By Zilvinas Silenas
Credit: The Empire Center
A recent analysis by National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) lamented the declining state of U.S. education by highlighting how scores in grade 12 math and reading have hit record lows. While Covid-19 was definitely a factor, others correctly pointed out that the decline began before the pandemic.
New York State shows a similar pattern: student performance started to decline before the pandemic and the resulting school shutdowns dealt an additional blow. Meanwhile, New York’s spending on education went through the roof and has shown no sign of slowing down.
Reading: In Decline since the 2010s
According to NAEP results in grade 4 reading, New York scored above the U.S. average but significantly behind Massachusetts or New Jersey, which clinched the top spots. We were also outperformed by Mississippi, one of the poorest states in the country.
New York wasn’t always mediocre at reading. In fact, New York’s grade 4 reading scores used to exceed the U.S. average in the 2000s. Later, however, New York’s scores began to dip and then fell sharply during the COVID epidemic.
Similar dynamics can be observed in grade 8 reading: They significantly exceeded the U.S. average in the 2000s but began to lag in the 2010s. In 2024, New York had its lowest score ever.
Mathematics: Huge COVID Impact on Grade 4
In mathematics, New York’s 4th graders scored three points below the U.S. average, and performed worse than much poorer states, e.g., Alabama, Missouri, and Louisiana. Neighboring Massachusetts performed the best in the country.
For grade 8 mathematics, New York achieved an average score of 271, compared to the U.S. average of 272.
In grade 4 mathematics, as in reading, New York used to exceed the U.S. average. It started to lag in 2011 and imploded during COVID.
Similar dynamics can be observed in grade 8, except the COVID decline was less pronounced.
Spending : The Highest and Still Rising
These falling academic outcomes would be an alarm bell for the education authorities of any state — except New York is not just any state. We spent more than $30,000 to educate each student in 2022-23, which was nearly double the U.S. average of $16,500. In fact, New York spends more per pupil than any country in the world, yet it does not lead the world in educational outcomes.
Massachusetts, which is the best-performing state, spends 24 percent less per pupil than New York. Mississippi, which outperforms New York on grade 4 reading and mathematics, spends only 40 percent of what New York spends.
New York’s high spending on education is not new. We have been outspending all other states for half a century, and the gap is ever-increasing. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, from 1968 to 2021 the national average to educate one student went from $5,960 to $16,280, an increase of 173 percent in inflation-adjusted terms. New York’s spending skyrocketed from $9,475 to $29,720, or 214 percent.
The issue is only going to get worse. Based on preliminary data, we are going to spend around $35,000 to educate a single student in 2025-26.
The silence of New York’s leaders is confusing. Imagine the political firestorm if any other program generated double the cost while achieving mediocre results. When electricity prices recently went up, New York’s politicians and activists erupted with outrage.
New York’s education system has been spending piles of money and underperforming for more than a decade now. Where are the calls for reform?
Zilvinas Silenas is the President and CEO of The Empire Center. He served as the President of the Foundation for Economic Education from 2019 to 2023, and the President of the Lithuanian Free Market Institute from 2012 to 2019.