Published: January 07, 2009 11:46 pm      

Millions spent on education yield return

Consultant believes Maryland schools ‘the envy of every state’

ANNAPOLIS — More than $3 billion in state and local investment in Maryland schools over the last six years has brought significant progress in reducing student achievement gaps, according to a study of the state’s Bridge to Excellence program released Wednesday.

The three-year study, conducted by national consulting firm MGT of America, was released at the same time a national publication rated Maryland’s public schools as the nation’s best.

“Maryland is the envy of every state,” said Jerry Ciesla, a senior partner who took the lead on the study.

Overall increases to public school spending from kindergarten through high school totaled about $3.4 billion over the last six years in Maryland, with $2 billion of that from increased state spending, Ciesla said. Another $1.3 billion came from increases in local funding.

“The feds kind of let down people,” Ciesla said. “Their increase over this last six years was only one-tenth of a billion dollars, so if the schools didn’t have this increase from the state — from the locals — their funding would have been pitiful.”

The money made a demonstrable difference in student performance, Ciesla said.

“We can directly tie funding to improvements in student achievement,” he said.

The study found progress has been made in efforts to meet proficiency standards by 2014 under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Gaps were closed by 51 percent in reading and 49 percent in math for students in grades three through five. Gaps were narrowed by 36 percent in reading and 39 percent in math for students in grades six through eight.

The study found that all race and ethnic groups of elementary and middle school students improved their reading and mathematics proficiency levels on the assessments required under the federal law.

The positive report and the top ranking by Education Week gave Gov. Martin O’Malley a rare bright spot in a long string of bad economic news in Maryland. O’Malley readjusted his schedule to appear at Annapolis High School with State Schools Superintendent Nancy Grasmick to hear the report’s findings.

In the school’s auditorium, seated by Grasmick and House Speaker Michael Busch, O’Malley cheered the report’s findings, saying it shows the investment was worthwhile.

“I think the majority of our people will say: ’Wow, that investment paid off. Let’s make sure we defend what we’ve done. Let’s make sure we defend the progress that we’ve made. Let’s not go backwards,”’ O’Malley said.

But with storm clouds raging on the state’s budgetary landscape, O’Malley told reporters the state likely will be forced to reduce spending plans for the state’s Geographic Cost of Education Index, which helps areas in the state where education costs more.

“We want to ramp up GCEI as fully as economic circumstances will allow, but for the immediate future the rate at which we ramp that up probably will have to be slowed,” O’Malley said.

Maryland faces a projected $1.9 billion deficit for the fiscal year 2010 budget, which will be submitted later this month by O’Malley.

Grasmick said she was worried about what the next year will bring for state education funding.

“I’m worried to death,” Grasmick said, “because you know if we have that reduced funding how can we demand more accountability and that’s what makes a difference.”

The Bridge to Excellence program was approved by the General Assembly in 2002. The law put into effect many of the recommendations of the Thornton Commission, which made recommendations designed to enhance public school funding, performance and equity.

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On the Net: http://docushare.msde.state.md.us/docushare/dsweb/View/Collection-18 046