Posted on 3/25/2006, 7:20:28 PM by Reagan Man
The District of Columbia spends far more money per student in its public elementary and secondary schools each year than the tuition costs at many private elementary schools, or even college-preparatory secondary schools. Yet, District 8th-graders ranked dead last in 2005 in national reading and math tests.
D.C.'s public elementary and secondary schools spent a total of $16,334 per student in the 2002-2003 school year, according to a Department of Education study. That compares to the $10,520 tuition at St. John's College High School, a District Catholic school that sends almost all its graduates to four-year colleges.
Last year, however, only 12% of 8th-graders in the District's public schools scored at grade-level proficiency or better in reading in the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress tests that were administered in the District and all 50 states. Only 7% of the District's public-school 8th-graders scored grade-level proficiency or better in math.
Not one U.S. state can boast that a majority of the 8th-graders in its public schools last year had achieved grade-level proficiency or better in either reading or math.
How much money did your state spend per pupil while failing to adequately educate in reading and math the majority of students in its public schools? The answers are in the chart below.
They eloquently make the case for school choice.
The state spending figures below are the total median expenditure per student as reported in "Revenues and Expenditures by Public School Districts: School Year 2002-03," published by the Department of Education in November 2005. The NAEP 8th-grade reading and math scores were published by the Department of Education in October 2005.
| State | Per Pupil Spending |
Percentage of 8th-Graders at Proficiency or Better |
Percentage of 8th-Graders at Proficiency or Better |
| Alaska | $16,665 |
27% |
29% |
| District of Columbia |
$16,344 |
12% |
7% |
| New York |
$13,989 |
33% |
31% |
| New Jersey |
$12,419 |
37% |
36% |
| Wyoming |
$12,116 |
35% | 29% |
| Delaware |
$10,874 |
31% |
30% |
| Connecticut |
$10,765 |
34% |
35% |
| New Mexico | $10,602 |
19% |
14% |
| Rhode Island |
$10,189 |
29% |
23% |
| Massachusetts |
$9,952 |
44% |
43% |
| Wisconsin | $9,805 | 34% |
36% |
| Maine |
$9,787 |
38% |
30% |
| New Hampshire |
$9,731 |
38% |
35% |
| Vermont |
$9,614 |
37% |
38% |
| Maryland |
$9,298 |
30% | 30% |
| Pennsylvania |
$9,298 |
36% |
31% |
| Minnesota |
$9,133 |
37% |
43% |
| Colorado |
$8,948 |
31% |
32% |
| Montana |
$8,927 |
37% |
36% |
| West Virginia |
$8,845 |
22% |
17% |
| Texas |
$8,826 |
26% |
31% |
| Nebraska | $8,714 |
35% |
35% |
| Indiana |
$8,673 |
28% |
30% |
| Michigan |
$8,651 |
28% |
30% |
| Hawaii |
$8,632 |
18% |
18% |
| Kansas |
$8,620 |
34% |
34% |
| Oregon |
$8,577 |
33% |
33% |
| North Dakota |
$8,552 |
37% |
35% |
| Illinois |
$8,465 |
31% |
28% |
| Nevada |
$8,458 | 22% |
21% |
| Washington |
$8,454 |
34% |
36% |
| Georgia |
$8,393 |
24% |
23% |
| California |
$8,262 |
21% |
22% |
| South Carolina |
$8,226 |
25% |
30% |
| Ohio |
$8,208 |
24% |
34% |
| Virginia |
$8,087 |
35% |
33% |
| South Dakota |
$8,001 |
35% |
36% |
| Iowa |
$7,789 |
34% |
34% |
| Florida |
$7,571 |
25% |
26% |
| Idaho |
$7,554 |
32% |
30% |
| North Carolina |
$7,469 |
27% |
32% |
| Missouri |
$7,462 |
31% |
26% |
| Louisiana |
$7,443 |
20% |
16% |
| Alabama |
$6,942 |
22% |
15% |
| Kentucky |
$6,934 |
31% | 22% |
| Arizona |
$6,933 |
23% |
26% |
| Utah |
$6,859 |
29% |
30% |
| Oklahoma |
$6,817 |
25% |
20% |
| Arkansas |
$6,774 |
26% |
22% |
| Tennessee |
$6,460 |
26% |
21% |
| Mississippi |
$6,387 |
19% |
13% |
The fact that none of these are over 50% should be more shocking.
What were the stats for being on grade level or above? How many were "special-ed students" or how many were counted as 0% due to something? Just wondering. 12% is about what I expected for DC, maybe even a little higher than I expected.
Not really. This is a PROFICIENT score, not a grade level score.
The Democrat take on this...
Oviously, we're not putting enough $ into education in D.C.
The Republican take on this...
We doubled the education budget and it's paying off!
My take on this.
Our leaders have serious perception problems, and we seem to stuck with them.
D.C.'s public elementary and secondary schools spent a total of $16,334 per student in the 2002-2003 school year, according to a Department of Education study. That compares to the $10,520 tuition at St. John's College High School, a District Catholic school that sends almost all its graduates to four-year colleges.
Apples to oranges.
My take on this.
Our leaders have serious perception problems, and we seem to stuck with them.
I agree, too much spent in DC, but there are all sorts of perceptions one can have on stats and such, it often depends on the politics of the person.
That's why I often concentrate on my own area because it's the place that has a direct effect upon me.
--your federal tax dollar at work--
"The fact that none of these are over 50% should be more shocking."
Among the many dark legacies of "The Greatest Generation" was letting government employees unionize against us, in this case for instance, local parents are no match against a vast, wealthy, all powerful, national teachers union.
LOL No child left behind. Just taxpayers. Big government Republicanism is no different then big government liberalism.
Public school = Public disgrace.
If teachers could not be tenured and had to fight to keep their jobs due to competion then they would turn out a decent "product".
Maybe we should 'outsource' education to private schools!
This proves only one thing.....that there is an enormous need to reintroduce discipline in schools. Instead of worrying about their "self-esteem," we need to get after these little bastards to work harder and be more responsible.
Better read it again
Thanks for the article.
Results of the 'RATs running our Education Beaurocracy!
Without discipline, unallowed in federal schools, nothing is teachable. Children without self-control learn nothing.
These numbers prove it. Compare results to parochial school which are not QUITE as politically correct yet.
Sorry, I deal with this every year. The proficient grade level score means an ADVANCED grade level score while a basic grade level "mastery" score is in another category. Grade level mastery would include many more than this (though for DC, I imagine that STILL falls far below what it should). As I said, there are many ways of looking at it.
that there is an enormous need to reintroduce discipline in schools. Instead of worrying about their "self-esteem," we need to get after these little bastards to work harder and be more responsible.
I've never seen this "self-esteem" crap in schools BUT I agree with your statement strongly.
If teachers could not be tenured and had to fight to keep their jobs due to competion then they would turn out a decent "product".
Tenure? What's tenure?
Special interest groups are.
Then again, since one half of the population is to the left of the bell curve, why should we be surprised?
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