But as a recent St. Paul forum highlighted, it's not enough for the state to simply pour more dollars into business-as-usual public education. Rather, in times of limited resources, funding must be targeted at the most cost-effective, research-proven programs. In other words, education spending must be fiercely focused on things that work.

This week, a day-long education summit sponsored by the think tank Growth & Justice shed important light on the subject. A stated goal of the organization is to increase by 50 percent the number of 18-to-24 year olds who earn a higher-education diploma by 2020. A group of more than 200 lawmakers, researchers and other leaders gathered to discuss the most effective strategies to make that happen.

Several economists and other education experts reviewed their own and other research of the past two decades. Their wise conclusions: Minnesota must dramatically expand early childhood education, get more students through high school and some postsecondary learning, lower class sizes, increase rigor and create a more seamless transition from high school to college.

A key priority is improving support for kids from birth to age 5. Only 1.9 percent of Minnesota 4-year-olds had access to prekindergarten classes in 2005, placing the state 36th in the nation on that measure. During the same year, Minnesota spent an average of slightly more than $283 per child for school readiness and $270 per child for Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) programs. Those expenditures don't measure up to Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois -- all states that spend an average of $2,980 or more per child for prekindergarten programs.

If Minnesota continues such low levels of investment, it's almost guaranteed that educational rankings will drop. Much of the enrollment growth in the state is coming from lower-income, immigrant and minority students -- the very kids who lag behind and create the state's persistent achievement disparity. Targeting resources to help that population of children succeed is crucial to the state's future prosperity.

The Growth & Justice forum came at a good time. P.S. Minnesota, a group of parents and education leaders, studied the state's school-funding formula and turned its findings over to a recently convened legislative task force on the same subject. That panel can use work from both groups to inform the recommendations it makes to the Legislature in 2008.

Armed with the best research and collective thinking of key local stakeholders, the task force can develop an improved E-12 funding and investment plan for the state to adopt next year.