Scores prove state's efficiency in education

Nebraska's educators have a lot to be proud of in recent figures released about the ACT college entrance exam on Tuesday.

According to the Nebraska Department of Education, Nebraska's 2007 graduates earned a 22.1 average ACT score, compared to 21.2 national average and an improvement from the state's 21.9 score last year.

Nebraska looks even better when the number of students actually taking the test is factored in. Among states with 75 percent of graduates participating -- Nebraska had 77 percent -- the Cornhusker State was first, leading 12 other states.

And, Nebraska has responded well to the influx of students learning English as a second language, as well as other educational challenges.

Overall, the number of those students has grown from 0.6 percent in 1991 to 6.5 percent this year. Among Hispanic students, the most common example, the group has grown from 2.6 percent in 1990 to 12.2 percent this year.

And, the number of students from low-income families, who typically have greater learning challenges, has grown to 36 percent of Nebraska students compared to 28 percent in 1994.

"Our educators are doing a terrific job," Nebraska Commissioner of Education Doug Christensen said. "The results show teachers are assessing real learning based on a broad curriculum, not a narrow one."

"The fact that Nebraska students continue to raise the bar is an indication of the good work that goes on in schools throughout our state each and every day," Gov. Dave Heineman said.

While some figures seem to support Nebraska's ability to produce students with good ACT scores, others, however, go against conventional wisdom.

It's not surprising, for example, that, according to the National Education Association, Nebraska ranks 13th in the student-teacher ratio in K-12 public schools, with 13.8 students per teacher. That clearly should help boost ACT scores.

But a Nebraska's per-pupil public school expenditures of $7,980, ranking 35th, and an average public school teacher salary of $41,026, or 39th of the 50 states, indicate that more money doesn't always provide a better education.

Rather than decrying the fact that we spend less money on education than other states, we should celebrate it as a sign of Nebraska's educational efficiency.