AMARILLO, TEXAS -- UPDATE: Public school spending per student has increased by 63 percent during the last decade. With a budget-cutting session of the Texas Legislature approaching, and school districts under pressure to do more with less, a new report by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs could help trim school spending without sacrificing educational quality.
Connecting the Dots: School Spending and Student Progress identifies Texas school districts that achieve strong student performance while keeping spending growth to a minimum.
The report provides a unique analysis of public education spending and academic results, helping lawmakers and school officials to better understand the relationship between student progress and the money spent. This report will allow lawmakers and school districts to compare to similar public and charter schools across the state, as well as identify efficiencies and make improvements to get the most value for the dollars spent.
"We all want students to excel academically, and it takes a certain amount of spending to realize that goal, but what is the right amount?" Combs said. "We need to fully understand the relationship between student progress and spending."
Combs said they created a new kind of report that uses a unique rating system to balance student progress against school spending in an unbiased fashion.
"The FAST system includes controls for the diverse range of students and the varying educational costs in Texas school districts - resulting in realistic and useful comparisons."
Using FAST methodology, each school district and campus, including charter schools, is assigned the following:
• A rating of student progress in reading and math, measured using a value-added model with controls for the varying characteristics of students, campuses and districts.
• A spending rating, from "Very Low" to "Very High," that rates the district's spending compared to up to 40 peer districts that operate in similar cost environments, are of similar size and serve similar students
• A FAST rating, from one to five stars, that integrates academic progress and spending to identify districts that produce strong academic growth at a lower cost than their peers. School districts that earn five stars have a "Very High" student progress rating and a "Very Low" spending rating. Alternately, one-star districts have very low student progress and very high spending compared to their fiscal peers.
Only 43 of the 1,235 school districts and charter schools the Comptroller analyzed received a five-star FAST rating.
Amarillo ISD, got a 2.5 star rating, while Canyon ISD, received a 3.5 star rating. While Canyon's ISD spending is reported to be low, Amarillo gets a high rating. Amarillo schools scored an overall 55 percent in academic progress, while Canyon schools scored an overall rating of 59 percent.
Amarillo ISD released this statement following the release of the study:
"We always want to operate more efficiently, and we see value in reports that look at spending and academics. The FAST report, released today, gives Amarillo ISD an average rating. However, two other recent reports give AISD higher marks. After taking a first look at the Comptroller's study, we have questions about some of the information and how districts are compared. It will take some time to understand the report and determine whether it has value for us."
The 2009 Legislature told the Comptroller's office to develop a method to compare school districts on a level playing field. Basically the report looks at which district's and campuses get the highest academic achievement for the money they spend.
"In a state as large and diverse as Texas, drawing apples-to-apples comparisons is no easy task," Combs said. "Our school districts vary greatly in geographic size, student population, demographics and costs. Many factors influence student learning, including factors both in and outside school. Similarly, the cost of education is influenced by many factors, some beyond the districts' control."
Online tools also allow comparisons among peer districts using different lenses such as dropout rates, transportation spending or math scores. No other report offers the same level of detail.
Connecting the Dots: School Spending and Student Progress is published in its entirety on the FAST website.
The study will be updated annually, making it a tool that will continue to allow taxpayers to see where the money goes in public education, prompting further discussion of cost versus quality in education.
Previously Posted:Pronews 7 has learned that Texas Comptroller Susan Combs is scheduled to release a report this Wednesday morning relating to school funding.
The report, called Financial Allocation Study for Texas (FAST) report, Connecting the Dots: School Spending and Student Progress, will release the results of her financial allocation study for Texas. A press conference is scheduled for 10 a.m.
A press release issued by the office said the report will contain a unique rating system for all school districts, measuring student performance relative to district spending. The report is also said to offer recommendations and smart practices for school districts looking to trim their spending.
Pronews 7 will publish that report to www.connectamarillo.com as soon as it becomes available. We are also working on getting reaction from area school district.
Please check back as this story develops.
