Drew Atchison

Drew Atchison
Drew Atchison
Principal Researcher,
American Institutes for Research

Drew Atchison is a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where he conducts quantitative analysis on education policy topics, including accountability, education finance, and educational equity. Previously, he was a research assistant at George Washington University and a consultant for Digital Promise. He has led the quantitative analysis for multiple reports commissioned by the U.S. Department of Education, including studies on Title I programs, school-level expenditure data, and weighted student funding systems. His research on school finance includes an adequacy study in California and an analysis of pupil weights in the school funding system of Vermont. His work has been published in Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, Education Finance and Policy, and Education Policy Analysis Archives. Atchison earned an EdD in education policy from George Washington University.

updated 2025

Contributing topics
Education finance
Contributing initiatives
Getting Down To Facts II
Drew Atchison in the Media
: School Funding Evaluation Focuses on Equity for Students—and Taxpayers
: Three Steps to Address the Fairness of School Funding Through ESSA
Publications by Drew Atchison
GDTFII Brief Adequacy
Working Toward K–12 Funding Adequacy
California’s Current Policies and Funding Levels
California's education system aims to provide all public school students with a broad course of study consistent with state standards. However, many educators feel that the state's funding system does not provide adequate resources to meet these…