Jesse D. Levin

Jesse Levin
Jesse D. Levin
Principal Research Economist,
American Institutes for Research

Jesse D. Levin is a principal research economist at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where he directs projects on school finance equity and adequacy, resource allocation, and educational effectiveness. He is the founding director of the AIR Economic Evaluation of Policies and Programs Methods Hub and led the Cost Analysis Standards Project, which developed the Standards for Economic Evaluation of Educational and Social Programs. He has served as principal investigator on studies of the Los Angeles Unified School District Student Equity Needs Index and K–12 funding adequacy in New Hampshire. Levin previously directed national studies of school district weighted student funding systems and Title I resource allocation for the U.S. Department of Education, as well as evaluations of state school finance systems in Hawaii, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. He is a member of the California Practitioner Advisory Group and Technical Design Group, advising the California State Board of Education, and was previously president of the Pacifica School District board of trustees. Levin earned his PhD in economics from the University of Amsterdam and the Tinbergen Institute.

updated 2025

Contributing topics
Education finance
Educational governance & policy
Understanding, measuring & improving student outcomes
Contributing initiatives
COVID-19 Recovery
Getting Down To Facts II
LCFF Research Collaborative
Jesse D. Levin in the Media
: School Funding Evaluation Focuses on Equity for Students—and Taxpayers
: How Schools Can Help Children Recover from COVID Closures
: What California Schools’ Devastating Cuts Could Mean for Classrooms: 15% Less Per Student
: How Much Does It Cost to Educate California's Students?
: Three Steps to Address the Fairness of School Funding Through ESSA
Publications by Jesse D. Levin
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…
r
Crucial Issues in California Education, 2006
Rekindling Reform
This report discusses key education policy challenges in California, including funding, teacher quality, achievement gaps, and school accountability. The report highlights the need for equitable funding and effective teacher training and retention…