadership and policy analysis in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is co-director emeritus of the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), a consortium of the University of the Wisconsin–Madison; Teachers College, Columbia University; and Harvard, Northwestern, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Stanford Universities. Odden is also director emeritus of Strategic Management of Human Capital in Education and a former director at Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE). He formerly was professor of education policy and administration at the University of Southern California and director of Policy Analysis for California Education.

updated 2025

Contributing topics
Access, quality & alignment in early childhood education
College access & postsecondary success
Continuous school improvement & support
Education finance
Educational governance & policy
Educator workforce & effectiveness
Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes
Allan R. Odden in the Media
: Falling Test Scores Fuel Support for Vouchers California Voters Weigh School Funding Plan
: Union Role in Anton’s Departure Debated—Some Say Teachers’ Group Exerts Too Much Power
: Teacher Union Leader Wonders Whether Administration Has Taken Fair Share of Reductions. Administrators Reply that Essential Services Cannot be Pared
: Switching to Year-Round Operation Makes More Than Economic Sense—There’s Something in It for Teachers, Students and Parents
: State Needs $20.6 Billion More in Next Decade, Professors Assert: Study Sees Mediocrity in Schools’ Future
Publications by Allan R. Odden
Class Size and Student Achievement: Research-Based Policy Alternatives
Class Size and Student Achievement
Research-Based Policy Alternatives
This article delves into the issue of class size in education, examining how it affects student achievement and suggesting policy alternatives. With some states proposing and implementing class size reductions, the analysis discusses the research on…
Educational Indicators in the United States: The Need for Analysis
Educational Indicators in the United States
The Need for Analysis
Educational indicator systems are in demand in the US due to their strong linkages to policy issues. This article covers five major issues related to educational indicators, including what they are, major initiatives in the US, and indicator…
Conditions of Education in California, 1989
Conditions of Education in California, 1989
This is the fifth edition of Conditions of Education in California. Over time, the content and format have changed in keeping with suggestions made by readers.
School Funding Changes 1960 to 1988
School Funding Changes
1960 to 1988
Public school funding in the US has seen continuous increases in real funding since 1960, reflecting strong citizen support for public schools and a growing economy. Despite pessimism and recession in the 1980s, real school funding continued to…