Differences in School Spending, but Not Where You’d Think

[Valin]

Via Meadia:

Jun 06, 2015

 

The Washington Post shared federal findings on state-by-state per-pupil education spending in 2013. There was a wide variation:

 

(Snip)

 

However, differences in funding were not quite as stark and geographically-based as one might expect. The state with the highest spending per pupil was blue New York, yes, while the state with the lowest spending was red Utah. However, the red/blue and coast/interior divides did not hold for the rest of the country. Blue California and Washington were in the middle of the list, while red Wyoming and Alaska were among the most profligate education spenders on record.

 

And to further complicate matters, educational outcomes do not necessarily mirror state spending levels, as a Department of Education study reveals when compared to the federal information in the WaPo article. That study, conducted in 2011, reveals that some states that spend a lot on education (like Alaska) do poorly, while others (like Vermont) do well and others (like New York) have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to be proud of. Further, it reveals that states that spend roughly the same amount on education per pupil—such as California and Washington—can still have dramatically different outcomes, with Washington in the middle tier and California near the bottom.

 

(Snip)

[Valin]

Related

 

Improving Black Education

Walter E. Williams

Jun 10, 2015

 

Last summer's Ferguson, Missouri, disturbances revealed that while blacks were 67 percent of its population, only three members of its 53-officer police force were black. Some might conclude that such a statistic is evidence of hiring discrimination. That's a possibility, but we might ask what percentage of blacks met hiring qualifications on the civil service examination. Are there hundreds of blacks in Ferguson and elsewhere who achieve passing scores on civil service examinations who are then refused employment? There is no evidence suggesting an affirmative answer to that question.

 

According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, sometimes called the Nation's Report Card, nationally, most black 12th-graders' test scores are either basic or below basic in reading, writing, math and science. "Below basic" is the score received when a student is unable to demonstrate even partial mastery of knowledge and skills fundamental for proficient work at his grade level. "Basic" indicates only partial mastery. Put another way, the average black 12th-grader has the academic achievement level of the average white seventh- or eighth-grader. In some cities, there's even a larger achievement gap.

 

(Snip)

 

Politicians who fight against school choice behave the way teachers do. Fifty-two percent of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have school-age children have them enrolled in private schools. Thirty-seven percent of members of the House of Representatives and 45 percent of senators who have school-age children have them enrolled in private schools.

 

The education establishment says more money is needed, but more money does not produce higher quality. New York City spent $20,331 per student in fiscal 2013. Washington, D.C., spent $17,953, and Baltimore allocated $15,050. Despite being among the nation's highest-spending school districts, their education quality is among the lowest. Parents, given vouchers and choice, could do a far superior job in the education of their children -- and at a cheaper cost.