Education Spending Up 64%, Test Scores Not So Much
CNS News reported earlier this week that “(t)en years of living under No Child Left Behind has brought billions of dollars in increased appropriations to the U.S. Department of Education and no substantial progress in the education of America's public school students.” More specifically, they report:
“By 2002, after No Child Left Behind was implemented, appropriations had increased by 33.6 percent, going from $42.1 billion in 2001 to $56.2 billion the following year, according to the Education Department. (See edhistory.pdf.)
“The increase in funding from 2000 to 2010 was 63.8 percent, as the department saw an added $24.6 billion to its budget, according to the Education Department Web site.”
However, CNS News also reports:
“There has been no significant change in the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) findings for reading since 2002.
“Results from the Nation’s Report Card for Fourth Grade reading proficiency in 2002 found 38 percent below basic, 32 percent basic, 23 percent proficient and 6 percent advanced. In 2009 for reading, 34 percent were below basic, 34 percent at basic, 24 percent at proficient and 7 percent at advanced.
“For Eighth Grade reading, there has been no change in scores since 2002. In 2002 and 2009, 26 percent were below basic proficiency, 43 percent achieved basic, 28 percent were proficient and 2 percent performed at an advanced level.
“Mathematics scores, however, have steadily improved since 1990, owing no credit to NCLB.”
By comparison, CNS News also cites information enabling comparison with OECD countries in reading, math and science. For example:
“Overall, the United States was rated “average” by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2010, after conducting the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), an international test of reading, math and science administered on 15-year-olds.”
Finally, CNS News reported the the United States spent an average of $10,499 per pupil in 2009, citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau. By comparison, the Arlington Public Schools spent an average $17,322 per pupil in the school year that ended in June 2011, according to the most recent WABE report.