Policymakers across the country are quick to blame insufficient funding for education as the primary cause of low student achievement. Polling data from 2004-2007 make it clear that American adults are making the same assumption. Yet, recent studies show that increasing education spending is not having an impact on improving students' academic achievement.

Follow up:

Data published by the U.S. Department of Education in its annual Digest of Education Statistics shows that per student expenditures are high across the country and they have continued to rise.

• $553 billion was spent on public education in 2006-2007. This figure represents 4.2 percent of GDP.
• An average of $9,266/pupil is spent in American public schools.
• Of the $71.7 billion spent by the Federal government on elementary and secondary education programs in 2007, $39.2 billion was spent on K-12 education. Of this amount 67% was spent on Special Education and Education for the Disadvantaged programs. 
• Between 1994 and 2004, average per-pupil expenditures have increased by 23.5% when adjusted for inflation.
• Between 1984 and 2004, real expenditures per pupil increased by 49%.
• Between 1970 and 2005 per pupil expenditures increased three times from $311/pupil to $971/pupil.

At the same time there is no appreciable improvement in academic performance.  If increased spending on education has a direct effect on academic performance then we would expect to have seen continual improvement in performance at a rate commensurate with spending.

• Despite the increase in per pupil expenditures between 1970 and 2004, reading scores as measured by the NAEP have remained relatively unchanged.
• In reference to graduation rates; during the 1990-1991 school year the average freshman graduation rate was 73.7%. In 2004-2005 that rate had increased to just 74.7% but then dipped again in 2005-2006 to 73.4%.

It seems that the amount of money spent is not nearly important as how the funds are used. According to the National Center for Education Statistics only 52% of funds spent on education in this country are allocated to instruction. A recent study published by the Center for American Progress has found similar results reporting that there is no clear relationship between district spending and to student achievement and that it is how funds are allocated that is of importance. Some of the most interesting points made by the CAP report are:

• Low productivity in our nations schools costs as much as $175 billion each year.
• How dollars are spent is as important as how much is spent.
• Efficiency of district operations varies widely across the country with some districts spending much more to attain the same level of achievement as others.
• High-spending systems are often operating less efficiently.
• Highly productive districts shared a number of values including strong community support and a willingness to make tough choices.
• The nation’s least-productive districts spend more on administration.
• Some urban districts are far more productive than others.

It is clear that public education in the United States is not producing well educated students. It is also evident from these studies that simply spending more money on education is not a magic bullet that will improve academic achievement without the investment of time and hard work by administrators, teachers, parents and students. Let's spend education funds in areas where they can do the most good. There is no limit to what can be achieved by excellent teachers and engaged students. Children can learn as well in a thirty year old building as they can in a new, state of the art complex. Desks are desks and chairs are chairs. New band and cheerleading uniforms are not nearly as important as the fact that these activities are available to the students. There is no point in introducing computers and calculators into elementary classrooms until the students understand the fundamentals of reading and mathematics. Too much emphasis is being placed on cool new technology, new curriculum each year, and showcase schools by parents, teachers and school boards alike. To put it in perspective, your 10-year old Taurus may be a little rusty and squeaky. The windows may not work all the time and it's certainly not a big, cool, black SUV with shiny rims...but...it gets you where you need to go and the money you're saving can be used for other things that improve the quality of life for your family. Schools need to learn this lesson. It's not how much money is spent but how the money is spent that's important in order to improve the quality of education in the United States.

Sources:

• Center for American Progress: Interactive Map: Return on Educational Investment. 19 Jan 2011.
• Lips, Dan, Watkins, Shanea Ph.D. and Fleming, John. The Heritage Foundation: Does Spending More on Education Improve Academic Achievement? 8 Sep 2008.
• Penn, Ben. Youth Today: Study: No Clear Relationship between Education Spending and Achievement. 29 Jan 2011.