New Study finds Prince William County Schools Among Best in Region

A recent study from the Center for American Progress (CAP) found that Prince William County has some of the most efficient schools in not only the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, but in the state of Virginia.

The study called Return on Educational Investment was the first-ever attempt to analyze the productivity of most major school districts throughout the country.

According to the study, Prince William County led the state for a basic return on investment. It scored a 89 percent on the State Achievement Index (STI) and spent roughly $6,429 per student. The STI measures the performance of public school students among many areas including reading, math, graduation rates and Advanced Placement scores.

The study measured the academic achievement a school district produces relative to its educational spending. Information was gathered  from nearly 9,000 school systems throughout the nation during the 2007-08 school year. It examined the proficiency rates on fourth grade, eight grade and high school students' scores on state tests. The controls for the study were factors outside of school districts' control such as the cost of living and students living in poverty.

“For too long our school systems has failed to ensure that funding consistently promotes strong student achievement,” said John Podesta, President of CAP. "At a time when states project more that $100 billion in budget gaps, educators need to be able to show that dollars produce significant outcomes.”

Locally, Manassas Park schools also got high marks, scoring 92 percent on the State Achievement Index and spending $6,887 per student. Manassas City Public Schools were among those at the bottom, only scoring 78 percent on the State Achievement Index and spending $7,269 per student.