In a recent evaluation of public school systems across America, Oregon's educational institutions were found to be underperforming, despite the state's significant expenditure on education.
This assessment, conducted by personal finance firm Wallethub, ranked the nation's public schools from the most to the least effective, with Oregon's schools languishing near the bottom of the list.
According to The Post Millennial, Oregon was placed 45th in terms of overall quality, outperforming only West Virginia, Louisiana, Alaska, Arizona, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The state's schools also fared poorly in safety, ranking 44th nationwide, with only Tennessee, Kansas, Colorado, Louisiana, Nevada, Missouri, and Mississippi scoring lower.
The study assigned Oregon an overall score of 38.60, a stark contrast to Massachusetts, which topped the list with a score of 74.36. The top five positions were dominated by northeastern states in both quality and safety categories.
The researchers arrived at these scores by analyzing 32 pertinent metrics and assigning appropriate weights to each. These metrics included not only traditional measures such as "Median SAT Score," "Math and Reading Test Scores," and "Dropout Rate," but also factors like "Graduation Rate Among Low-Income Students" and "Pupil-Teacher Ratio." Safety scores were determined based on criteria such as "Share of High School Students Not Attending School Due to Safety Concerns," "Share of High School Students Participating in Violence," and "Share of Armed Students," among others.
Despite its poor performance, Oregon ranked 23rd in terms of education spending, placing it in a group Wallethub labeled "High Spending & Weak School System." Cassandra Happe, an analyst at Wallethub, noted that while adequate funding is crucial for a productive school system, simply having more money does not guarantee success.
Happe emphasized the importance of how funds are utilized, stating, "How funds are applied also plays a big role in how good a school system is." She further highlighted the role of quality educators, other professionals, and the curriculum in shaping a successful school system. Beyond academic performance, Happe underscored the need for schools to ensure that students feel safe, comfortable, and cared for. This study serves as a reminder that while funding is important, it is not the sole determinant of a successful education system. The quality of education and the safety of students are equally, if not more, important.
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