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Senate Update: Student achievement lagging
by Bob Dvorsky, State Senator · Op-Ed · January 30, 2015
The legislature and governor must make sure that every child gets the best education possible so that all Iowans can compete for the jobs of the future.
This session, that means increasing the state’s commitment to public schools, students and teachers.
The good news is that in spite of shortfalls in school funding, Iowa teachers and students are doing pretty well at maintaining levels of academic success. The bad news is that other states are increasing student achievement faster than Iowa and out-performing us.
A report by the Iowa Department of Education notes that:
• Iowa has slipped from one of the highest-performing states in the nation to the middle of the pack in student achievement.
• Iowa’s performance on national assessments is stagnant for low- and high-achieving students.
• Students who face challenges perform significantly behind their peers. This includes kids whose first language is not English, who have special needs or who come from low-income families.
The Iowa’s Condition of Education Report for 2013 shows that Iowa has one of the highest graduation rates in the nation, and the number of students in preschool, advanced placement and community college courses is climbing. Unfortunately, standardized assessments of student achievement show Iowa only making slight gains over the last 12 years, while other states are taking greater strides.
In fact, the National Assessment of Educational Progress for 2013 ranked Iowa 21st for fourth-grade reading, 14th for fourth-grade math, 20th for eighth-grade reading and 25th for eighth-grade math. In the 1990s, Iowa scored in the top 10 nationwide.
It’s clear that student achievement trends mirror education investment trends. Imagine the successes our students and teachers could achieve if Iowa boosted school funding per student to the national average! We need to restore bipartisan support for the idea that Iowa’s future depends on high-quality local schools.
To contact Senator Dvorsky during the week, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. Otherwise he can be reached at home at 319-351-0988. E-mail him at bob.dvorsky@legis.iowa.gov.
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