Eric Hanushek

In the past 50 years, Eric Hanushek has led the development of economics of education as a field of study within economics and has contributed significantly to its becoming a major source of evidence-based advice for education policy-makers. His innovative use of data and rigorous economic analysis revolutionized education policy. Early on, he realized that the policy debate was focused on resources instead of learning outcomes, the actual desired goal. He identified the lack of correlation between input-based indicators and learning outcomes, highlighting the inefficient use of resources. At the same time, he identified the strong role that individual schools, teachers, and principals had in explaining good and bad outcomes. This implied that, to improve results, the focus should move from input-based policies to incentives and accountability for outcomes. Relatedly, he identified the inappropriate use of school attendance, an indicator of quantity, as the preferred measure of human capital. He identified quality of human capital rather than quantity as the driver of economic growth.