AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation today released a report, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Texas Academic Outcomes, from James Golsan, the Education Policy Analyst at the Foundation’s Center for Education Policy. The report audits the spending and resource allocation in Texas’ current education system, and finds that there are areas where significant improvement is possible – and achievable.

“Though Texas education has taken positive steps in recent years,” said Golsan, “the unfortunate reality is that we are still not doing all we can to meet the needs of Texas students. No matter how strong our public education system gets, there’s no way a one-size-fits-all model will work for everyone. This shows especially in our troubling attrition rates that were 26 percent for the 2011-2012 school year. 

“This report further recommends that school districts have more flexibility to reward and incentivize great teaching by doing away with unnecessary mandates like the 22:1 Kindergarten-4th grade student-teacher ratio law and the state minimum salary schedule. In addition, a change in perspective is needed when it comes to education finance such as implementing school choice and improving online learning options as a way of shifting the priority towards students.”

The study may be found online at http://bit.ly/1cOAt6a. 

To schedule an interview with James Golsan or any of the Foundation’s scholars, contact Kristen Indriago at [email protected] or 512.472.2700.

 

James Golsan is policy analyst for the Center for Education Policy with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin. He may be reached at [email protected]. 

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin.

 

Primary website: www.TexasPolicy.com

Facebook page: www.Facebook.com/TexasPublicPolicyFoundation

Twitter feed: www.Twitter.com/TPPF

 

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