There appears to be little correlation between cost per student and test scores.
The amount of money spent on Delaware students in 2022 varied widely from school to school and can’t be correlated with results on standard tests.
The average per student expenditure for the top 10 performers on the Smarter Balanced Assessment – taken by students in third through eighth grade – is $17,894.
It’s $11,489 for the schools that did best on the SAT, which is taken by all of Delaware’s juniors.
The highest allocation for a top-performing school is Dover Air Force Base Middle School, at $38,314 per student – a clear outlier. If you throw out that school, then the average of the others is $15,482.
The lowest allocation is for MOT Charter School, at $12,177 per student.
Repeated attempts were unsuccessful to ask Caesar Rodney School District about the large expenditure per student at the air base middle school, which has no low-income students according to state records.
The average per student expenditure for the bottom performing schools on the Smarter Balanced Assessment is $24,500, and $20,052 for the bottom performing SAT schools.
The highest allocation for a bottom-performing school is for Richardson Park Elementary School, at $31,818 per student. The lowest allocation is for Laurel Senior High School, at $13,903 per student.
The amount of money spent on students can’t be correlated with scores on the Smart Balanced Assessment or the Scholastic Aptitude Test, educators say.
Dan Shelton, superintendent of Christina School District, the second largest district in the state behind Red Clay Consolidated, questions if there is a connection between the two.
“As far as a correlation between money spent on schools and test scores, I’m not sure that is the correct way to look at it in terms of are we getting enough back on our investment,” he said. “I’m not certain we have ever seen a correlation between money spent and test scores directly.”
What has been seen, he said, is a correlation between the needs of students and test scores.
“In other words, students who have experienced more ACES [adverse childhood experiences] tend to not score as well on standardized tests,” he said. “The services we provide to these students would drive up funding needs for those schools, which is why we sometimes call them high-needs schools.”
But critics also wonder: What are students getting for the annual expenditures that seem to rise year after year while proficiency rates and test scores are not?
Analysis of the cost-per-student in single-digit proficiency schools is important, informative and impactful, said Julia Keleher, executive director of First State Educate, a local education advocacy group.
“It allows the public to ask important questions about how funds are allocated and spent,” she said. “It also prompts public inquiry into the return on investment, in terms of improved outcomes, for these expenditures.”
Across the state, the average spent on students in 2022 was $18,604 per student.
Additional funds for schools and students come from a variety of federal and state programs based on socioeconomic issues for a school, such as poverty or the need for special education.
For example, schools that have a higher population of low-income students, students with disabilities, or English language learners will get supplemental money to help address those social issues that schools who do not have that demographic makeup might not get.
Throughout the state, 25.21% of students are low income, 17.47% of students have disabilities and 59.52% are of ethnic and racial minorities.
According to Delaware Code, disabilities can include: attention-deficit disorders, autism, developmental delay, deaf-blind, emotional disability, hearing impairment, specific learning disability, intellectual disability, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, speech/language impairment, traumatic brain injury and visual impairment.
One reason the range of expenditures matters is that public education spending was $1.4 billion – 27.6% of Delaware’s $5.1 billion budget for the 2022 school year.
But with test score proficiency rates in the First State in the bottom half of the nation – especially after the COVID-19 pandemic stresses on schools – many people and groups question the return on the investment.
RELATED: School test scores dismal again despite new math, reading plans
The state’s $18,604 per student in 2022 is an increase from $16,369 in 2020 and $17,041 in 2021, according to the Delaware State Report Card’s most updated data.
It tracks various categories such as racial makeup, percentage of students with special needs, college readiness rates, proficiency percentages, test score results, teacher retention, spending and more at both the district and school levels.
“With the SATs, I find it to be unfair because not all schools across the country or neighboring states test everybody, but in Delaware, everybody takes the test,” pointed out David Tull, executive director of the Delaware School Boards Association.
That drives state scores down, especially for schools where a lower percentage of the population is heading to college.
Delaware is one of eight states that gives the SATs to all 11th graders, so even the students who are pursuing a trade with no plans of traditional college have to take it, which skews the scores negatively.
Opportunity funding
Some of the funding is designed for special needs students.
But a big chunk of it is referred to as opportunity funding.
That’s the name for money that Gov. John Carney signed into law in 2021 to increase funding for low-income students and multi-language learners. It made that weighted funding permanent in Delaware.
By fiscal year 2025, opportunity funding will more than double to $60 million a year.
The decision was in large part due to a far-reaching lawsuit over the way schools are funded. It was settled in early 2021.
It was sparked over concerns that the state’s 80-year-old school funding formula did not adequately support poor and special needs programs.
Opportunity funding is used to aid both academic and social wellbeing. Examples include mental health support, reading assistance, after school programs and more.
The money can also be used to hire personnel to fill those needs, such as reading specialists, behavioral health specialists or social workers.
Lower scores
Here’s a look at the funding trends and demographics for the bottom-performing schools in Delaware, which all had proficiency rates in the single-digits on the Smarter Balanced Assessment and SAT, state-administered tests to measure if students are meeting grade-level standards:
Bottom-performing on Smarter Balanced Assessment
The average per-student expenditure in this category is $24,500.
Christina
The Bancroft School
(69.27% low income, 26.34% students with disabilities, 95.42% minority) I think we need
2020: $31,150
2021: $32,427
2022: $28,924
The Bayard School
(62.8% low income, 21.06% students with disabilities, 93.31% minority)
2020: $24,145
2021: $26,301
2022: $29,320
Charters
Edison (Thomas A.) Charter School
(67.25% low income, 7.28% students with disabilities, 98.89% minority)
2020: $13,081
2021: $13,477
2022: $14,911
Gateway Charter School
(43.55% low income, 41.4% students with disabilities, 80.11% minority)
2020: $27,040
2021: $26,166
2022: $28,285
Colonial
McCullough (Calvin R.) Middle School
(42.41% low income, 19.86% students with disabilities, 83.4% minority)
2020: $16,542
2021: $17,658
2022: $19,529
New Castle Elementary School
(37.84% low income, 12.29% students with disabilities, 79.36% minority)
2020: $16,041
2021: $17,164
2022: $20,479
Red Clay
Johnson (Joseph E. Jr) Elementary School
(59.15% low income, 11.97% students with disabilities, 89.44% minority)
2020: $17,947
2021: $19,586
2022: $21,767
Richardson Park Elementary School
(38.54% low income, 21.58% students with disabilities, 78.81% minority)
2020: $24,268
2021: $28,590
2022: $31,818
Stanton Middle School
(34.06% low income, 19.91% students with disabilities, 82.58% minority)
2020: $16,697
2021: $16,892
2022: $19,066
Warner Elementary School
(61.39% low income, 31.67% students with disabilities, 95.56% minority)
2020: $26,655
2021: $28,434
2022: $30,903
Bottom-performing on SAT
The average per-student expenditure in this category is $20,052.
Christina
Glasgow High School
(31.96% low income, 24.13% students with disabilities, 81.45% minority)
2020: $20,913
2021: $21,637
2022: $24,063
Laurel
Laurel Senior High School
(31.73% low income, 20.08% students with disabilities, 55.42% minority)
2020: $11,656
2021: $11,889
2022: $13,903
New Castle County Vo-Tech
Delcastle Technical High School
(24.86% low income, 11.92% students with disabilities, 76.03% minority)
2020: $18,701
2021: $18,801
2022: $20,248
Hodgson (Paul M.) Vocational Technical High School
(24.32% low income, 13.48% students with disabilities, 70.12% minority)
2020: $18,518
2021: $18,122
2022: $19,645
Howard High School of Technology
(39.71% low income, 12.6% students with disabilities, 92.35% minority)
2020: $18,984
2021: $18,118
2022: $20,342
Red Clay
McKean (Thomas) High School
(35.6% low income, 31.07% students with disabilities, 74.97% minority)
2020: $19,159
2021: $20,166
2022: $21,665
Seaford
Seaford Senior High School
(35.27% low income, 18.66% students with disabilities., 70.88% minority)
2020: $15,776
2021: $16,708
2022: $20,449
All but two of the 17 bottom-performing schools are given more funding per student than the state average of $18,604.
The Delaware Department of Education defines high-needs as schools whose student enrollment is in the top 25% of public schools in at least three of these four criteria:
- Percent of low-income students
- Percent of English learner students
- Percent of students with disabilities
- Percent of underrepresented minority students, or if the school has more than 90% of their students defined as low-income, English learners or underrepresented minority
This year, there are 32 public schools out of the state’s more than 200 categorized as high-needs schools.
Top performing
While two of the top 20 performing schools do not have their cost per student listed on the state’s report card, the 18 that do all have less allocated per student than the state average of $18,604.
“There have been arguments made in the past that we do not spend enough money on our high needs schools,” Shelton said. “I don’t believe it is that the money itself will improve the test scores.”
Instead, he said, it is that the students in high needs schools need more and sometimes different support and services in order for them to better be able to engage in their learning, and those services and supports come with a price tag.
This analysis highlights the vast differences in how education funds are distributed across schools and school communities, Keheler said.
“Analyzing fiscal, achievement and student demographic data together enables the public to ask important questions about how education funds are spent and if those investments are leading to better student outcomes,” she said.
Equity in education funding means every student gets what they need to be successful, she said.
“We are investing in the whole child rather than only in the academic success of the child,” Shelton said. “By helping our students cope with other factors in their lives, there will be a positive impact on access and achievement in their education.”
Top 10 Smarter Balanced Assessment
The average per-student expenditure in this category is $17,894.
Caesar Rodney
Dover Air Force Base Middle School
(N/a low income, 11.2% students with disabilities, 36% minority)
2020: $20,885
2021: $22,260
2022: $38,314
Major George S. Welch Elementary School
(2.83% low income, 11.05% students with disabilities, 34.28% minority)
2020: $14,694
2021: $15,511
2022: $13,881
Cape Henlopen
Beacon Middle School
(15.28% low income, 12.81% students with disabilities, 27.31% minority)
2020: $12,834
2021: $13,916
2022: $15,206
Charters
MOT Charter School
(7.52% low income, 7.66% students with disabilities, 56.47% minority)
2020: $11,626
2021: $11,049
2022: $12,177
Newark Charter
(7.8% low income, 8.5% students with disabilities, 46.03% minority)
2020: $14,043
2021: $13,039
2022: $15,008
Sussex Academy
(6.53% low income, 5.99% students with disabilities, 28.35% minority)
2020: $11,202
2021: $11,565
2022: $12,568
Christina
Christina High School
(21.5% low income, 14.65% students with disabilities, 69.35% minority)
2020: $20,995
2021: $20,698
2022: $21,392
Red Clay
Calloway (Cab) School of the Arts
(8.28% low income, 6.56% students with disabilities, 51.72% minority)
2020: $13,669
2021: $13,429
2022: $15,705
North Star Elementary School
(3.77% low income, 8.2% students with disabilities, 41.15% minority)
2020: $13,965
2021: $14,660
2022: $17,544
William F. Cooke Jr. Elementary School
(11.27% low income, 11.27% students with disabilities, 35.75% minority)
2020: $14,108
2021: $15,459
2022: $17,148
Top 10 on SAT
The average per-student expenditure in this category is $11,489.
Appoquinimink
Appoquinimink High School
(7.82% low income, 13.95% students with disabilities, 50.2% minority)
2020: $13,233
2021: $15,167
2022: $14,455
Middletown High School
(8.86% low income, 14.98% students with disabilities, 53.36% minority)
2020: $12,946
2021: $15,244
2022: $14,208
Cape Henlopen
Cape Henlopen High School
(15.66% low income, 13.35% students with disabilities, 34.53% minority
2020: $15,231
2021: $14,694
2022: $15,838
Charters
Charter School of Wilmington
(4.03% low income, 1.14% students with disabilities, 53.72% minority)
2020: N/A
2021: N/A
2022: N/A
Delaware Military Academy
(7.71% low income, 3.42% students with disabilities, 96.58% minority)
2020: N/A
2021: N/A
2022: N/A
MOT Charter School
(7.52% low income, 7.66% students with disabilities, 56.47% minority)
2020: $11,626
2021: $11,049
2022: $12,177
Newark Charter
(7.8% low income, 8.5% students with disabilities, 46.03% minority)
2020: $14,043
2021: $13,039
2022: $15,008
Sussex Academy
(6.53% low income, 5.99% students with disabilities, 28.35% minority)
2020: $11,202
2021: $11,565
2022: $12,568
Red Clay
Calloway (Cab) School of the Arts
(8.28% low income, 6.56% students with disabilities, 51.72% minority)
2020: $13,669
2021: $13,429
2022: $15,705
Conrad Schools of Science
(14.2% low income, 4.7% students with disabilities, 46.88% minority)
2020: $13,192
2021: $13,484
2022: $14,931
The average per student expenditure for the top 10 performers on the Smarter Balanced Assessment is $17,894 and just $11,489 for the schools that did best on the SAT.
The highest allocation for a top-performing school is Dover Air Force Base Middle School, which gets $38,314 per student – a clear outlier — and the lowest allocation is for MOT Charter School, which gets $12,177 per student.
The average per student expenditure for the bottom performing schools on the Smarter Balanced Assessment is $24,500, and $20,052 for the bottom performing SAT schools.
The highest allocation for a bottom-performing school is for Richardson Park Elementary School, which receives $31,818 per student. The lowest allocation is for Laurel Senior High School, which spends $13,903 per student.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
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