Spending vs. results

June 11, 2013

Now let’s look at how the money spent per pupil and SAT score results chalk up.

CAMPUS SPENDING PER PUPIL %ECONOMICALLY Average SAT
Riverside Hs $8,557 87.1 750
J M Hanks Hs $8,086 67.7 823
Anthony H S $7,926 100.0 934
Fabens H S $7,899 90.2 849
Irvin H S $7,463 86.9 881
San Elizario H S $7,234 90.0 851
Bowie H S $7,173 96.4 826
Parkland Hs $7,169 76.3 774
Clint H S $7,152 78.5 831
Jefferson H S $6,864 90.3 865
Ysleta Hs $6,800 87.9 739
El Paso H S $6,671 74.4 909
Andress H S $6,658 61.6 818
Mountain View H S $6,295 90.6 842
Horizon H S $6,259 93.8 846
Del Valle Hs $6,235 88.2 789
Burges H S $6,120 70.1 976
Eastwood Hs $5,979 58.4 874
Austin H S $5,689 80.6 877
El Dorado H S $5,662 69.6 858
Bel Air Hs $5,648 79.7 809
Silva Health Magnet $5,633 53.4 1034
Tornillo H S $5,588 93.5 801
Americas H S $5,514 58.3 876
Chapin H S $5,467 61.0 954
Canutillo H S $5,442 71.2 833
Socorro H S $5,440 85.7 856
Montwood H S $5,422 55.9 883
Franklin H S $5,416 38.7 979
Coronado H S $4,997 41.9 1007

What is going on at Ysleta?  Jefferson scores 126 points higher on the SAT than Ysleta and spends only 1% more.

If poor kids do worse on SAT scores how can Burges score 102 points higher than Eastwood?

Look at your school on the chart.  Find another one that is close in the spending category or in the disadvantaged category.  How do their test scores compare?

Then we have Franklin that has fewer poor kids than Coronado, gets 10% more money and yet scores below Coronado.

We’ve got some schools where we are spending a lot of money and not seeing the results.

We deserve better

Brutus

3 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

SAT biased toward whites?

June 4, 2013

This comment was posted in response to SATisfied:

The SAT has it’s own set of issues, including cultural bias towards middle class whites.

I have always assumed that to be true but I had a suspicion that looking at the data would show us even more.

CAMPUS % WHITE STUDENTS % ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SAT AVERAGE SCORE
Silva Health Magnet 6.2 53.4 1034
Coronado H S 18.5 41.9 1007
Franklin H S 17.4 38.7 979
Burges H S 6.4 70.1 976
Chapin H S 16.3 61 954
Anthony H S 2.6 100 934
El Paso H S 6.6 74.4 909
Montwood H S 5.7 55.9 883
Irvin H S 4.5 86.9 881
Austin H S 5.6 80.6 877
Americas H S 9.7 58.3 876
Eastwood Hs 2.5 58.4 874
Jefferson H S 1.2 90.3 865
El Dorado H S 6 69.6 858
Socorro H S 3.5 85.7 856
San Elizario H S 1.2 90 851
Fabens H S 0.8 90.2 849
Horizon H S 3.5 93.8 846
Mountain View H S 1.4 90.6 842
Canutillo H S 4.4 71.2 833
Clint H S 4.1 78.5 831
Bowie H S 0.3 96.4 826
J M Hanks Hs 1.5 67.7 823
Andress H S 14.6 61.6 818
Bel Air Hs 0.3 79.7 809
Tornillo H S 0.5 93.5 801
Del Valle Hs 0.4 88.2 789
Parkland Hs 3.1 76.3 774
Riverside Hs 0.3 87.1 750
Ysleta Hs 0.5 87.9 739

I am not disputing the statement.  It is still probably right. Something else is also going on here.  Look at Andress with one of the “whitest” student populations and one of the lowest SAT scores.

Then look at Anthony with the fewest “white” students, and with 100% of their enrollment classified as economically disadvantaged.

Something is wrong at some of these schools.

We deserve better

Brutus

10 Comments | El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

SATisfied?

June 1, 2013

Let’s take a look at how our high schools did with average Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) scores.  I like the SAT because it is a national test and tells us how our graduates are doing compared to the rest of the country.

This chart measures results in terms of what the students are learning.  To me what should be the politically correct way to measure school performance is how much the students learn.  Yes many students are economically disadvantaged or enter high school with inadequate preparation, but in the final analysis how much knowledge the graduates have is very important.

Here we show the average SAT scores for the schools and the ranking that Children at Risk gave them after factoring in other elements.

CAMPUS     AVERAGE SAT SCORE               2013 RANK SCORE
Silva Health Magnet 1,034 10 A
Coronado H S 1,007 195 B
Franklin H S 979 371 B
Burges H S 976 492 C
Chapin H S 954 530 C
Anthony H S 934 377 B
El Paso H S 909 554 C
Montwood H S 883 533 C
Irvin H S 881 1,042 D
Austin H S 877 986 C
Americas H S 876 669 C
Eastwood Hs 874 363 B
Jefferson H S 865 573 C
El Dorado H S 858 390 C
Socorro H S 856 467 C
San Elizario H S 851 505 C
Fabens H S 849 331 B
Horizon H S 846 433 C
Mountain View H S 842 405 C
Canutillo H S 833 1,002 D
Clint H S 831 105 B
Bowie H S 826 1,046 D
J M Hanks Hs 823 552 C
Andress H S 818 1,047 D
Bel Air Hs 809 222 B
Tornillo H S 801 538 C
Del Valle Hs 789 108 B
Parkland Hs 774 614 C
Riverside Hs 750 273 B
Ysleta Hs 739 705 C

It seems that the SAT score indicator was the result of adding the score on the critical reading section to the score on the mathematics section.  This would leave out the writing test.

The Texas state average SAT score for these two tests is around 985 depending on which year you use.  The national average is about 1,010.

If I have my numbers right most of our high schools are below the state average.

It looks like we have work to do.  For the children,

We deserve better

Brutus

3 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Lower taxes!

May 31, 2013

City council approved an incentive package for a group that plans to build a 4-star hotel near the airport yesterday May 28, 2013.

It would be nice for El Paso to offer a 4-star hotel.  It will however take business away from existing facilities.

The tragedy is that the incentive package apparently includes relief from the hotel occupancy tax for years  4 through 15.

So the new hotel will not pay it’s full share of the tax.  Neither will the competitors who will lose business.

Remember that the hotel occupancy tax is the primary source of funding for the new ball park.  We already know that hotel occupancy rates are down.  Now we are going to hurt receipts even more.

Then to make matters even worse, the city wants the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) to move it’s central office from land near the proposed hotel.  It appears that the hotel project needs for the land near it to be available for the types of businesses that normally surround a property of this type.

The net effect of this is that EPISD thinks that it will need to raise and spend $40 million to replace it’s facility.

Ouch

We have taken on a lot of debt lately.  Now the plan is to reduce our income and take on more debt.  What about the children?

We deserve better

Brutus

2 Comments | City government, El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Spending vs. ranking

May 29, 2013

Let’s look at how money effects the rankings of our local high schools.

The data from Children at Risk includes a column titled “Spending per Pupil”.  I have no idea what type of spending is included in this item.  It could be that physical plant and administrative costs are included.  I hope not.  I suspect that the numbers do include local, state, and national funds.

The size of the student population at a school might distort a comparison so I have included those numbers.  Many think that the economic status of the student affects results so I have included that data item.  I don’t mean to get into that discussion at this point.

The schools are listed with the highest spending first.

CAMPUS              ENROLLMENT SPENDING PER PUPIL %ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED 2013 RANK SCORE
Riverside Hs 1,326 $8,557 87.10 273 B
J M Hanks Hs 2,010 $8,086 67.70 552 C
Anthony H S 228 $7,926 100.00 377 B
Fabens H S 737 $7,899 90.20 331 B
Irvin H S 1,661 $7,463 86.90 1,042 D
San Elizario H S 1,084 $7,234 90.00 505 C
Bowie H S 1,217 $7,173 96.40 1,046 D
Parkland Hs 1,284 $7,169 76.30 614 C
Clint H S 586 $7,152 78.50 105 B
Jefferson H S 1,111 $6,864 90.30 573 C
Ysleta Hs 1,542 $6,800 87.90 705 C
El Paso H S 1,234 $6,671 74.40 554 C
Andress H S 1,859 $6,658 61.60 1,047 D
Mountain View H S 907 $6,295 90.60 405 C
Horizon H S 1,056 $6,259 93.80 433 C
Del Valle Hs 1,864 $6,235 88.20 108 B
Burges H S 1,494 $6,120 70.10 492 C
Eastwood Hs 2,152 $5,979 58.40 363 B
Austin H S 1,610 $5,689 80.60 986 C
El Dorado H S 2,621 $5,662 69.60 390 C
Bel Air Hs 2,190 $5,648 79.70 222 B
Silva Health Magnet 596 $5,633 53.40 10 A
Tornillo H S 371 $5,588 93.50 538 C
Americas H S 2,465 $5,514 58.30 669 C
Chapin H S 1,883 $5,467 61.00 530 C
Canutillo H S 1,555 $5,442 71.20 1,002 D
Socorro H S 2,682 $5,440 85.70 467 C
Montwood H S 2,870 $5,422 55.90 533 C
Franklin H S 2,999 $5,416 38.70 371 B
Coronado H S 2,774 $4,997 41.90 195 B

The fact is that some schools where the students are not poor enough do not qualify for Title I (federal) funding and as a result go without.

The results show that more money does not get better results.  Parental and community involvement are the key.  Don’t even try to tell me that economically disadvantages children are stupid.

Looking at these numbers makes me wonder about the disparity in spending.

I think that the kids at Coronado have a case if they say

We deserve better

Brutus

2 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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