[Vision2020] Interesting Report by S&P on Michigan's Govt Schools

[Bob Hoffmann]

It would be interesting to take a closer look at the numbers.  I know for a 
fact that many inner city schools (in "slum" areas) have higher expenses in 
some categories.  For instance, they frequently must pay a higher wage to 
attract teachers.  This cannot compensate for students who come to school 
hungry, who have uninvolved parents, who may have a higher drug use, 
etc.  In complicated areas like health and education, a simple look at 
spending vs. performance is quite pointless.  Speaking of which, the U.S. 
government is said to spend more on health care than any other Western 
nation, but it gets less for it.  That's obviously not a case of "we're 
spending too much," but a case of "we're not having the intended effect 
with our dollars."

Bob Hoffmann
820 S. Logan St.
Moscow, ID  83843

Tel: 208 883-0642

At 09:44 PM 2/3/2003 -0800, John Harrell wrote:
>Standard & Poors releases data on state's public schools
>
>http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?g9383_BC_MI--SchoolRatings&&news&newsflash-michigan
>
>The Associated Press
>2/3/03 5:27 PM
>
>LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- More than half the school districts that spent more 
>per
>student than the state average had below-passing rates on the Michigan 
>Educational
>Assessment Program test, according to an analysis of the state's public 
>schools.
>
>Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services released a report Monday that
>analyzed trends in the state's public education system from 1996-97 to 
>2000-01.
>It's the second comprehensive report about Michigan's public schools.
>
>The division of Standard & Poor's, known for rating businesses, government
>agencies and even other countries, tracks where taxpayer dollars go and 
>analyzes
>if spending increases boost student performance.
>
>The Statewide Insights report showed that of the 181 school districts that 
>spent
>more per student than the state average, 92 had below-average passing 
>rates on
>the MEAP. Of the 343 school districts with below-average spending, 171 had
>above-average MEAP passing rates.
>
>Other highlights of the report:
>
>--The graduation rate increased from 80.7 percent of students in 1997 to 86.3
>percent in 2001.
>
>--Per-student operating expenditures grew by 19 percent from 1997 to 2001,
>nearly twice the cumulative inflation rate of 10.2 percent.
>
>-- The average administrator's salary rose 12.3 percent while the average
>teacher's salary increased by 8.4 percent.
>
>Cheers!
>John Harrell
>
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