Human Capital and School Performance

I came across a new study by the American Institutes for Research indicating that two-thirds of state education departments believe they lack the requisite capacity to help low-performing schools meet NCLB standards. The study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and uses "anecdotal evidence from chief state school officers."

For me, the study raises the question of whether the lack of resources and human capital states are facing in meeting NCLB standards leaves them even less prepared to address the challenges of college and workforce readiness in an international context.

According to the study:

Only one-third of state education officials say their departments have adequate capacity to help improve low-performing schools as required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)

Respondents were state officials, from all 50 states, with primary responsibility for their state’s system of support for schools and districts identified for improvement. The findings include:

• State officials were more likely to report limitations to their capacity than strengths. Only 16 states gave overall positive responses to questions about their capacity to support low-performing schools.
• State officials generally perceive the expertise within their education agencies to be a strength, but report lower levels of expertise regarding English language learners. More than half of states (31) reported that staff expertise was a strength, however, 19 states reported expertise related to English language learners as a specific constraint to their abilities, and 11 reported similar weaknesses with expertise related to special education.
• Three-quarters of respondents (36 states) indicated that a lack of state funding for school improvement was a constraint, and 27 states reported that a lack of federal funding constrained their capacity as well.
• States with the most capacity limitations have more schools identified for improvement. An average of 19 percent of schools were identified for improvement last year in states with limited capacity, compared with 15 percent in all other states. One state official responded simply, “The problems are many and we are few.”

Though states may use a percentage of their Title I dollars to fund their school improvement efforts, state officials report these funds are minimal and spread too thinly.

An Ed Week article on the study is viewable at:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/09/17/05air.h28.html?tmp=640814292