Education Week
January 5, 2005
Education Week unveiled their 2005 edition of Quality Counts yesterday. Their annual state-by-state review of educational quality this year features "financing better schools," offering a tally of school spending hot topics like "equity and adequacy" in spending, allocation of funds per-pupil, achievement-based teacher pay incentives, and how states find the money to pay for their education costs (local taxes, lottery, etc.). Tucked neatly behind these pages, as always, are complete state-by-state report cards on more state education topics, including standards and accountability--coincidentally the very same day Fordham released its reviews of state math and English academic standards (see http://www.edexcellence.net/template/page.cfm?id=276). At first glance, it appears very simple to compare Ed Week's grades to our own, however the Ed Week study has some major differences. The standards (which were, in truth, graded by the AFT in a yet-to-be released report) only comprise a portion (40%) of the grade for each state and look more widely at four core subject areas (math, English, social studies/history, and science). Fordham grades are based entirely on the clarity, specificity, and content of the academic standards in math and English - the only two subjects currently influenced by NCLB - so please, compare with care. Stay tuned to this spot for more on the comparisons between Quality Counts and The State of State Standards: Math and English. To read the rest of Quality Counts, click here.