Despite yet another year of record funding increases (and pronouncements of “progress” from status quo politicians), public school students taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) in South Carolina saw their composite score fall for the fifth consecutive year in 2011.
According to the College Board – which administers the SAT – public school students in the Palmetto state scored a composite 1,427 (out of 2,400) on this year’s test – a 12-point decline from last year’s results. Nationwide, public school scores dropped by 10 points – meaning the Palmetto state is once again falling further behind the rest of America (which itself is falling further behind the rest of the world).
South Carolina’s public school students now trail the national average by 56 points. Also, it’s important to note that these depressing figures do not include the thousands of children who drop out of school each year in South Carolina – which has one of the highest dropout rates in America.
S.C. Superintendent of Education Mick Zais – the first Republican to lead the state’s school system since 1998 – said he was particularly troubled by the existence of a “wide reading gap between South Carolina and the nation.”
Unlike his predecessors, however, Zais isn’t clamoring for “more money” – an approach that has clearly failed. Instead, he’s promoting structural changes to our state’s ineffective government-run monopoly.
“We must transform education from a one-size-fits-all system to one that delivers a personalized and customized education to each student,” Zais said in a statement accompanying the release of the data.
He’s absolutely right … it’s just a shame that S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley and the rest of the “Republican”-controlled General Assembly aren’t committed to that goal.
What are they committed to? Pouring more money into the same failed approach.
During the 2010-11 school year, taxpayers spent a record-high $11,140 per child – not counting income from local bond revenue, investments, and transfers between funds and government agencies (which would have added another $1,500 to the total). This year, that figure has risen to $11,754 – again, not counting bonds, investments and transfers.
Meanwhile, South Carolina lawmakers refused to even consider a universal parental choice bill that would have helped provide the “personalized and customized education” of which Zais spoke – while at the same time subjecting our dumbed down public schools to real accountability for a change – the accountability of the marketplace.
(To read more about this legislation, click here).
Sixteen “Republicans” in the S.C. House voted to kill the legislation, while four “RINOs” in the S.C. Senate refused to let the legislation be voted on in that chamber, either.
Lawmakers also refused to pass funding reform, school district consolidation, a ban on educrat lobbying and an online checkbook that would force school districts to publish their itemized expenses.
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By melvin September 19, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Just think how the poor children of Dillon, SC, could have used that $1.3 billion we have spent in Libya over the past six months…each of those children could have been given a full scholarship to college —instead of wasting that money on Libya…which our own Sec-of-Defence said had no national security interest whatsoever…just another oil-rich Middle Eastern country, I guess…
By baker September 19, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Anyone with even a bit of knowledge of statistics and the SAT deal realizes that state-by-state comparisons aren’t worth a lot because participation rates vary so much. If a state has only its top 20% of students take the test, then it will likely get higher scores than a state where 50% of students take part.
That raises another issue: As more students within a state (or even in one school) take the SAT, it is likely that its scores might decline, at least in the short term. And, yet, encouraging more students to take the SAT or ACT is probably the RIGHT thing to do.
Also, Mick Zais comes off like a guy who has maybe never set foot in the schools he’s supposed to oversee. “One size fits all”? That’s simply false — especially in our high schools. Good grief, there are all kinds of courses and programs aimed at students’ needs and interests.
But, hey, if Zais can create “personalized, customized” education for each child, sounds great. Seems to me that to truly “customize” and “personalize” education for EVERY child, you’d be looking at almost a 1-1 teacher-student ratio as well as tons of new programs, additional or renovated facilities, and so on.
Seems to me that such a plan of “personalized, customized” education for all would be tough to pull off while spending less and turning down federal money.
By BigT September 19, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Give Zais some time. He will be better than the two complete losers that came before him.
By Cid September 19, 2011 at 2:21 pm
If T endorses him
You know Zais is a damn fool!
By Mr. Dixie September 19, 2011 at 2:46 pm
If you could talk the kids of South Carolina’s Tea Party Nut Jobs from taking the test, South Carolina’s test scores would soar.
By Gillon September 19, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Sic Willie, could we have the SAT results from SC private schools and home schoolers and how they compare to non-public school educated kids in other states?
By eggaday September 19, 2011 at 3:16 pm
get howard the rich man to buy the pols who won’t vote your way Sic
By Not exactly September 19, 2011 at 3:17 pm
They compare unfavorably, Gillon. SC’s independent school students are ranked 50th in the nation (or they were a couple of years ago, the last time I checked), ahead of only Alaska.
But thank God for Mick Zais. I’ll expect our public school scores to be at the national average within a couple of years, now that the Republicans are fully in charge.
By zack September 19, 2011 at 3:22 pm
Though SAT’s are falling, don’t abandon all hope. The inventor of the laser, Dr. Charles Townes–is from the upstate, and the father of cholesterol metabalism–Dr. Berstein–is a former resident of Kingstree,SC…
Next time you see a laser at the grocery store, just remind yourself that a good ole boy from SC invented that tech…before you take that lipitor…
When was the last time somebody from NYC or Boston invented something as transformative as the LASER???
By 5 + 1 = 6 September 19, 2011 at 3:43 pm
Zack, use that last paragraph in your campaign speech and you’ll get elected by the Republicans in this illterate state.
By BigT September 19, 2011 at 4:01 pm
What I marvel at: Democrats get elected over and over by telling er’body how bad education is…And all that happens when democrats are in charge, is it gets broken, then gets worse….
Kinda like FITS bashing Haley for taking Stimulus money. Liberals Construct a system of Total Failure, then Bash anybody else for working within the disasterous system they created…
Liberalism is: All the rights and power w/ no accoutability or reposnibility…
Like being a mal-content, bratty child all your life…
By Gillon September 19, 2011 at 4:05 pm
By not Exactly, Like you , I have full confidence in Mick Zais. Why here’s a man who led Newberry College to unparalleled heights academically. Under his leadership, a full 38 per cent of it’s students graduated in four years. Think how inspired he should be to lead SC’s public schools, where, although nothing to brag about, at least more than half do.
By CNSYD September 19, 2011 at 4:06 pm
baker, you are correct but wasting your time. Johnny One Note, aka Sic Willie, does not want to hear facts. He just wants to keep those Howie Rich checks rolling in.
By Recovering Lobbyist September 19, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Will, not that it does, or should, change anyone’s opinion about South Carolina’s sad education system, but at lease mention the fact that SAT scores are down nationally as well.
By Alabaster II September 19, 2011 at 4:21 pm
Will make this brief-what is the average IQ of the children of school age in SC?
By Huhhh??? September 19, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Is everyone marking today on a calendar so we can track how often the checks come from Howie?
By Not exactly September 19, 2011 at 4:50 pm
What I want to track is this: how many months will it take Mick Zais to turn education around in South Carolina?
By Crooner September 19, 2011 at 4:56 pm
And on top of this, the SAT is easier now than it used to be. This must be true because both of my boys recently scored higher than I did and I know I am smarter.
By rick September 19, 2011 at 6:07 pm
The children of the 41% of South Carolinians who approve of the job Haley is doing are the reason our SAT scores are what they are. Dumb breeds dumber. Argue that Tea Partiers.
By pappy September 20, 2011 at 5:29 pm
This wasn’t journalism, per se, but an opinion cloaked as an article weighted toward a anti-education agenda. South Carolina has turned down federal funds that would, indeed, enhance education. Value education, fund education, and instill the importance of education in your children.
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