it works every where lew more equals better education . On Jan 15, 1:55 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > Why does't that work in Chicago and Washington. > > It is a dismal failure there. > > More money = dismal performance. > > On Jan 15, 9:05 am, "liberal mike532 !" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > > Maryland: As State Increased School Aid, Grades Went > > Uphttp://www.truthout.org/011409ED > > Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun: "Five years after Maryland increased > > spending by $2 billion to provide greater academic equity, students > > have made remarkable gains in reading and math, according to a report > > given to the Maryland General Assembly yesterday by an outside > > consultant." > > For every additional $1,000 spent per student, there was a > > significant increase in pass rates in both subjects. The improvement > > was twice as great for middle school students as for those in > > elementary grades. > > > The report by MGT of America also confirms what most educators > > have intuitively believed for decades: Money invested in teachers > > appears to pay off. About 80 percent of additional local and state > > funding has been spent on the teaching staff - raising salaries, > > hiring more to reduce class sizes and requiring a highly qualified > > teacher in every classroom. > > > "I think it is a validation of a leap of faith that the > > legislature and the governor took to continue to fund it," said state > > Superintendent Nancy S. Grasmick, referring to The Bridge to > > Excellence Act. Passed in 2002, that law put into effect the > > recommendations of a state education funding commission chaired by > > Alvin Thornton. > > > Grasmick said the report points out the wisdom of the > > legislature's decision to pass the law, which required not just an 80 > > percent increase in the level of funding but targeted the money to > > provide the most help to special education and poor students and > > those > > learning English. Students in those categories did not make as much > > progress in learning math and reading as did the general population. > > The achievement gaps are still a matter of concern, she said. > > > The legislature mandated that school systems not reduce the > > amount > > of money they provided schools from county budgets while the state > > dollars increased. Local appropriations per pupil did not drop during > > the five-year period, but there is still little equality among the > > school systems in how much is spent per pupil. Montgomery County > > allots more per pupil than any other system, for example, and rural > > Caroline County contributes least. > > > There will never be equality in school funding, said Jerry > > Ciesla, > > a senior partner at MGT, because each local government will > > contribute > > more or less to its school system on top of what the state gives. > > But, > > he said, there is more equity since the Thornton law was passed. > > There > > is "fairness of state funding," he said. "Those who need it the most > > get the most." > > > State dollars account for, on average, about 44 percent of the > > school system budgets across the state. > > > The report's release came the same day Education Week ranked > > Maryland schools No. 1 in the nation, giving yesterday's press > > conference in Annapolis with Grasmick and Gov. Martin O'Malley a > > congratulatory air. Just one year after the governor said he wanted > > to > > get rid of the education secretary, the two appeared happy to share > > the announcement. > > > "They really deserve the No. 1 ranking," said Ciesla, whose > > company is doing 66 education studies in many states around the > > country. Educators in other states, Ciesla said, hold Maryland's > > schools in high regard. The combination of this positive report and > > the ranking will likely bring more attention to the state, he said. > > "I > > think Maryland is going to be bombarded by all the other > > states. . . . > > How did you do this?" > > > In the spring of 2002, Maryland became the first state in the > > nation to adopt a major reform of its school finance system to > > provide > > greater equity for all students without the pressure of a court > > order. > > The state, in part through an increase in the tax on cigarettes, > > began > > gradually increasing the amount of money given to local school > > systems > > for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. > > > By the 2007-2008 school year, the state was spending $2.03 > > billion > > more or $2,438 per pupil on education. As part of the revamping, the > > General Assembly required a final report to detail how the money had > > been spent and whether it had made a difference. State education > > spending would continue at the current level, unless the legislature > > took action to change it. The report recommends that another study of > > the adequacy of state funding be conducted in 2012. > > > Part of the MGT analysis included a survey of 16,000 teachers in > > the state about their practices and their schools. The survey was an > > attempt to find out what practices worked best so that the > > information > > could be used to improve struggling schools. At high-performing > > schools, teachers collaborated on lesson plans, analyzed test data > > and > > believed their principal was a strong leader. > > > More of these best practices are being implemented in elementary > > and middle schools than in high schools. The report notes that the > > greater the number of qualified teachers in a school, the better > > students did and that the correlation was particularly true at > > schools > > with large numbers of economically disadvantaged students.- Hide quoted > > text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum
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