Wichita, KS - 9.23.10 - A new study from Kansas Policy Institute shows that while per-pupil spending has jumped 42% since 2003, the percentage of students scoring 'Proficient' on national assessment tests has barely changed.  Only about one-third of students are considered proficient in Reading and a little more than half are 'Proficient' in Math.   

"Kansas K-12 Spending and Achievement Comparison" is published annually by KPI using financial data supplied by the Kansas Department of Education and National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data from the U.S. Department of Education.  Study author and KPI education policy fellow John R. LaPlante tracked spending since the 1993-94 school year and NAEP scores since Kansas began participating in 1998.   LaPlante found a 116.5 percent increase in total spending over the last fifteen years while student enrollment rose just 2.4%.  NAEP scores on 4th Grade Math showed good gains between 2000 and 2002 but have not changed much since.


"This report makes fairly clear what many have felt for a long time.  Spending dramatically more money is not the answer to raising achievement levels," LaPlante argued.  "Scores have improved slightly over the years, but we still have unacceptable levels of proficiency.  We must do more than throw more money at the problem.  Spending has doubled while achievement has largely stayed flat.  That's a pretty clear indication that we can't spend our way to success."

LaPlante continued, "According to NAEP results, more 8th graders were 'Not Proficient' in reading in 2009 than there were in 1998.  Math scores for this cohort have shown a slight improvement, 5 percent, but that simply isn't enough to give Kansas kids the tools they need to compete in the global market place."
                    
"Everywhere we've seen some improvement, such as 4th grade math, our young people are losing those gains by the time they reach the 8th grade.  Plus, Kansas' proficiency definitions and graduation rate information has been seriously questioned by the U.S. Department of Education, industry publication Education Week, and independent groups such as Harvard University and the American Enterprise Institute," LaPlante argues. "I wish we could say we were doing better but the simple truth is that the state of Kansas has changed definitions to show even limited improvement.  The federal government calls full understanding of material 'Proficient' while Kansas defines that as 'Exceeds Standard.'  Our children need more than changed definitions of achievement; they need real opportunities to learn."

"Instead of more money, we can look for solutions that provide families the flexibility and freedom they need to meet the unique needs of every kid.  Truly independent charter schools have improved performance everywhere from Harlem to rural Florida.  Scholarships and educational freedom allow parents and students to decide where to spend their tax dollars.  Why, in this day and age, do we still decide where a student should go to school based on zip code?  Parents' choice of where their children are educated should not be determined by their income level or their ability to move into another district."