Last week, the Oregon Parent Teacher Association (PTA) challenged a report from Georgetown University that suggested increased education spending in Oregon hasn’t led to better outcomes for students. The Edunomics Lab at Georgetown found that while spending per student rose by 80% between 2013 and 2023—now reaching $17,100—student performance has remained stagnant since the pandemic. In the statewide assessment, only 42.5% of students were proficient in English and language arts, with just 31% proficient in math, and the scores were even lower for Black and Hispanic students.
Dr. Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab, argues that Oregon’s spending isn’t being used effectively and that the state needs to better track its educational outcomes. However, some state legislators, particularly in the education subcommittee, expressed doubts about using test scores as the main measure of success.
The PTA’s 10-page memo counters the Edunomics findings, claiming that the data requires more context and corrections. They point out that Oregon’s funding was particularly low after the 2008 recession, meaning starting the analysis in 2013 gives a skewed picture of spending history. They also argue that comparing education spending to inflation isn’t fair; instead, they suggest using the Quality Education Model, which outlines the funding needed for a quality education in Oregon, a figure the state consistently fails to meet.
According to the PTA, the funding gap has increased by $8 billion from 2011 to 2013, and eighth-grade math scores dropped by 16 points between 2021 and 2023. Despite an increase in school staff, they note that Oregon has lost 700 teachers since 2019, which might explain why outcomes have suffered even with rising funding.
The PTA also poses an interesting question: what if funding hadn’t increased? They speculate that test scores might have fallen even further without additional financial support.
Roza stresses that while funding is important, it is essential for schools to use that money wisely to achieve better results. She points out that Oregon needs to rethink its investments to improve student success. While the PTA agrees that systemic changes take time, they believe that some recent initiatives focused on early literacy and career education might take longer to show results, as many of these students haven’t yet taken state tests.
Interestingly, the PTA overlooked why other states that have also increased education spending have shown better results. This gap in discussion could leave some questions unanswered. Roza noted that the PTA’s approach seems to favor maintaining the current methods, suggesting a lack of urgency that may not be suitable for today’s students. “We need to act quickly to help them succeed,” she insists.
