Sarah Reber

sreber
Sarah Reber
Joseph A. Pechman Fellow in Economic Studies,
Brookings Institution

Sarah Reber is the Joseph A. Pechman Fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. She was formerly an associate professor of public policy at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Her research focuses on the economics of education, including elementary and secondary education finance, college access for disadvantaged students, and school desegregation. She examines the adequacy of federal school funding during the COVID-19 crisis and the educational, social, and fiscal effects of major 20th-century policies, including school desegregation, the Civil Rights Act, and Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Her work in health economics explores competition in health insurance markets, racial disparities in COVID-19 mortality, and issues related to COVID-19 in nursing homes. Reber earned a PhD in economics from Harvard University.

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
Contributing initiatives
COVID-19 Recovery
Getting Down To Facts II
Commentary by Sarah Reber
: UC Regents Should Consider All Evidence and Options in Decision on Admissions Policy
Sarah Reber in the Media
: UCLA Associate Professor Sarah Reber on Facts and Inaccuracies in UC Admissions Debate
: Some School Districts Are Feeling COVID-19 Stimulus Envy
: Schools Need More Federal Dollars, But Title I Is Not the Right Tool for the Job
: Schools Need Flexible Federal Aid Now. What Should Congress Do Next?
: A Simple Idea to Make a COVID-19 Bailout for Schools More Equitable
Publications by Sarah Reber
GDTFII Brief Data
Making California Data More Useful for Educational Improvement
California's education leaders and policymakers have limited ability to make informed decisions due to weaknesses in the state's education data systems. Although California has improved its data systems, it still falls behind other states in data…
GDTFII Brief Outcomes and Demographics
Outcomes and Demographics of California’s Schools
Public education in California shows progress, yet challenges remain in providing equal opportunities for all students. Poverty rates persist, and schools are highly segregated by race, ethnicity, family income, and language. While student outcomes…