Nationalโข Test Score Declines Spotlightโ Bloated School Administration
WASHINGTON D.C. โข- Recent analysis of nationalโฃ test scoresโ and school spending reveals a troubling trend: as student achievement declines in many states,aโ significantโ portion of increased education โfunding is โคbeing โขallocated to administrative positions that experts say โmay activelyโ hinderโ learning. Data from the National Assessment ofโ Educational Progress (NAEP)โ shows widespreadโค stagnation or โdrops in readingโ and mathโ scores, even as โขschool budgetsโข swell.
the declines aren’t โฃsimply a result of the pandemic, as changes in state rankings demonstrate gainsโ and losses relative to one another. A report by Open the Books highlights a surge in non-teachingโ personnel costs, raising questions aboutโข where education dollars are truly being spent. Newโ York State, for example, spends more perโค student โฃ- exceeding $42,000 โขthis school year โ- than any other state, yet student test scoresโ remain โonly mediocre.
Open the Books’ data doesn’t differentiate between teacher and administrator pay, but researchers suspect the latter is โคa keyโ factor. While someโฃ studies suggest increased teacher pay, especially when tied to performance, can โคimproveโ outcomes, the proliferation โขofโ administrative roles is drawing scrutiny.
Maine saw a 19% increase in school โคpayrolls coupled with the largest drop in NAEP test scores. In Portland,โ Maine’s largest district, the number ofโค employees โearning โsix-figure salaries moreโ than quadrupledโ – jumping from 30 to 137, primarily consisting of principals and administrators. maryland implemented a $30 billion,10-year โฃeducation โคplanโข but saw no corresponding โgains โin test โคscores,with funds allocated to programs focused on concepts like “fat pride” and “eatingโฃ withoutโ guilt.”
baltimore schools exemplify the issue, where teachers comprise less than โhalf of the staff. The remainder includes a multitude of high-paid administrators, including a senior executive director โof equity, a director of equity, aโข director of equity-centered principal โdevelopment, five โคadditional equity โฃspecialists, and a staff โคassociate for equity.
Theโข focus onโข administrative expansion comes at a potential cost to โcore instruction. โขExpertsโ suggest re-evaluating the necessity of these roles and redirecting fundsโข towards proven methods of improving student outcomes. Schools are โurged to prioritize foundational skills and ensureโ taxpayer dollars are used โคeffectively to support quality teaching and learning.
