Show me numbers - the costs and benefits of education (The Next Mayor)

The numbers that caught my eye this morning are both cited in editorials in the Daily News and Inquirer.

Talking about the Parking Authority (as they should, until we get this issue sorted out), the Daily News cites the work of the recently-released statewide "costing-out" study which revealed that:

The average cost per student to achieve proficiency (note, not excellence) in math and reading in Pennsylvania is $12,057.

The state actually spent $9,512 per student in 2005-06. That's a total shortfall of $4 billion.

Be prepared to hear those numbers thrown around A LOT.

The Inquirer editorialized about the steps being taken by LaSalle University to help revitalize its neck of the woods in East Germantown and Ogontz sections. Citing numbers from Select Greater Philadelphia, they mention that:

The overall impact of the 88 area colleges and universities is felt in the:

$12.3 billion spent on annual operating expenditures
213,000 full-time students, including 80,000 in the city (that's a lot of pizza money - to the tune of $2.2 billion spend by students outside of school)
85,267 employees or 2.8 percent of the region's total employment
Employees who get $5.2 billion in wages and salaries

How do these numbers all fit together. Think about your tax money. If invested wisely to bring per pupil spending in Philadelphia (and the region) up to "proficiency" levels (and possibly, down the road, "excellence" levels), that money could lead to even greater numbers of students from this area attending colleges and universities in the area. Not only would this position them better for jobs in the new economy, thereby diverting them from social services, but it would also signal to potential employers about the richness of the region in terms of its labor pool.

For now, just remember the numbers and keep track of how many times the mayor-elect uses them to reinforce any particular point that he's trying to make.

Comments (8)

Anonymous:

LaSalle University editorial link isn't working...

Posted by Anonymous | November 19, 2007 12:26 PM

RealReformer:

Funny, they spend less than that per head at Masterman.

Posted by RealReformer | November 19, 2007 3:06 PM

Here's the link to school-by-school budgets:

http://www.phila.k12.pa.us/cgi-bin/tree/tree.pl

Just divide the school budget by the school population to get per capita on school-by-school basis.

Posted by RealReformer | November 19, 2007 4:46 PM

Sbadeau

Considering the K-12 education budget numbers side-by-side with the University/College numbers is an interesting approach and a great way to think about the issue in terms of the positive benefits to the community as it relates to investments in all levels of education. The flip side, of course is the relationship of not investing enough in education to the costs related to the negative consequences of this community-wide educational neglect of our children - drop out rates, impact on employability and the economy, crime, etc.

Pointing out the Masterman budget raises another important and interesting aspect to the Costing Out Study. One of the most impressive (to me) parts of the study was the methodology used. Or should I say multiple methodologies used. The study used 3 strategies to get at the question of "how much is enough" to lead to proficiency. Interestingly - all three methodologies led to nearly identical outcomes in terms of dollars recommended.

The study also weighted the outcomes based on a variety of factors related to the environment, community and individual student needs and capacities, etc. So a school with a high ratio of non-English proficient students, or special education students would clearly need a greater financial investment than a school, like Masterman, or other magnet schools, where they are able to select students who are already demonstrating high levels of proficiency, mastery and capacity before entering the school.

For these reasons, the actual recommended budgets vary from a low of $10,000 to a high that is above $14,000, settling in to the average of $12,000 quoted here. Philadelphia, with his multiple challenges actually should hit the higher end of this targeted investment. But that is not to say that ALL Philadelphia schools would need that amount, Masterman perhaps being a good example.

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