A complete answer to this question requires more than a couple hundred words and two charts. On a positive note, K-12 jobs are still being added and assessment scores are above the national norm.
Are jobs being added fast enough, i.e. do the number of new teachers match the increase in students? Are teachers being replaced by teacher aides? Are key administrators being replaced by less experienced and knowledgeable staff? Are deserving professionals not receiving appropriate merit increases? Do the number of employees translate into quality education?
Colorado K-12 public education employment has fared better than the U.S. for the past three years. A review of the 12-month rolling average shows that Colorado employment dropped off from mid-2010 to mid-2011, but has added jobs since. On the other hand, U.S. K-12 public education employment has declined since mid-2009. Undoubtedly many Coloradans may feel the situation could be improved, but it appears to be better than the national trend.
Another area to look at is assessment scores, in particular the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP scores show that Colorado 4th grade scores are in the top 18 states for Reading, Math, and Science. Colorado’s eighth grade scores are in the top 10 states for these same subject areas.
Do strong NAEP scores correlate to high graduation rates? Do they mean students won’t need remedial classes if they take college classes? Are they an indicator that students are being educated to perform basic skills in the workplace?
Based on these two data sets, it appears that Colorado is making an effort to staff their K-12 programs as best as possible and that performance, based on NAEP, is better than the national norm. Arguably, other statistics may show the need for improvement, but data in these two areas suggest that Colorado leaders are taking positive steps in a challenging economic environment to educate our youth.
For additional information on the Colorado go to https://cber.co/CBEReconomy.html.
©Copyright 2011 by CBER.