עברית

Associate Prof. Iris BenDavid-Hadar

Senior Lecturer
Senior Lecturer
Telephone
03-5317628
Email
iris.hadar@biu.ac.il
Office
Building 905 room 506
Personal Website
Research students who have completed their requirements for the PhD degree or the Master's degree with thesis »
CV

Iris BenDavid-Hadar is Associate Professor of Education Finance and Policy at Bar-Ilan University and one of the founders and leaders of education finance policy as a field of study in Israel. Her research examines how public resources reach schools and how funding formulae shape equity in educational opportunity and outcomes. She developed the Middle Line Model, a new global conceptualization in education finance that draws on Amartya Sen’s comparative approach to justice to show how learning and resource allocation to education can lead to both national competitiveness and social cohesion. Among her international roles, she founded the Economics and Finance of Education SIG at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) and has chaired it since 2016, serves on the Board of Trustees of the National Education Finance Academy (NEFA), has served as a reviewer for the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report (2026), and was consulted for the World Bank Equity Report (2022). In Israel, among other roles, she has served on Ministry of Education committees reviewing the national school funding formula, and her work has informed the Ministry's funding-formula reform.

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

2023-present            Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, Bar-Ilan University

2016-2023                  Senior Lecturer (tenured), Bar-Ilan University

2011-2016                  Lecturer, Bar-Ilan University

2004-2010                  Instructor, Bar-Ilan University

Visiting Positions

2023                            Visiting Scholar, University College London (UCL)

2015                            Visiting Scholar, Columbia University

EDUCATION

2009 (summer)         Post-Doc., Stanford University, School of Education, Department of Economics and Education. Host: Martin Carnoy

2008                            Ph.D., Bar-Ilan University. Dissertation: Resource Reallocation in Education - Towards Narrowing the Educational Achievement Gap. Research Paper Dissertation, English. Supervisor: Adrian Ziderman, Economics Department, Bar-Ilan University

1999                            M.A., Tel Aviv University

1985                            B.A., Tel Aviv University

Awards

2025                            A Faculty of Education Research Laboratory Support Grant Provided in Acknowledgment of an Outstanding Doctoral Candidate.

2025                            Rector Award for Research Group Establishment (2025) - Selected by university committee to lead research group on Skill Development and Adaptive Problem-Solving Competencies (Digital Literacy) in Higher Education: Implications for Graduate Well-being, Employability, and Labor Market Outcomes.

2024                            Distinguished Fellow Award for Outstanding Contribution and Establishment of Economics and Finance of Education SIG, at the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES), Presidential Award.

2014                            Distinguished Fellow Award - National Education Finance Academy: Outstanding contribution to the research of education finance.

2011                            Schnitzer Foundation for Research on the Israeli Economy and Society: Investigating the Israeli Achievement gap.

2004                            The Bar-Ilan University President's Scholarship for Outstanding Doctoral Students, Bar-Ilan University.

Publications

∗ Ph.D. or M.A. student advisee

Edited Books

  1. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (Ed.). (2018). Education finance, equality and equity. Cham: Springer.
  2. Liu, J., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (Eds.). (2018). Belt & Road higher education research: Student mobility in the Belt and Road countries-2017. China: China Social Science Press. (ISBN 978-7-5203-2515-8)

Articles in Refereed Journals

  1. Dadon-Golan∗, Z., BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Tsidkany∗, R. (2026). Symbolic incentives in elementary schools. Frontiers in Education, 11, Article 1892999. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1892999
  2. Krubiner∗, O., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2026). Choice and equity in education: The role of specialised schools. Educational Research, 68(1), 38-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2025.2593257
  3. Malki-Levy∗, S., BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Altman, C. (2026). Additional language learning policy for immigrant students: A comparative research. Language Policy, 25(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-025-09755-5
  4. Shilo∗, Y., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2026). Early childhood education policy and children rights: Examining the Israeli reform. Early Childhood Education Journal, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-026-02120-z
  5. Betser-Nahum∗, Y. & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). The municipalities efficiency in Israel: The case of the provision of educational services. International Journal of Educational Development, 117, Article 103370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103370
  6. Dadon-Golan∗, Z., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Bridging the digital divide: Exploring the problem-solving competences of Israeli higher education graduates in technologically rich environments using PIAAC data. European Journal of Education, 60(1), Article e12921. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12921
  7. Even∗, U., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Teachers' perceptions of their school principal's leadership style and improvement in their students' performance in specialized schools for students with conduct disorders. Management in Education, 39(1), 5-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/08920206211054654
  8. Gilead, T., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Educational equity and change: Exploring formula funding through a complex adaptive system perspective. Educational Philosophy and Theory. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2025.2494584?src=exp-la
  9. Malki-Levy∗, S., Altman, C., Shnitzer-Meirovich, S., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Impact of bilingual intervention on Arabic-Hebrew speaking children: Investigation of the dynamics between SES and bilingualism. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 28(9), 1035-1055. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2025.2528967
  10. Meoded∗, R., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Does fiscal decentralization in education funding affect equity? State and Local Government Review. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160323X251339424
  11. Meoded∗, R., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Education policy in culturally diverse countries: The case of ultra-Orthodox schools in Israel. Research Papers in Education, 40(6), 895-914. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2025.2536105
  12. Meoded∗, R., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Fiscal decentralization of education: A social network analysis of values underlying local decision-making processes. International Journal of Educational Development, 119, 103444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103444
  13. Meoded∗, R., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025). Private funding in public education: which values underlie the decision-making process? Journal of Educational Administration and History. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2024.2446879
  14. Dadon-Golan∗, Z., BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Tsidkany∗, R. (2024). Unraveling the building blocks of success: Exploring the nexus between school structure and effectiveness in Israeli primary schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 38(5), 1424-1443. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-12-2023-0602
  15. Shilo∗, Y., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2024). Processes of change in early childhood policy and legislation in Israel. Early Child Development and Care, 194(5-6), 669-684. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2023.2256999
  16. Dadon-Golan∗, Z., Ziderman, A., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2021). Does university attendance impact students' political tolerance and open-mindedness: the atypical case of Israel? Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 13(4), 1133-1153. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2020-0040
  17. Unger Madar, M∗., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2021). Does Home Schooling Improve Creative Thinking and Social Competencies among Children? Home Schooling in Israel. Journal of School Choice 16(1), 136-163.
  18. Thapa, A., Panigrahi, J., and BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2020). Economics and Finance of Education: Review of Developments, Trends, and Challenges, International Perspectives on Education and Society, (39), 71-89.
  19. Dadon-Golan, Z∗., BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Klein, J. (2019). Equity in education: the Israeli case, International Journal of Educational Management, 33(7), 1670-1685.
  20. Dadon-Golan, Z∗., BenDavid-Hadar, I., and Klein, J. (2019). Revisiting educational (in)equity: Measuring educational Gini coefficients for Israeli high schools during the years 2001-2011, International Journal of Educational Development, 70, 102091.
  21. Zahavi, M∗., BenDavid-Hadar, I., and Klein, J. (2019). Education and Competencies within Belt and Road Countries. International Journal of Educational Management, 33 (6), 1411-1430.
  22. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Funding education: Developing a method of allocation for improvement. International Journal of Educational Management, 32(1), 2-26.
  23. BenDavid-Hadar, I., Case, S., & Smith, R. (2018). School funding formulae: Designed to create a learning society? Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 48(4), 553-570.
  24. BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Duani, S∗. (2018). From equitable funding to equality of educational opportunity: The Israeli case. Journal of Education Finance, 43(4), 360-380.
  25. BenDavid-Hadar, I., & May-Yazdi, O∗. (2018). The Relationships among Income, Academic Education, and Financial Literacy: The Case of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel. Education and Society, 36 (2), 49-76.
  26. Gilead, T., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2017). Employing needs-based funding formulae - Some unavoidable tradeoffs. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(7), 1092-1102.
  27. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2016). Education for all: The Israeli Ultra-Orthodox schools. Educational Practice & Theory, 38(2), 23-39.
  28. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2016). School finance policy and social justice. International Journal of Educational Development, 46, 166-174.
  29. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2015). An analysis of personal financial literacy among educators. Journal of Financial Education, 41(3-4), 50-89.
  30. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2015). Conceptualizing a multifaceted approach to evaluate improvement in educational outcomes. Curriculum and Teaching, 30(1), 37-50.
  31. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2015). The economics of MOOCs and their interrelationship to competitiveness and cohesiveness: The case of Israel. Higher Education Review, 47(3), 75-92.
  32. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2014). Analyzing school finance policy: Beyond a quantitative approach. International Journal of Public Administration, 37(5), 271-280.
  33. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2014). Education, cognitive development, and poverty: Implications for school finance policy. Journal of Education Finance, 40(2), 131-155.
  34. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2014). State of the States: Education finance in Israel 2013. Educational Considerations, 41(2), 43-45.
  35. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2013). Education in times of fiscal constraints and globalization. International Journal of Educational Management, 27(7), 762-774.
  36. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2013). Entitlement to education: Fairness analysis. Education and Society, 31(3), 41-46.
  37. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2013). Is it really fair? A critical analysis of Israel's school finance policy. International Journal of Educational Administration, 5(1), 63-79.
  38. BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Hadad, Y. (2013). Financial education for children: The Israeli case. Citizenship, Social and Economics Education, 12(1), 48-57.
  39. BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Hovav, H. (2013). The intergenerational reciprocal links between education and poverty: Implications for Israel's education finance policy. Studies in Educational Administration and Organization, 33, 75-96. (In Hebrew).
  40. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2012). Educators' perceptions on performance pay: The economic factors. Educational Practice and Theory, 34(2), 23-44.
  41. BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Ziderman, A. (2011). A new model for equitable and efficient resource allocation to schools: The Israeli case. Education Economics, 19(4), 341-362.
  42. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2009). Excellence and equality in Israeli schools' achievements: Policy implementation. Megamot, 46(3), 356-379. (In Hebrew).
  43. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2009). School resource allocation in Israel: Is it designed to improve? Education and Society, 27(1), 77-109.
  44. BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Paulino, A. (2009). Equity and efficiency as implemented in school finance policy. Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics.
  45. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2008). Inequality in education: Investigating the achievement gap in Israel. Education and Society, 26(3), 87-101.

Chapters in Books

  1. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025a). Education finance and equity: An overview. In E. E. Gottlieb, R. Iyengar, & M. A. Witenstein (Eds.), Comparative and international education: An introduction. Bloomsbury Academic.
  2. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2025b). Equity in education finance policy. In A. W. Wiseman, E. Anderson, L. Damaschke-Deitrick, E. Galegher, N. Dzotsenidze, & M. Park (Eds.), Handbook on comparative education (pp. 135-150). Edward Elgar Publishing.
  3. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2024). Globalisation and education policy issues: The right to education. In J. Zajda (Ed.), Fourth international handbook of globalisation, education and policy research (pp. 373-389). Springer.
  4. Shilo∗, Y., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2024). We shall walk around all day until we find a place: The political crisis reality in Israel and its effect on the educational frameworks for the ages of birth to three-year-old. In A. Peleg, K. Tal, N. Laor, & M. Caduri-Schlazak (Eds.), Opportunities and challenges in early childhood education in times of crisis. Levinsky-Wingate Academic Center. [in Hebrew].
  5. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Access to higher education: A comparative view of Israel and China. In J. Liu, O. Babury, & S. Polgampala (Eds.), Belt & road higher education research: A comparative report-2016 (pp. 110-128). China: China Social Science Press. (ISBN 978-7-5203-2514-1).
  6. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Conclusions and directions for future research. In I. BenDavid-Hadar (Ed.), Education finance, equality and equity (pp. 297-303). Cham: Springer.
  7. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Education finance, equality and equity - Introduction. In I. BenDavid-Hadar (Ed.), Education finance, equality and equity (pp. 1-15). Cham: Springer.
  8. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Future directions of student mobility in B&R countries. In J. Liu & I. BenDavid-Hadar (Eds.), Belt & road higher education research: Student mobility in the belt and road countries-2017 (pp. 217-221). China: China Social Science Press. (ISBN 978-7-5203-2515-8).
  9. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Higher education for refugees: Some aspects of financial policy. In K. Arar, K. Haj-Yehia, D. Ross, & Y. Kondakci (Eds.), Migrants, refugees and global challenges in higher education. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
  10. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Internationalization of higher education: Student mobility in Israel. In J. Liu & I. BenDavid-Hadar (Eds.), Belt & road higher education research: Student mobility in the belt and road countries- 2017. China: China Social Science Press. (ISBN 978-7-5203-2515-8).
  11. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Introduction to student mobility in B&R countries. In J. Liu & I. BenDavid-Hadar (Eds.), Belt & road higher education research: Student mobility in the belt and road countries- 2017. China: China Social Science Press. (ISBN 978-7-5203-2515-8).
  12. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). School finance policy and justice. In I. BenDavid-Hadar (Ed.), Education finance, equality and equity (pp. 19-37). Cham: Springer.
  13. BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Hadad, Y.∗ (2018). Financial education and equality. In I. BenDavid-Hadar (Ed.), Education finance, equality and equity (pp. 281-295). Cham: Springer.
  14. Dadon-Golan, Z.∗, BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Klein, J. (2018). Measuring (in) equality in education. In I. BenDavid-Hadar (Ed.), Education finance, equality and equity (pp. 219-242). Cham: Springer.
  15. Koresh, M., & BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2018). Together or apart: Equality of educational opportunity in the light of the secular-Ultra-Orthodox cleavage in Israel. In I. BenDavid-Hadar (Ed.), Education finance, equality and equity (pp. 243-260). Cham: Springer.
  16. Zahavi, M.∗, BenDavid-Hadar, I., & Klein, J. (2018). Choice and efficiency in education: New perspective on the Tiebout model. In I. BenDavid-Hadar (Ed.), Education finance, equality and equity (pp. 261-279). Cham: Springer.
  17. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2016). Human rights education: Refugees and asylum seekers' right to education. In J. Zajda & S. Ozdowski (Eds.), Globalisation, human rights education and reforms (pp. 221-237). Dordrecht: Springer.
  18. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2015). Entitlement to education: Fairness analysis. In J. Zajda (Ed.), Second international handbook on globalisation, education and policy research (pp. 421-440). New York, NY: Springer.
  19. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2010). The academic achievement gap in Israel: Inequality in education. In J. Zajda (Ed.), Globalisation, ideology and education policy reforms (pp. 115-132). Dordrecht: Springer.

Policy Reports

  1. BenDavid-Hadar, I. (2023). Resource Allocation Mechanism to Education and Funding Formula in Israel. A Policy White Paper, prepared for the Chief Scientist of the Israeli Ministry of Education for the discussion of the National Committee for Examining the Resource Allocation Mechanism to Education and the Funding Formula [in Hebrew]. > https://meyda.education.gov.il/files/LishcatMadaan/MadadTipuach/review-bendavid-hadar.pdf
Fields of Expertise

Education finance policy: funding formulae, school budgeting, and resource allocation to schools; Equity in education finance and equality of educational opportunity (the Middle Line Model); Fiscal decentralization and local authority funding of education; Economics of education: human capital, skills, and national competitiveness (PIAAC, PISA, TALIS); Education administration and policy, including policy for diverse and minority populations; Teacher pay policy and performance pay; Cost-effectiveness analysis in education; Financial education and financial literacy; 

Last Updated Date : 22/10/2026