School Districts Nationwide Gag on 65 Percent Solution

June 2006 • Volume 4 • Issue 2

For years, the number 65 has meant two things in education: Social Security benefits and the minimum score needed for a student to pass a test or academic course.

Lately, however, it has acquired a whole new meaning. The “65 percent solution” is the hottest “simple idea” sweeping state legislatures. The term refers to the uncomplicated assumption that if public school districts were required to spend at least 65 percent of their operational budget on classroom-related expenses, higher student test scores would result.