The Spreadsheet That the NEA Doesn't Want You to See

How come no one ever compares the number of dollars spent per student with standardized test results? I'm kinda surprised that the teachers' unions -- the NEA and the AFT, for instance -- don't demand that newspapers publicize these results.

I put together a workbook that compares spending-per-student to test results and discovered some revealing data. For instance: the District of Columbia spends the most (by far) and has the worst results (by far). Yes: most spending, worst results. I blame Bush.

			4th Grade Reading		8th Grade Reading		4th Grade Math		8th Grade Math
State	Per-pupil spending ($)	Rank	% meeting state prof stndrd	% at or above NAEP level	% meeting state prof stndrd	% at or above NAEP level	% meeting state prof stndrd	% at or above NAEP level	% meeting state prof stndrd	% at or above NAEP level
District of Columbia	13,187	1	—	—	44	12	—	—	40	7
New York	11,546	2	71	33	49	33	87	36	56	31
New Jersey	11,436	3	81	37	74	38	81	45	64	36
Connecticut	10,001	4	66	38	77	34	78	42	76	35
Massachusetts	9,856	5	48	44	—	—	39	49	42	43
Vermont	9,678	6
Alaska	9,586	7	79	27	82	26	71	34	65	29
Delaware	9,271	8	—	—	80	30	—	—	56	30
Rhode Island	9,178	9
Pennsylvania	8,841	10	—	—	64	36	—	—	62	31
Wyoming	8,667	11	47	34	39	36	39	43	37	29
Wisconsin	8,574	12	83	33	86	35	74	40	75	36
Maryland	8,507	13	82	32	68	30	78	38	53	30
Michigan	8,489	14	‡	‡	—	—	73	38	61	29
Maine	8,351	15
Ohio	8,100	16	77	34	80	36	65	43	63	33
Illinois	8,022	17	—	—	72	31	—	—	54	29
New Hampshire	7,750	18
West Virginia	7,748	19	80	26	80	22	75	25	71	18
Minnesota	7,691	20
Oregon	7,621	21	—	—	64	33	—	—	65	34
Indiana	7,580	22	72	30	66	28	72	38	70	30
California	7,511	23	48	21	39	21	51	28	—	—
Virginia	7,501	24
Nebraska	7,418	25
Georgia	7,340	26	87	26	83	25	75	30	69	23
Iowa	7,305	27	77	33	72	34	80	37	76	34
Hawaii	7,253	28	56	23	37	18	30	27	20	18
Kansas	7,052	29	—	—	78	35	85	47	—	—
Montana	7,027	30	81	36	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡	‡
Missouri	7,018	31	—	—	—	—	41	31	15	26
South Carolina	6,984	32	35	26	30	25	39	36	24	30
Washington	6,894	33	80	36	—	—	60	42	—	—
Colorado	6,884	34	86	37	86	32	90	39	74	32
Texas	6,746	35	81	29	83	26	82	40	61	31
North Dakota	6,728	36	76	35	72	37	80	40	65	35
New Mexico	6,606	37	50	20	52	19	39	19	24	14
Louisiana	6,519	38	65	20	54	20	63	24	56	16
North Carolina	6,511	39	82	29	88	27	91	40	84	32
Kentucky	6,493	40	67	31	—	—	—	—	37	23
South Dakota	6,319	41
Oklahoma	6,256	42	82	25	71	25	74	29	67	21
Arkansas	6,119	43	53	30	57	26	53	34	34	22
Alabama	6,115	44
Florida	6,056	45	71	30	44	25	63	37	58	26
Nevada	6,034	46	48	21	—	—	52	26	—	—
Tennessee	5,984	47	88	27	87	26	87	28	88	21
Idaho	5,923	48	87	33	82	32	91	40	70	30
Arizona	5,524	49	—	—	63	23	—	—	61	26
Mississippi	5,382	50	88	18	58	18	79	19	53	14
Utah	4,890	51

Now you can see why the anti-school-choice teachers' unions hate standardized testing.

It exposes them like streakers at the Rose Bowl Parade.