Annual report says U.S. education system coping after Great Recession
The Great Recession has arguably hit all sectors and industries, and much of the nation is trying to recover from the economic downturn. States across the country are facing budget problems that, eventually, trickle down to school districts. An annual report by Education Week found that the nation's education system maintained its 'C-plus' grade on the study's Chance for Success index, which measures how well students are prepared for college and the workforce. Massachusetts was the only state in the union to earn an 'A' on the index; New Hampshire, New Jersey and Connecticut followed with each receiving an 'A-minus'. New Mexico and Nevada did the worst, receiving a 'D-plus' and 'D', respectively. Officials affiliated with the Quality Counts 2011 report say the recession has proven that such disparities can no longer exist in America's education system.
“If the turbulence and waves of hardship brought by the recession have taught us anything, it’s that America will sink or swim in a global economy based on its success educating all of its citizens, not just a privileged few, to high standards,” Christopher B. Swanson, vice president of Editorial Projects in Education, the nonprofit organization that publishes Education Week, said via press release. “If we are going to continue advancing as a nation, then strong, sustained, and equitable educational improvement must become the norm for students in every state rather than the exception that it is today.”
The nation's overall grade on the Quality Counts report was a 'C', with the grade based on six areas of policy and performance that the annual study evaluates. For the third year in a row, Maryland has outscored every other state with a grade of 'B-plus'. New York came in second with a B and Massachusetts rounded out the top three with the same grade. This year's Quality Counts report reintroduced the state's K-12 Achievement Index based on 18 indicators that measure and consider improvements over time, poverty-based disparties and gaps, and current achievement. The average state earned a dismal D-plus on the K-12 Achievement Index.
Officials affiliated with the Education Week report say investing in an education system that will net positive outcomes for students in every state will pay off in the long run.
“We have often heard that education will be the engine of economic recovery by way of short-term job creation and longer-term upgrading of the nation’s workforce,” Swanson added. “While the ultimate impact of the stimulus has yet to be fully understood, it is clear that education has featured prominently in the nation’s recovery efforts and is linked to more stimulus spending and more saved jobs than any other area. Education-related funding has also been the most efficient way to save or create jobs, on a jobs-per-dollar basis.”
Overall, the study did not find any large-scale, state-level policy adjustments due to the recession, but the researchers did note modifications that allowed for more budget flexibility, like the option to change the length of the school day.
See the entire Quality Counts 2011 report for more information.
