Stating the Obvious

The findings from Standard and Poor's newest installment of its $10 million contract to evaluate Pennsylvania's schools are worth repeating.

Increased school spending over time has not always meant better state test scores in Pennsylvania.

The report found that 289 of the state's 501 school districts increased their spending annually from 1997-2000 while also improving test scores.

On the other hand, 168 districts saw their test scores decline during the same period, despite increased spending. Eleven districts reduced their spending and improved their scores.

"Those findings show that student achievement is affected in part by how money is spent, rather than the amount of money spent," company officials said in a June 3 news release. Duh.

For what its worth, a separate "statewide insights" report compiled by the company in May found that 60 percent of districts with above-average scores on state assessment tests had below-average spending, while nearly one-third of districts with above-average spending had below-average scores.