Bert Stoneberg, Ph.D.
K-12 Research Idaho
Idaho Ed Statistics
School Reform in Idaho [Page under construction. More to come!]
Comparing K-12 spending and test scores:
The amazing computer
"glitch"
IdahoEdNews' Facebook page header reminds us, "The facts
only matter if you have them."
UNREALISTIC! Stoneberg, B.D., (2014, July 21). Comparing spending and academic results is unrealistic. Available at https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/comparing-spending-and-academic-results-is-unrealistic/ [Since July 24, 2014, clicking on this link has returned an IdahoEdNews.org "PAGE NOT FOUND" message.]
IMPERATIVE! Tapogna, J., Cahill, K., & Dyke, A. (2014, July 24). Comparing spending and academic results is imperative. Available at https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/comparing-spending-and-academic-results-is-imperative/
It does not make sense statistically to compare educational spending and student test scores. It does make sense, however, to compare educational spending and the dollar value of student test scores.
Stoneberg, B.D. (2015). Real cost-benefit analysis is needed in American public education. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 20(15). Available at http://pareonline.net/getvn.asp?v=20&n=15
Story of the amazing computer "glitch"
The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation -- in partnership with ECONorthwest, an economic, finance and planning consultant -- produced The ReThink Series: Five Questions about Education Funding in Idaho. It was published on the internet (February 28,2014) at https://issuu.com/jkaf/docs/jkaf_rethink_funding Question 5 asked, "Would spending more increase achievement?"
I wrote an opinion piece that it did not make sense to statistically compare education spending and student test scores, and submitted it to IdahoEdNews for publication as a community "voice." Among other things the piece indicated that "dollars" have the statistical characteristics of the ratio scale which has a true zero, while "test scores" have the statistical characteristics of the equal-interval scale which does not have a true zero. IdahoEdNews published my voice on the web on July 21, 2014. A URL was assigned to my voice according to the IdahoEdNews convention: https://idahoednews[dot]org / voice / words in the headline that IdahoEdNews assigned separated by hyphens. It was https://idahoednews.org/voices/comparing-spending-and-academic-results-is-unrealistic/
K-12 Research Idaho is a personal, public service project funded
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Copyright 2019, Bert D. Stoneberg
Last update: October 12, 2019