[Vision2020] Standard & Poors Data
Dale Courtney
dmcourtn@moscow.com
Thu, 6 Feb 2003 06:54:42 -0800
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Gabe makes an excellent observation, and this has been well known for =
years:
There is no correlation between dollars per student spent and =
educational
outputs.=20
=20
Can anyone show me one single study that demonstrates more money equals
better education? I can show you dozens that demonstrate the opposite!
=20
See the following article:=20
_____ =20
WASHINGTON, D.C., October 24, 2002--Spending more money on education =
won't
improve test scores, says a new report on academic achievement. The =
American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) today released the ninth edition of =
the
Report Card on American Education: A State-By-State Analysis. The study
covers two generations of students, 1976-2001, and grades each state =
using
over a hundred measures of educational resources and achievement.
"This year's Report Card will serve as a valuable tool for state
legislators as they debate the future of education in our states," said
Duane Parde, ALEC's Executive Director. "Now more than ever it's =
critical
for America to focus on student achievement."
ALEC is the nation's largest bipartisan, individual membership
organization of state legislators.
A key finding of the report shows there is no immediate evident
correlation between conventional measures of education inputs, such as
expenditures per pupil and teacher salaries, and educational outputs, =
such
as average scores on standardized tests.
Spending per pupil in constant dollars has increased 22.6 percent
nationwide over the past twenty years, says the Report Card on American
Education: A State-By-State Analysis. Yet 74 percent of public school =
eighth
graders taking the NAEP mathematics exam in 2000 performed below the
"proficiency" level, and 35 percent performed below the "basic" level.
"Now is the time to choose a new road for our children," said Andrew
LeFevre, Director of ALEC's Education Task Force. "A road that leads to
excellence not only in students, but also in our teachers."
Other key, state-by-state findings of the report include:
Wisconsin, followed by Washington, Minnesota, and Iowa, had the =
top
performing public elementary and secondary schools in the nation, as
measured by several standardized tests.
Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were ranked first, second and third
respectively in last year's Report Card. Washington, which ranked eighth
last year, jumped six spots to number two. Mississippi, the District of
Columbia, and Louisiana once again ranked at the bottom of the scale.
Seventy four percent of public school eighth graders taking the =
NAEP
mathematics exam in 2000 performed below the "proficiency" level. Thirty
five percent of eighth graders taking exam performed below the "basic"
level.
Over the past 20 years, expenditures per pupil in constant dollar =
terms
have increased nationwide by 22.6 percent. West Virginia (+109.4 =
percent),
followed closely by Kentucky (+92.0 percent) led the nation in increased
spending since 1979. The state with the next largest increase was
Connecticut (+64.9 percent).
There is no immediately evident correlation between conventional
measures of education inputs, such as expenditures per pupil and teacher
salaries, and educational outputs, such as average scores on =
standardized
tests. In fact, of all the educational inputs measured in this study, =
only
higher pupil-to-teacher ratios, fewer students per school, and a lower
percentage of a state's total budget received from the federal =
government
have a positive impact on educational achievement. These results, =
however,
are weak at best, and do not hold when measured as changes over the past =
two
decades.
Of the ten states that increased per pupil expenditures the most
over the past two decades West Virginia (+109.4 percent), Kentucky =
(+92.0
percent), Connecticut (+64.9 percent), South Carolina (+63.0 percent), =
Maine
(+60.0 percent), Hawaii (+56.7 percent), Tennessee (+55.4 percent), =
Vermont
(+53.9 percent), Indiana (+51.9 percent), and Georgia (+51.6 percent) =
none
ranked in the top ten in academic achievement.
Of the ten states that experienced the greatest decreases in
pupil-to-teacher ratios over the past two decades Maine (-36.3 percent),
Alabama (-34.2 percent), Virginia and Hawaii (-28.5 percent), South =
Carolina
(-28.1 percent), West Virginia (-27.6 percent), Wyoming (-26.4 percent), =
New
York (-25.1 percent), Georgia (-23.9 percent), and North Carolina (-23.3
percent) none ranked in the top ten in academic achievement.=20
_____ =20
All of the studies done demonstrate that the actions we need to take in =
the
educational arena are exactly opposite of the conventional wisdom.=20
=20
The proposed solutions by liberals are to throw more money at the =
problem.
And the public schools and teachers unions are lining up at the trough.=20
=20
Much of the problem is due to the entrenched monopoly in public =
education.
Monopoly in education is no more desirable than it is anywhere else. =20
=20
The time has come to break the public school monopoly by putting =
choices,
and money, In the hands of parents.
=20
Dale Courtney
Moscow, Idaho
-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] =
On
Behalf Of Gabe Gibler
Sent: Wednesday, 05 February, 2003 23:07
To: vision2020
Subject: [Vision2020] Standard & Poors Data
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet; I haven't finished reading =
all
the posts on Vision 20/20 for the 4th/5th February, but...
Funny thing about the numbers on the Standard & Poors data, comparing
opposites first of all:
181 spending above average - 92 below average =3D 89 above average.
343 spending below average - 171 above average =3D 172 below average.
343 schools spending below average had 171 of them testing above =
average:
49.85% above average.
181 schools spending above average had 89 of them testing average? or
better. 49.17% above average? Aaah, maybe there's my assumption. Are all =
the
remainder above average? Perhaps not, and perhaps all the remaining =
schools
of the 343 spending below average tested far worse than the 92 out of =
181
that spent above average but tested below average. Then, as well, the 89 =
out
of 181 may have scored phenomenally better than the 171 out of 343 did, =
even
if the 171 were "above" average or vice versa. Well, who's to know given =
how
they wrote the article and compared the schools.
So, in my opinion, it averages out to not really making much of any
difference at all! If I'm missing something in the logic let me know,
please.
=20
Thank you,=20
Gabe Gibler
=20
P.S. Of greater interest to me, the administrator's salary rising by a
greater percentage when it was probably more to begin with than the
teacher's salary. However, maybe their job is harder and they've =
deserved
it. I wouldn't know.
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<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Gabe makes an=20
excellent observation, and this has been well known for years: There is=20
<STRONG><U>no</U> correlation between dollars per student spent and =
educational outputs.</STRONG> </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Can =
<U>anyone</U>=20
show me one single study that demonstrates more money equals better =
education? I=20
can show you dozens that demonstrate the opposite!</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>See =
the following=20
article: </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT face=3DArial color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>
<HR>
<DIV><FONT face=3DVerdana color=3D#000000>WASHINGTON, D.C., October 24,=20
2002--Spending more money on education won't improve test scores, says a =
new=20
report on academic achievement. The American Legislative Exchange =
Council (ALEC)=20
today released the ninth edition of the Report Card on American =
Education: A=20
State-By-State Analysis. The study covers two generations of students,=20
1976-2001, and grades each state using over a hundred measures of =
educational=20
resources and =
achievement.<BR><X-TAB> =20
</X-TAB>"This year's Report Card will serve as a valuable tool for state =
legislators as they debate the future of education in our states," said =
Duane=20
Parde, ALEC's Executive Director. "Now more than ever it's critical for =
America=20
to focus on student=20
achievement."<BR><X-TAB> =
</X-TAB><FONT=20
color=3D#800000><STRONG>ALEC is the nation's largest bipartisan, =
individual=20
membership organization of state=20
legislators.<BR></STRONG></FONT><X-TAB> &nbs=
p;=20
</X-TAB>A key finding of the report shows <FONT =
color=3D#ff0000><STRONG>there is=20
no immediate evident correlation between conventional measures of =
education=20
inputs, such as expenditures per pupil and teacher salaries, and =
educational=20
outputs, such as average scores on standardized=20
tests.<BR><X-TAB></STRONG></FONT> =
</X-TAB>Spending=20
per pupil in constant dollars has increased 22.6 percent nationwide over =
the=20
past twenty years, says the Report Card on American Education: A =
State-By-State=20
Analysis. Yet 74 percent of public school eighth graders taking the NAEP =
mathematics exam in 2000 performed below the "proficiency" level, and 35 =
percent=20
performed below the "basic" level.<BR>"Now is the time to choose a new =
road for=20
our children," said Andrew LeFevre, Director of ALEC's Education Task =
Force. "A=20
road that leads to excellence not only in students, but also in our=20
teachers."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DVerdana color=3D#000000>Other key, state-by-state =
findings of the=20
report include:<BR><X-TAB> =20
</X-TAB>Wisconsin, followed by Washington, Minnesota, and Iowa, had the =
top=20
performing public elementary and secondary schools in the nation, as =
measured by=20
several standardized tests.<BR>Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin were =
ranked first,=20
second and third respectively in last year's Report Card. Washington, =
which=20
ranked eighth last year, jumped six spots to number two. Mississippi, =
the=20
District of Columbia, and Louisiana once again ranked at the bottom of =
the=20
scale.<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Seventy =
four=20
percent of public school eighth graders taking the NAEP mathematics exam =
in 2000=20
performed below the "proficiency" level. Thirty five percent of eighth =
graders=20
taking exam performed below the "basic"=20
level.<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Over the past 20 =
years,=20
expenditures per pupil in constant dollar terms have increased =
nationwide by=20
22.6 percent. West Virginia (+109.4 percent), followed closely by =
Kentucky=20
(+92.0 percent) led the nation in increased spending since 1979. The =
state with=20
the next largest increase was Connecticut (+64.9=20
percent).<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>There is no=20
immediately evident correlation between conventional measures of =
education=20
inputs, such as expenditures per pupil and teacher salaries, and =
educational=20
outputs, such as average scores on standardized tests. <FONT =
color=3D#ff0000>In=20
fact, of all the educational inputs measured in this study, only =
<STRONG>higher=20
</STRONG>pupil-to-teacher ratios, fewer students per school, and a lower =
percentage of a state's total budget received from the federal =
government have a=20
positive impact on educational achievement. These results, however, are =
weak at=20
best, and do not hold when measured as changes over the past two=20
decades.<BR><X-TAB></FONT> =
</X-TAB>Of=20
the ten states that increased per pupil expenditures the most over the =
past two=20
decades West Virginia (+109.4 percent), Kentucky (+92.0 percent), =
Connecticut=20
(+64.9 percent), South Carolina (+63.0 percent), Maine (+60.0 percent), =
Hawaii=20
(+56.7 percent), Tennessee (+55.4 percent), Vermont (+53.9 percent), =
Indiana=20
(+51.9 percent), and Georgia (+51.6 percent) none ranked in the top ten =
in=20
academic achievement.<BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Of the ten states =
that=20
experienced the greatest decreases in pupil-to-teacher ratios over the =
past two=20
decades Maine (-36.3 percent), Alabama (-34.2 percent), Virginia and =
Hawaii=20
(-28.5 percent), South Carolina (-28.1 percent), West Virginia (-27.6 =
percent),=20
Wyoming (-26.4 percent), New York (-25.1 percent), Georgia (-23.9 =
percent), and=20
North Carolina (-23.3 percent) none ranked in the top ten in academic=20
achievement.
<HR>
</FONT></DIV></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT size=3D2><FONT =
color=3D#0000ff><U>All</U>=20
of the studies done demonstrate that the actions we need to take in the=20
educational arena are exactly opposite of the conventional wisdom.=20
</FONT></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>The =
proposed=20
solutions by liberals are to throw more money at the problem.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And the public schools and =
teachers=20
unions are lining up at the trough.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; =
mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT=20
size=3D2><FONT color=3D#0000ff>Much of the problem is due to the =
entrenched monopoly=20
in public education.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN>Monopoly in=20
education is no more desirable than it is anywhere else.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"> =
</SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; =
mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT=20
size=3D2><FONT color=3D#0000ff><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><SPAN=20
style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Geneva; =
mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt"><FONT=20
size=3D2><FONT color=3D#0000ff><SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes"></SPAN>The time has=20
come to break the public school monopoly by putting choices, and money, =
In the=20
hands of parents.<?xml:namespace prefix =3D o ns =3D=20
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"=20
/><o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Dale=20
Courtney</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D803565713-06022003><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>Moscow,=20
Idaho</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT=20
face=3DTahoma size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
vision2020-admin@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-admin@moscow.com] <B>On =
Behalf=20
Of </B>Gabe Gibler<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, 05 February, 2003=20
23:07<BR><B>To:</B> vision2020<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] =
Standard &=20
Poors Data<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I don't know if anyone has mentioned =
it yet; I=20
haven't finished reading all the posts on Vision 20/20 for the 4th/5th =
February, but...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Funny thing about the numbers on the =
Standard=20
& Poors data, comparing opposites first of all:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>181 spending above average - 92 below =
average =3D=20
89 above average.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>343 spending below average - 171 =
above average =3D=20
172 below average.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>343 schools spending below average =
had 171 of=20
them testing above average: 49.85% above average.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>181 schools spending above average =
had 89 of them=20
testing average? or better. 49.17% above average? Aaah, maybe there's =
my=20
assumption. Are all the remainder above average? Perhaps not, and =
perhaps all=20
the remaining schools of the 343 spending below average tested far =
worse than=20
the 92 out of 181 that spent above average but tested below average. =
Then, as=20
well, the 89 out of 181 may have scored phenomenally better than the =
171 out=20
of 343 did, even if the 171 were "above" average or vice versa. =
</FONT><FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>Well, who's to know given how they wrote =
the article=20
and compared the schools.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>So, in my opinion, it averages out to =
not=20
really making much of any difference at all! If I'm missing =
something in=20
the logic let me know, please.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Thank you, </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Gabe Gibler</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>P.S. Of greater interest to =
me, the=20
administrator's salary rising by a greater percentage when it was =
probably=20
more to begin with than the teacher's salary. However, maybe their job =
is=20
harder and they've deserved it. I wouldn't=20
know.</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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