Dive Brief:
- As the state of Pennsylvania deals with cuts in federal and state education funding, students' test scores have also fallen over the past four years, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- Results on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests highlight declines in every grade level in almost every tested subject.
- According to Education Policy and Leadership Council President Ron Cowell, while it's difficult to prove causation between decreased funding and test scores, he did note that the state's districts had $850 million less in 2011 than in 2010.
Dive Insight:
When the Post-Gazette reviewed the test scores, it found drops across demographics — but some of the most dramatic decreases occurred among four groups of students: black, economically disadvantaged, English language learners, and special education students.
While education funding has been an issue across the state, it has specifically hurt poor and rural areas, according to a recent lawsuit filed against Gov. Tom Corbett, state education officials, and legislative leaders. The lawsuit alleges that the state violated its constitution by failing to provide adequate education for its students, based on the state's school funding formula, which the plaintiffs claim doesn't allow for necessary resources to be purchased. Additionally, they say the formula discriminates against low-income neighborhoods.
While Cowell is correct in saying causation is difficult to prove between funding and scores, it is hard to ignore the very real facts. If schools can't purchase resources, how can they possibly prepare students for the standards that they will then be measured on?