Another Dem Lie Exposed: NCLB Was Properly Funded
From the Hoover Institution Newsletter: (Courtesy of Ipse Dixit)Contrary to claims by critics that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is a seriously unfunded federal mandate, two Massachusetts public officials report sufficient funding for its effective implementation.
In their analysis, to be published in the February issue of Education Next, Massachusetts State School Board chairman James Peyser and economist Robert Costrell find that:
+ The $391 million the federal Department of Education has set aside specifically for administering additional state assessments required by NCLB is more than adequate. Although new funding may be needed in the future, the authors observe that "The needed dollar amounts are relatively small and could be met easily by allocating funds from lower-priority programs."
+ Shortfalls in federal support of school technical assistance, as required under NCLB, are small at present but are likely to grow significantly as more schools are found to be in need of improvement. To fill the gap, the authors call for greater flexibility in federal guidelines. "Much of the gap can be filled," Peyser and Costrell explain, "by allowing states to allocate more of their federal dollars to supporting turnaround efforts in low-performing districts."
+ The authors demonstrate that "No one—neither critics nor supporters of NCLB—really has any idea what it would cost to bring all students to proficiency by 2014, if it can be done at all." However, they show that existing analyses of the issue that report cost estimates of $85–$150 billion or more suffer from clear methodological flaws. Their alternative approach, which focuses on the cost of meeting yearly improvement goals, suggests a national gap of only about $8 billion, concentrated largely in a few states.
+ The estimated cost of testing required by NCLB runs no more than $20 per tested student, a small fraction of average per pupil costs in the United States ($7,392 in 2000, the last year for which official statistics are available).
+ Between 2000 and 2004, federal spending increased from $23 billion to $37 billion dollars, an increase of approximately $300 per pupil. This growth in federal spending far outstrips the $20 per pupil cost of NCLB testing.
Matt's Chat
As Bush Blogger Mark Noonan is so fond of saying, it is indeed another fine day to be alive, American and Republican! This is Matt Hurley and I approve this message.Mark's Remarks
Well, the NEA and critics are upset because the federal government has had to step in to get education back on track. You see, the NEA and the pop psychologists have been feeding us this touchy feely crap as an excuse for education for years, and not holding teachers accountable. Now, in spite of their efforts at smear, NCLB is working, and it is getting people on the ball.
You know what is another bunch of bull? I read in the SouthWest Ohio Educational Association newsletter that the Union is upset that children are being reduced to a test score--HMMM, WASN'T THAT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH STATE PROFICIENCY TESTS ANYWAY? But wait, you were getting kickbacks in authorship fees and consulting fees for those tests, but now since the Feds are placing standards, whoopps, there goes that power!!!!! It is shameful that the union is using projection of lack of funding and accountability to try to bamboozle this act. It is on the right track, and this article proves once again that the true liars are liberals.
I am Mark Garbett, and I approve of this message (sorry, Matt, I liked it so much I stole it).
