October 11 - Wichita -  Today's release of the 2010-2011 state report card from the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) shows some improvement, which is good news.  Still, student achievement is much lower than most parents might suspect.  According to KSDE, only 63% of Kansas students are able to read grade-appropriate material with full comprehension and only 53% of 11th graders meet that standard. 

If those numbers seem low it's because the KSDE uses 'fuzzy' terms to describe student achievement that hide true achievement levels.  For instance, Meets Standard sounds good but it's not 'read[ing] grade-appropriate material with full comprehension.' That's the definition of Exceeds Standard in Kansas.   In Math, 'performs accurately most of the time and has effective content knowledge' sounds like a good standard, but that's the definition of Exceeds Standard in Kansas. 

Kansans can see how their local districts score on state achievement scores at KansasOpenGov.org and how they compare  to other districts across the state.  Comparisons of statewide scores to national level data from the U.S. Department of Education are also available.

"We do kids no favors by reducing standards and pretending to have high achievement levels," said KPI President Dave Trabert, "We're sending students into the workforce or off to college when barely half of those in 11th grade can read grade-appropriate material with full comprehension.  'Just spend more' clearly hasn't been working when total aid to schools went from $3.1 billion in 1998 to $5.6 billion this year." 

At the same time definitions of student achievement are unclear and a disservice to students, spending continues to increase and schools are putting more money in the bank with their unencumbered carryover cash reserves.  Since 1998, total aid to schools had increased 80.6% and carryover cash reserves (not including capital, debt, and federal funds) have increased by $410.1 million.  Taken together, schools are being given more money, not spending it all, and student achievement gains aren't matching the dramatic infusion of additional funds.

Trabert concluded, "Other states have come to this conclusion and are providing more school choice to parents of low-income and special needs kids, expanding online learning, changing tenure and compensation laws to reward and attract effective teachers, and by implementing accountability systems so parents clearly understand how their students and schools are performing."