More money does not equal school permormance

Contrary to the assumption that poor-performing schools are under
funded, a new study conducted by the Texas Public Policy Foundation
reveals that other factors, especially those outside of the classroom,
have a stronger effect on student achievement.

The study also found:

o Poverty and adult education are the strongest factors affecting
student achievement outside the classroom: higher poverty
correlates with lower student achievement, and higher adult
education correlates with higher student achievement.

o High attendance rates are the strongest factor affecting student
achievement in the classroom: high attendance correlate with high
student achievement.

o Teacher salaries are not correlated with student achievement,
but high rates of teacher turnover result in lower student
achievement.

Moreover, the problem with Texas schools, says the study, is not
lack of funding, but a lack of productivity. Indeed, the Texhoma
Independent School District, one of the most efficient in the state,
spends only $4,358 per pupil (almost half of the state average
expenditure), yet 93 percent of their students pass the Texas
Assessment of Knowledge and Skills Test, compared with the state
average of 68 percent.

To improve school district efficiency and student achievement,
the researchers recommend:

o Generating a greater proportion of school funding from local
revenues, perhaps by increasing the local sales tax, instead
of resorting to state funds.

o Creating incentives that reward efficiency, instead of simply
increasing expenditures and funding.

o Increasing teacher salaries based on merit and student achievement.

o Allowing school choice for parents through state-funded vouchers.

Sources: Krista Kafer, “Study: Texas Must Focus on Productivity,”
School Reform News, May 2004, Heartland Institute and Richard Vedder
and Joshua Hall, “Effective, Efficient, Fair: Paying for Public Education
in Texas,” Texas Public Policy Foundation, February 2004.

For article text:
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=14798

For study text:
http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2004-02-25-vedderhall-all.pdf

For more on Education
http://www.ncpa.org/iss/edu/