Introduction

Education spending is the largest budget item in state government spending with education representing 37% the State’s General Fund. Since the 1996-97 school year; funding for K-12 has Increased 37% versus inflation of 13.3%.  Today Wyoming ranks 6th in the nation in per pupil expenditures (adjusted for inflation and state’s student’s needs). ¹ Wyoming has lost 8,400 students but has added 250 teachers. Education Week’s January 2001 edition ranked Wyoming second in education adequacy based on state funding levels per student.

What’s Happened Over the Past Four Years?

Major factors: 1) The State Supreme Court ruling that Wyoming school finance system was unconstitutional; 2) Development of a “basket of goods and services”; 3) Incorporation of standards and assessments to gauge progress; 4) Increased state spending from $518.3 million in the 1997-98 school year to $692 million in 2001-2002; and 5) Capital Construction requirements that will cost an additional $567 million over the next six years. 

The Status of Wyoming’s Education Spending

At the time of the State Supreme Court’s education ruling in December 1995, state spending for education was $516 million, or $5,428 per student, for the 1995-96 school year. Wyoming was not a “poorly funded” school system, but it is fair to say that a good number of students were under served in parts of the state. 

Things have changed dramatically in recent years, with state education support going from $518 million in the 1997-98 school year (the last year before new legislative guarantees) to $692 million (est.) for the 2001-2002 school year — an increase of $174 million yearly or 33.5%² , a yearly increase of 8.4% per year. Over the past ten years ADM, the measurement for per pupil spending, has increased from $5,082 per year to today’s average of $8, 185 ³ — a 61% increase, or 6% per year. 

Are We Spending Enough? 

Not according to the Coalition of the Wyoming Education Association, Wyoming School Boards Association and Wyoming School Administrators. In addition to the $47 million additional approved by last year’s legislature, the Coalition essentially takes last year’s $47 million as a given and wants an average of an additional $83 million per year for the biennium beginning July, 1 2002. MAP — the nationally recognized consultants retained by the Legislature —recommended in January increasing the $47 million a year approved last year to $67 million ($40 million additional for the biennium versus the Coalition’s $166 million). ⁴ 

Would Spending More Money Make A Difference? 

The Education Coalition contends the extra money is needed for teacher salaries, new teacher recruitment and general education support. The Coalition believes Wyoming education spending has not kept pace with inflation. They believe the total new money needed for the biennium beginning July 1 is $166 million —$74 million in the 2002-03 school year and $92 million in 2003-04. 

The Coalition argues that the national teacher shortage is affecting Wyoming and that because 50% of Wyoming’s teachers will reach retirement eligibility in 5 years, teacher salaries must be increased to be more competitive and enable Wyoming to recruit new teachers. 

A recent Department of Education Study ⁵ challenges the Coalition’s assumptions. Between the 1997-98 and 2000-01 school year Wyoming increased teacher salaries by an average of $6,447, or 20%, to $38,503. Wyoming currently ranks 42nd in the nation in teacher pay but in our region we are competitive. Utah has the highest pay — but their pupil-to-teacher ratio is the highest in the nation. From a state average perspective, average teacher pay in Wyoming in 1998 was $34,683 versus $24,725 for the average salary of all workers. ⁶ If annualized (12 months), average teacher pay in Wyoming today would be $51,337. ⁷ Wyoming’s student-to-teacher ratio is the lowest in the region and one of the lowest in the country. If Wyoming’s ratio was similar to surrounding states teacher pay could be increased 26%. 

With respect to teacher shortages, there were only 47 unfilled teaching positions at the beginning of the 2000-01 school year — .7% of 6,753 full-time certified teachers — the biggest categories being Speech Pathology, Special Education, Counseling and Foreign Language. ⁸ 

Teacher pay continues to be a big issue…but lost in the discussion is the total picture. The average Wyoming teacher, with a pay of $38,503, is eligible for full retirement after thirty years of service at age 55 —giving them a retirement package equal to 80% of their last three years of employment — $30,802 (not counting Social Security), far more than Wyoming’s average wage of roughly $25,000. 

What Progress is Being Made in Wyoming? 

The Positives: increased teacher pay, increased education spending and smaller class size ratio (pupil­-to-teacher ratios). 

The Negatives: declining school enrollment, teacher pay rank lower than in the years past, lower graduation rates and little change in NAEP “National Report Card” test scores. 

Consider what has happened in Wyoming since State Superintendent of Education Judy Catchpole took office in January 1995 and the Wyoming State Supreme Court ruling the following December. Development of content standards (based on core knowledge and skills) involving 1400 educators, business leaders, parents and University representatives.  Implementation of America’s first statewide testing/assessment tied to standards — the WyCAS which is considered one of the Nation’s best to meet all FederalTitle I requirements.  One of the first states to develop a comprehensive School Report Card — years ahead of the new federal law and it will include district and school data for all students in 2002.  One of the first states in the Nation to connect all schools with each other and the Internet and enabling all Wyoming high schools to offer and access long distance learning. 

What are (he “Best Education” States — Those at the Head of the Class? 

The answer to this is almost impossible to answer. The variables are endless: national and state tests; graduation rates; graduates going to college; student-­to-teacher ratio; per pupil expenditures, teacher pay, teacher pay vs average state pay and high school drop outs. 

In our Region ⁹, Montana and Utah are tops on the NAEP “National Report Card” tests and high school graduation rates; Montana and New Mexico for graduates going to 2 or 4 year college; Wyoming first for student-to-teacher ratio and per pupil expenditures and Utah last; and Utah and Wyoming are the highest in teacher pay and benefits (adjusted for cost of living). 

On a National Basis ¹⁰ it’s best to look at the NAEP (“The National Report Card”) proficient and above results. For 2000 Fourth Grade Math, Montana and Maine are tops; for 2000 8th Grade Math: Minnesota and Montana. For Fourth Grade Reading in 1998: Connecticut and Kansas are 1st at 39%, with Montana 2nd; for 1998 8th Grade Reading: Maine, Connecticut and Montana are the top three, with Connecticut at 42%. The shocker is this: no state has over 50%. Wyoming for math and reading for proficiency and above: 25% and 29% — pretty good by comparison to other states, but still leaving us with over 2/3 of the students at basic or below. 

The National Center for Education Statistics does not rank states by student achievement. The American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC)¹¹  Report Card on America Education has the best comparative data. Their findings are based on change/improvement of NAEP, ACT and SAT scores, per pupil expenditures, teacher salaries, students per district, pupil-teacher ratio, etc. The top five according to their research are: 1) Iowa; 2) Minnesota; 3) Wisconsin; 4) Massachusetts; and 5) Montana. Utah is 16111, Wyoming is 17th and Mississippi is 50th.

What States are Moving to the Head of the Class? 

Based on ALEC’s “trend relationships”¹² the top five would be: 1) New York; 2) West Virginia; 3) South Carolina; 4) North Carolina and 5) Rhode Island. Nevada ranks 18; New Mexico 21 and Wyoming 37. California is 50. According to the National Education Goals Panel ¹³ five states showed significant improvement from 1992 to 2000 in NAEP mathematics assessment: New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Virginia. Wyoming went from 12th to 11th in fourth grade math; from 13 to 21 in 8th grade math. 

Why North Carolina Number One in 2001? 

To begin with the state’s former Governor initiated as a goal for North Carolina education to be First in America by 2010. It’s printed on the Governor’s stationery. The state has increased teacher pay, teacher training and teacher accreditation; it gives “bonuses” for teachers and support staff at performing schools and larger “bonuses” for schools which significantly exceed their expectations. Their fourth grade math went from 27th in 1997 to 7th in 2000; 8th grade math from 32ns to 10th. For fourth grade reading, from 22nd to 12th. North Carolina today has caught up to and surpassed many states, including Wyoming in NAEP math and reading. North Carolina by comparison to Wyoming has more eligible for free and reduced lunch (58% vs 28%), more Title I schools (38% vs 36%), has lower per pupil expenditures $5,650 vs $6,842, and their high school completion rate is improving (84.2% in 1991-93 to 86.1% in 1997-98) while Wyoming has declined from 92.1% to 87.8%. ¹⁴ 

Can Wyoming Make It Into the Top Five? 

Wyoming has a good educational system, but is good “good” enough? Given our homogeneous population and the dollars we spend for education, some argue that we are closer to mediocrity than excellence. 

Imagine if Wyoming was one of the Top Five Education States in America (like Montana, according to some studies). What would that take? Do citizens and the public in the top education states expect more? Yes. Do they have specific goals? Yes. It begins with taking a personal responsibility for education — going to school to learn versus being with friends or doing sports. Parents go to work to work and produce; students should go to school to learn and prepare to be productive citizens in the future. There is nothing wrong with expecting the best —students taking calculus; Knowledge in world culture and history; proficiency in a foreign language; graduates with a high literacy level. These are all the elements of Wyoming’s Common Core of Knowledge — so Wyoming can compete with America and across the globe. 

Enabling teachers to be the best they can be is another, because teachers and good principals are the best indicators for educational success... and if kids like to learn, there won’t be problems with truancy, drugs and drop outs. Teachers need praise not criticism from business and parents. Like workers in any business, they need to feel that they are appreciated. It also will take time — creative use of time during the school year and/or additional non-contact days during the summer for staff development. Systematic staff development also requires advanced degree training. But for a biology teacher in rural Wyoming, getting advanced training, course work, or an M.A. in his or her specialty field — versus normal CEU credits or a M.A. in Education — is a difficult task. It’s not something that lends itself to on-line courses. 

In the context of certification and standards based education, training and improvement opportunities should be a priority ... a strategy endorsed by the Governor and Department of Education. 

Wyoming’s systems for excellence and moving forward are in place — standards, assessment mechanisms to gauge learning, increased teacher pay and school funding, small classes and school building upgrades. We’ve done our homework. We’re prepared for the test. There is no reason Wyoming can’t be one of the Top Five Education States in the Nation. It’s about a commitment to excellence first; not just more money. 

Five Questions to Ask 

1.     Should Wyoming strive to be one of the top K-12 education states and is it possible given current funding levels and reforms initiated by the Department of Education? 

2.     If it isn’t possible, how specifically will increased education spending lead to better student performance? 

3.     Teacher and administrator pay is based on years of service and education attainment — why not hold student learning as a third benchmark and reward teachers and support staff in schools with improvements? 

4.     Since teacher and principal/administrator quality are the key ingredients for student achievement, is spending for training more important than increased teacher pay or new school construction? 

5.     Who do legislators hear more from in terms of requests for more education spending — the Education Coalition or parents, the public or business?

Editor: Bill Schilling, President

Wyoming Business Alliance/

Wyoming Heritage Foundation

Footnotes 

1. Wyoming Taxpayers Association, January 2002 

2.  Legislative Service Office, 2/6/02.

3.  Legislative Service Office. Note that in some settings this amount can be significantly greater. 

4.  Debra Holloway, Blueprint: Insurance Quality Teaching and Leadership in Wyoming, 1/22/02. 

5.  American Legislative Exchange Council, Report Card on America’s Education, a State by State Analysis, March 2001. 

6. Legislative Service Office, 2/6/02. 

7. Debra Holloway, Blueprint: Insuring Quality Teaching and Leadership in Wyoming. 

8. Public Education Data Book, Office of the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, State of Utah, February 2001.

9. National Center for Education Statistics.

10. American Legislative Exchange Council. 

11. ALEC Report Card. 

12. National Education Goals Panel Report. 

13. National Center for Education Statistics, School Completion Rates.

Editor’s Note

There is no one place to find comparative education data. There is no “National Report Card” simply because not every state requires the NAEP test of 4”’ and 8”’ graders. In 2000 38% of high school graduates took the ACT test and 44% the SAT. ACT is the primary test in 26 states; for 25 states it’s the SAT. The difficulty in obtaining educational data is not confined to test scores; it covers a wide range of indicators: drop out rates, remedial education once in college, advanced placement offerings, etc.