NCES Releases State-wide Student and Staff Counts

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) of the United States Department of Education (USDE), has released its annual "Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment and Staff Counts" report for school year 2007-2008.

The report may or may not add to the debate of the question "Are there too many administrators in Michigan?"

The data (as accurate as it may or may not be) shows the following:

For the nation as a whole, the average ratio of students to administrative staff is 227 to 1. In other words, 227 students for every administrator. Administrator in this case refers to both school (principals) and central office administrators (superintendents, etc.)

Michigan is slightly worse than average with a ratio of 203 to 1. However, in rank order Michigan is right in the middle of the pack. Michigan ranks 24th in the nation in terms of the ratio of students to administrative staff.

So, heads you win, tails I lose?

The top and bottom five states and their ratios of students to administrative staff follows:

The top 5:

1. 490:1, New Jersey
2. 444:1, Illinois
3. 373:1. Utah
4. 365:1, Arizona
5. 358:1, California

The bottom 5:

50. 105:1, Alaska
49. 109:1, North Dakota
48. 118:1, South Dakota
47. 122:1, Maryland
46. 126:1, Wyoming

Michigan does rank 36th in terms of its ranking of "students to administrative and all other support staff". So, it would appear that we have more "administrative and all other support staff" than the average state. The NCES defines these as

Administrative support staff:

"Staff members who provide direct support to LEA and school administrators, including secretarial or other clerical, and persons whose activities are concerned with support of the teaching and administrative duties of the office of the principal, department chairpersons and central office administrators."

All other support staff:

"Staff who serve in a support capacity and who are not included in the categories of central office administrative support, library support, student support, or school administrative support (e.g., data processing staff, bus drivers, health, building, equipment maintenance, security, and cafeteria workers)."

Comment:

One wonders if we cut down on the required paper work and streamlined the curriculum development process... Oh yeah, do you have any idea how much clerical time is spent on MEAP testing?