Notice: This is the second installment in a series of posts relating to the topic of Education policy. These posts cover the inns and outs of education policy, including the issues of teacher pay, student achievement, standardized testing, blended learning, and charter schools, among others. Since I am currently taking a class that centers on education policy, I thought that it would be appropriate to post these brief articles to the site. I hope you enjoy the second post in this series, below.
The old maxim goes, “you only reap what you sow.” This saying characterizes the way in which New Jersey State Government handles educating its citizens. The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDoE) determines Spending levels—in consultation with the legislature and governor’s office—and develops effective standards. In both cases, NJDoE has put effective procedures in place to ensure that New Jersey students rank near the top in academic rigor and success. According to 2012 data collected by the Census Bureau, New Jersey ranks fourth in the nation in Education Spending. Education spending includes spending per pupil, the amount of money that the state allocates per student. This is high, even with a 5.5% reduction in spending due to Governor Christie’s multiyear budget cuts. However, educational success is not directly correlated with the amount that a school district spends per pupil. For example, according to data from the 2014 Taxpayers’ Guide to Education Spending, the suburban Township of Wayne spends over $18,000 on every student, greater than the New Jersey average of $15,968. Local taxes contribute 85% of education spending. Next-door in the urban and struggling city of Paterson, over $20,000 is spent per child. In this case, state aid comprises 84% of education funds. NJDoE has been effective at giving local districts flexibility as to how state money can be spent. Spending is funneled into often-neglected school services such as counseling, fluency experts, and aids. New Jersey ranks first in funding for these school services. |
| Bergen County before/after Boroughitis |
On the other hand, state government has long struggled with coordinating and managing the state’s over five hundred and seventy school districts. Due to the late 19thcentury phenomenon of “Boroughitis,” many small towns operate their own public services, including school districts. The process allowed groups of citizens to form their own town, giving them control of local services, as well as providing local politicians with an opportunity to increase their clout. More than 70 municipalities exist in the New York metropolitan County of Bergen alone. This penchant for localism has caused inefficiency in state aid at the town level. State efforts have stalled—even with the backing of a former governor—due to hesitance that the creation of regional or unified school districts might lead to relinquishing of other bastions of local control, like fire and police departments. Lastly in regards to spending, state aid formula has been effective in closing the gap in spending between the wealthiest and poorest districts. According to a 2012 report from the Center for American Progress, the spending gap between the highest quintile (wealthiest) and lowest quintile (poorest) districts is narrow. Evidenced by the comparison between Wayne and Paterson, many poor districts end up with greater funds than wealthy districts. However, school districts in the third quintile—caught in the middle between “wealthy” and “poor” designations—end up losing out on most aid. The formula must be altered since every district is entitled to fair support, based on their socioeconomic situation.
In the standards arena, the NJDoE presides over the administration of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS). The NJCCCS mandates that students must meet standards for science, social studies, world languages, visual and performing arts, and health and physical education. New Jersey uses the Federal Common Core standards when assessing competency in language and mathematics. The standards lead to the implementation of a broad-based curriculum, enabling students to learn and utilize an array of diverse knowledge. The standards can also be altered to meet new challenges or respond to concerns every five years. The standards provide local districts flexibility as to how they go about meeting the standards. Wayne school district created the “Wayne Township Learning Center,” a program hosted through an online portal that connects resources with students, teachers, and parents. Resources are funneled to meet the needs of those struggling to meet standards. The program integrates standards, technology, and Partnership for Assessment of |
| Assessment produced by consortium of states |
Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) practice. PARCC was created by consortium of states that developed assessments to measure whether students are college and career-ready. Many of the highest achieving states, including New York, Maryland, and Massachusetts, participate in the program. Wayne Township’s high school graduation requirements are comprehensive and broad. According to the NJDoE site, students must complete three years of mathematics, lab sciences, and a half-year of economics and financial literacy. Overall, NJDoE has been successful in allotting generous spending on education, while allowing discretion at the local level. Standards are superior to those of the Federal Government and the majority of other states. These efforts will continue to motivate those to publicize the educational success and potential of New Jersey students.
