School Test Scores Improve While Funding Declines (Sacramento, Brea: school districts, tax)

[NewToCA]

Kind of an interesting story in today's paper, at least to me:


It's a trend that would seem to defy conventional wisdom: As public school spending has declined in California in recent years, student achievement test scores have gone up.

Statewide, school districts spent 6 percent less from 2008 to 2010, but the percentage of second- to seventh-grade students scoring proficient on the state's standardized English test rose from 48 percent to 55 percent.


Public schools see paradox of lower funding, higher test scores - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

[yeahthatguy]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Kind of an interesting story in today's paper, at least to me:


It's a trend that would seem to defy conventional wisdom: As public school spending has declined in California in recent years, student achievement test scores have gone up.

Statewide, school districts spent 6 percent less from 2008 to 2010, but the percentage of second- to seventh-grade students scoring proficient on the state's standardized English test rose from 48 percent to 55 percent.


Public schools see paradox of lower funding, higher test scores - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Why a surprise ? My conventional wisdom is that it doesn't take much $$$ to teach a kid ... It matters most on the kid to want to achieve .. shut up, pay attention and learn in the class .. and for the parent to reinforce learning and try to instill the values of learning outside the class ... Only hear do I find people thinking in large #'s (conventional wisdom) that $$$ can solve social/personal issues .

[Bulldogdad]

Portables with an AC, a book, some paper, pencil and a competent teacher held accountable with no tenure. That's about all it takes to learn.

The rest is BS.

Its only a paradox for "most" liberals that think you need to drain a states resources dry for kids to learn.

[NewToCA]

Well, considering over 1/2 the California budget is for education...

[Bulldogdad]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Well, considering over 1/2 the California budget is for education...

Exactly. What a waste of precious resources.


The people that built the country over the last hundred years used slide rules to get most of our now decaying infrastructure built.

[Malloric]

Originally Posted by NewToCA

Well, considering over 1/2 the California budget is for education...

Actually, it's 15%.

So what should we spend it on instead? Prisons?

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by Malloric

Actually, it's 15%.

So what should we spend it on instead? Prisons?

Well...looking at the most recent budget proposal information I could locate it showed that almost $49 billion of a total anticipated General Fund Budget expenditure of $88.8 billion is for education so I stand by my "over 1/2" statement:


http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/pdf/Revise...maryCharts.pdf

[ZhugeLiang]

This proves what inquisitive, thinking people have known for many years- that funding isn't tied to achievement.

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Malloric

Actually, it's 15%.

So what should we spend it on instead? Prisons?

Roads and tax cuts would be a start.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by Malloric

Actually, it's 15%.

So what should we spend it on instead? Prisons?

Spend it? Either pocket it for rainy day fund or return it to the tax payers.