Investing in What Works: A Primer on Evidence-Based Spending
This spotlight is part of a series examining work presented at the 2025 Strategic Data Project Convening. The theme of the convening was “Now What?”—interrogating how to move forward amidst technological advance, ethical questions, and the shifting education landscape.
Imagine walking into the lighting aisle at Lowe’s. Your lamp went out, and you need a new light bulb.
Perusing the shelves, you see a million varieties: incandescent, halogen, CFLs, and LEDs; 25, 40, 60, 75 and 100 watts; standard, blunt tip, conical, globe, or tubular. You’re not a lighting expert. All the options purport to shine. How do you know which bulb is worth purchasing?
This thought experiment opened Results for America’s session at SDP Convening 2025, an interactive conversation focused on using evidence-based spending strategies to maximize the impact of education investments.
When you go to buy a lightbulb, you probably wouldn’t pick blindly off the shelf. You might refer to what has worked before, buying a lightbulb you know and liked, or even better, you might consult the experts: lighting certifiers like Underwriters Laboratories, who ensure lighting is safe and high-quality, or reviewers like Consumer Reports and Wirecutter, who know which lighting is most effective for your needs and context.
So why would we do any less due diligence when it comes to education spending?
Results for America (RFA) aims to make investing in what works the “new normal” so that government decision-makers use evidence and data to increase the impact of the over $2 trillion that governments leaders are responsible for spending each year.
When leaders use evidence to spend those dollars, they increase impact, achieve better outcomes for all, and advance economic mobility. While this is true across the board, it’s especially important in education, where students rely on school system leaders to make the right decisions for their future success.
This session walked through RFA’s six strategies for evidence-based spending:
1. Clearly define evidence.
What counts as evidence? How are you evaluating and scoring proposals? Set clear expectations and standards for applicants.
2. Prioritize Evidence
To ensure that a greater proportion of government grant dollars are invested in the programs most likely to improve education outcomes, require that funding be used to support evidence-based programs or allocate points to grant applications that meet evidence definitions.
3. Define Desired Outcomes
Outcomes tell us: "What difference did this program make for participants?" Defining the outcomes you hope to see in advance allows education leaders to strategically fund activities that will help them meet program goals.
4. Build Evidence through Evaluations
Evaluate the work on an ongoing basis to build insight into how well the grant program is working, for whom, and under what circumstances.
5. Implement Performance Management in Grants
To improve a grant program’s overall outcome, monitor progress towards goals, provide feedback to grantees, and support continuous improvement and adjustment when not on track.
6. Address Local Needs
To consistently deliver positive results for all students, prioritize funding those grantees that address local needs through their grantee activities.
The full Education Evidence-Based Spending Guide for state education agencies and the Local Education Agency Evidence-Based Spending Guide can be accessed on the RFA website, but the session served as a powerful reminder: like a savvy shopper choosing the right lightbulb, state and local education leaders don’t need to make decisions in the dark. By leaning into evidence-based strategies, they can ensure that every dollar spent lights the way toward better outcomes for students—and brighter futures for all.