"A District-Level Analysis of the Influence of Socioeconomic Status, Per-Pupil Funding, and Student-to-Teacher Ratio on Academic Performance in Virginia Public Schools."

It is imperative to identify the structural characteristics that influence academic performance so that we are aware of the impact that policy change has on the educational outcomes of our youth. This study used district-level regression analysis to identify the influence of socioeconomic status, per-pupil funding, and student-to-teacher ratio on the academic performance of students in Virginia's public schools. The data set was created by linking data from the U.S. Census and the Virginia Superintendent's Report. Four assumptions were tested: as median income increases (socioeconomic status), academic performance improves; as per-pupil funding increases, academic performance improves; increases in student-to-teacher ratios lead to poorer academic performance; and when socioeconomic status is controlled, the influence of race upon academic performance is greatly diminished. Previous literature suggests: that a positive correlation exists between socioeconomic status and academic performance; that a negative correlation exists between student-to-teacher ratio and academic performance; that results are mixed regarding the correlation between per-pupil funding and academic performance; and that residual racial effects persist despite the control of socioeconomic status. The regression analysis yielded significant results concerning the socioeconomic status and race variables, results that are presented and discussed in this paper.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Sociology

Department dc:contributor.department

Sociology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2008

Author dc:creator

• Eppard, Lawrence Michael

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Kershaw, Terry

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Fuller, Theodore D.
• Graves, Ellington T.

• Sociology of Education
• Academic Performance
• SES
• Socioeconomic Status
• Per-Pupil Funding

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-05092008-162744

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32450