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Friday, January 21, 2005
School Spending…It’ll Make Your Head Hurt!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Richard asks: Do you know if there is any research that talks about the relationship between spending on education and student/school performance? Is there a positive correlation? It seems to me that we’re spending a lot and not getting the results we expect.
Patti attempts to respond: This question is a doozy that cannot be answered simply. Some points to consider: If you are looking at input vs. output, it’s clear in Georgia we are not getting much output (graduation rates, test scores) in schools that serve poor families. Schools in more affluent neighborhoods typically have high graduation rates and SAT averages even if they spend less. An example of this would be Fayette County, which spends $7,060 per pupil and has a 1060 SAT average. By comparison, DeKalb County, with more low-income students, spends $8,018 per pupil and has a 923 SAT average. And just to show it’s hard to identify a pattern: Clayton County spends $6,612 per pupil and has a dismal 901 SAT average.
Nationally, some states, such as Connecticut, spend on the high end ($9,188) and also get good results (SAT:1030 ). But that trend doesn’t always hold. New Hampshire spends less ($7,571) than the national average of $7,734 and gets results similar to its New England neighbor. (SAT:1043 ) Again, the parents’ income level, which reflects their level of education, tends to be the strong predictor.
Note: I’m sorry to be using SAT scores. The SAT was not designed to make state, district or school comparisons, but it’s a measure people recognize and relate to. I’ve used the most recent figures available, but this should not be used as an official source. I got my info from the Georgia Department of Education, the College Board and Education Week.
Another point to consider, Richard: What is your frame of reference for “spending a lot”? Does Georgia’s average of $7,923 seem like a lot? For context: California spends $6,659; Utah spends the least at $5,132 and New Jersey spends the most at $10,235.
Thoughts, anyone?
Contest: Best eduspeak word. Education has its own language, and it’s hard for a layperson to follow sometimes. I’ll throw out my favorite: Criterion Referenced Competency Test. Why not a simpler name for the state’s most important standardized exam? E-mail me your favorites, with a general definition please. Entries judged on how unlikely it is that an educated parent would know what the heck the principal was talking about. I’m the judge. The prize is a the book, “Peterson’s Parent’s Guide to the SAT & ACT.” Deadline for entries is next Friday, Jan. 28. No more than three entries per person, please.
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