Education Funding and Achievement:
Mr. Spirit seems to think a fine thing that a mythical half of the CA state budget is devoted to education. But let's take a look at matters he is entirely innocent of- -the facts.
According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, educational achievement in the US falls at about the midpoint of its members- -about 100 nations.
edweek.org
nces.ed.gov
As you'll see, in 2000 the U.S. scores only slightly above the average in reading literacy, and scores below average in both mathematical literacy and science literacy.
Now see the bottom of the page "Finances", from the 2003 Digest of Education Statistics
nces.ed.gov
This cites the United States as being among the HIGHEST of the many nations studied in primary, secondary, and higher education levels.
In general, higher income countries spend more public funds per student than lower income countries. At the primary level of education, Denmark, Switzerland, the United States, and Austria ranked at the upper end of public per pupil expenditures in 1999. For primary education per student, Denmark spent about $6,721 per student, Switzerland spent $6,663, the United States spent $6,582, and Austria spent $6,568. At the secondary level, Switzerland, Austria, the United States, Norway, Denmark, and France had expenditures over $7,000 per student. The governments of the United States, Switzerland, Canada and Sweden spent relatively large amounts per student in higher education. The United States spent $19,220, Switzerland spent $17,997, Canada spent $15,211, and Sweden spent $14,222 (table 413). These expenditures were adjusted to U.S. dollars using the purchasing-power-parity (PPP) Index. This index is considered more stable and comparable than using currency exchange rates.
A comparison of public expenditures on education as a percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in OECD countries shows that national investment in education in 1999 ranged from 3.5 percent of GDP in Japan and 3.6 percent in Greece to 5.2 percent in the United States to 8.1 percent in Denmark (table 414).
To spend that much with results as mediocre as they are is fatal to his case that increased educational spending will automatically result in increased achievement. He cannot make his case on the facts. CLEARLY OTHER FACTORS ARE AT LEAST, IN NOT MORE, IMPORTANT.
Raw data:
nces.ed.gov
I'd like to suggest that Mr. Spirit, in the light of the above, should explain why funding should be kept even at its current level, given the severe crisis in the state budget and the evident lack of correlation between funding and achievement.
Let me also state that I am an admirer of your attempts to rub Mr. Spirit's nose in the facts, in spite of the fact that it seemingly does no good. It may have no effect on him, but many others read your posts also and the fair minded among them will know who has it right.
My thanks to LPS5 for finding these links. |
