Opinion
Education Letter to the Editor

No ‘Quality’ Method for Rating States’ Performance

February 03, 2009 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

To the Editor:

We applaud Education Week for collecting education statistics about all 50 states. The latest of your annual Quality Counts reports (Jan. 8, 2009) is indeed an invaluable starting point. It goes a step too far, however, when it pools together disparate measures to arrive at each state’s overall score. This may not be problematic for education scholars, but policymakers might (and do) inaccurately treat a state’s overall rating as meaningful.

In fact, Quality Counts averages so much incommensurable data that we are reminded of the old joke of a beggar sitting on the streets of New York, with a sign reading, “Wars, 2; Legs Lost, 1; Wives Who Left Me, 2; Children, 3; Lost Jobs, 2. TOTAL: 10.”

First, the “school finance” measure rewards states for spending more money, whether or not that leads to actual results. The problem is most obvious when the “spending” measure is averaged with the measure for “K-12 achievement.” In theory, a high-spending state with low achievement—perhaps combining extravagance and incompetence—could get an overall score equal to that of a state with low spending and high achievement. But, all else being equal, the latter state obviously has a more efficient education system.

Second, the Chance-for-Success Index gives states higher grades for having fewer disadvantaged students. Unsurprisingly, Massachusetts does quite well on this measure, while Mississippi is near the bottom. This is certainly useful information, but it makes no sense that a state’s score here is averaged together with “K-12 achievement” to produce an overall score. (We were so baffled that we took the trouble of checking the scores of several states, just to be sure that this was what had been done.)

Thus, Quality Counts downgrades a state that produces A-level achievement for impoverished students, while upgrading another state simply for being blessed with privileged students. Imagine two states, equal on all measures but three. The first produces high achievement for poor kids using little money, while the second produces low achievement for rich kids using lots of the public’s resources. It is clear which system is doing better. Unfortunately, Quality Counts misses the point.

Stuart Buck

Research Associate

Gary Ritter

Endowed Chair in Education Policy

Department of Education Reform

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, Ark.

To the Editor:

Although I am a proud Marylander, I was amazed that such a credible publication as Education Week could rank my home state No. 1 in its Quality Counts 2009 report even though our students score 20th on national tests and SAT scores are declining—this despite that fact that we are the wealthiest state in the country and have nearly doubled education spending over the past five years. Clearly, there is a problem with Quality Counts’ methodology.

Achievement is only a minor part of the formula, and a state that spends a lot and with fewer economically disadvantaged students is ranked higher than a poorer state that attains the same results with less. Increased spending is not considered at all, even though expectations should be higher.

While no scoring system is perfect, Education Week needs to rethink a methodology that defies common sense and rewards inefficiency.

Matthew Joseph

Executive Director

Advocates for Children and Youth

Baltimore, Md.

Related Tags:
Opinion

A version of this article appeared in the February 04, 2009 edition of Education Week as No ‘Quality’ Method for Rating States’ Performance

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Webinar
Making Science Stick: The Engaging Power of Hands-On Learning
How can you make science class the highlight of your students’ day while
achieving learning outcomes? Find out in this session.
Content provided by LEGO Education
Teaching Profession Key Insights to Elevate and Inspire Today’s Teachers
Join this free half day virtual event to energize your teaching and cultivate a positive learning experience for students.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Quiz News Quiz: Feb. 6, 2025: Reading Scores | Curriculum | Trump 'Indoctrination' Order | and More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Image of books on a shelf.
Illustration by Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Education Briefly Stated: February 5, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz News Quiz: Jan. 30, 2025: Interim Ed. Dept. Leader | Navigating Immigration Policies | Teacher Evaluations | And More
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
President Donald Trump speaks in Emancipation Hall after the 60th Presidential Inauguration on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. His administration's order to pause potentially trillions of dollars in federal spending this week sent school districts scrambling to figure out which funds might be halted.
Al Drago/AP
Education Briefly Stated: January 29, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read