Student Achievement Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

State assessment scores drop again despite infusion of court-ordered money 0
- Education
- December 6, 2018
Now that the 2018 state assessment scores have finally been released by KSDE, this statement by the Kansas Supreme Court can be, pardon the expression, put to the test. That is because K-12 spending in the 2017-18 school year increased by more than $400 million, a 6.7% increase, to $13,620 per pupil. Despite the spike
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ACT results for class of 2018: lower overall scores and curriculum-based achievement gaps 0
- Education
- November 5, 2018
ACT results for the 2018 graduating class show the slow but steady achievement descent continues for graduating Kansas seniors. The overall average composite score of 21.6 is down from 21.7 in 2017 – the third decline in the last four years. Not only is the overall composite score lower, but virtually all sub-indicators also declined.
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KC Star made false accusations about school funding 0
- Featured
- October 26, 2018
A recent Kansas City Star editorial said, “when adjusted for inflation, spending per-pupil in 2018, at $8,771, is right about where it was in the 1990s.” No explanation was provided for that obviously false claim, but it was attributed to a school lobbyist. Data from the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE), however, says school funding
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Kansas Freedom Index provides legislative transparency 0
- Tax & Spending
- October 22, 2018
Speaking at a gathering of legislators and policy experts from multiple states recently, I was asked why the Republican-dominated Kansas legislature raised taxes last year instead of making government more efficient. In response, I asked, “What’s a Republican?” We all had a good chuckle, but the sad truth is that party labels don’t mean much
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Hey, state board, where are the state assessment results?0
- Education
- October 4, 2018
Indeed, it is now October and the 2018 state assessment results – tests that were taken by students last spring – have yet to be released to the public. Since the information is there – students and families have long been given individual results and even teachers have them for upcoming parent-teacher conferences – why
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Make school spending more efficient and effective 0
- Education
- October 1, 2018
Our 2018 Voter Issue Guide lists five critical issues that should be at the forefront of policy discussions in Kansas. This article provides a deeper examination of the school efficiency challenge, which is the third of five issues covered in the 2018 Voter Issue Guide. The first installment discussed the $3.7 billion budget shortfall and the
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