Education Vital Signs
U.S Schools: The Facts & Figures
Momentous change. A break with the past. A new direction. These were the kinds of words uttered as Barack Obama became the nation’s 44th president. The establishment of a new administration is always a historic occasion, but for many reasons the transition that occurred on Jan. 20, 2009, was unprecedented.
Yet, much as the nation wants—and needs—to look to the future, it is necessarily preoccupied with some tough questions from the year just ended. Foremost among these, for the public schools, are the recession and its effect on school budgets, and the pending reauthorization (and possible revamping) of No Child Left Behind.
In this issue of Education Vital Signs, we take a similar forward- and backward-looking approach. We look at the key events, studies, and reports of the past year and analyze them in light of what is looming in 2009 and beyond. This year’s issue begins, naturally, with a report on the Obama administration and the new Education Secretary, Arne Duncan. That is followed by an examination of how the economy is affecting school systems, and a report on the competence of today’s work force—and on the work force of tomorrow (i.e., your students).
As always, we take an in-depth look at student achievement and student health and welfare issues, as well as various aspects of school governance. This year, in particular, we explore the findings of The State of the Superintendency: A Mid-Decade Study, by the American Association of School Administrators. Other articles examine current legal questions, equity concerns, and issues confronting the teaching profession.
Once again, we present state-by-state figures on student enrollment, teacher salaries, per-pupil expenditures, assessment scores, and other key indicators of the state of U.S. schools.
We are also grateful for the generous support of our corporate sponsor, Pearson. Thank you for helping us bring this important information to America’s school leaders! We hope you find this 24th edition of
Education Vital Signs a valuable reference.
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